s/o coupon thread...Is it even worth it?

[Mynyel]

I have looked at coupons, I looked at the Grocery Game.

 

I looks like a whole heck of a lot of work to save a few bucks. Is it even worth it?

 

I can't stand (meaning really irritated) shopping at a whole bunch of stores. Christmas time kills me. I do a lot of shopping online during that time.

 

I am a one stop shop kind of gal. I don't want to have to go to X store for these items and X store for those. It seems that the money you save is spent in time and gas to actually get those items.

 

Then if you use something like the GG you have to pay to save. Again after you calculate the fee for the sire (like the GG), time, gas, organizing when your going to go and how you are do your shopping is it really worth it?

 

Perhaps it is just me, it takes me 20 minutes (one way) to get to a regular grocery store (there are convenience stores but I mean for more than a gallon a milk or a loaf of bread). It takes me 30 minutes (one way) to get to a Super Center.

 

So it is really worth it? I guess since it is so popular it must be, but I guess (again) that it depends on the person and where you live?

 

Anyone have any thoughtful insight? I would be willing to try it if I knew I was going to save more that a few dollars here or there.

[Shellydon]

*I* don't think so. Time is money and I have more money than time these days.

[cathmom]

I don't think so. I'm in a similar situation to you - similar distances.

[Parrothead]

I don't find it to be worth the work.

[Joanne]

I'm preparing to coupon again. I used the grocery game last time; I will use free online help this time.

 

I used it when I was married to my xh, and running a daycare. It WAS very, very worth it. I'd shop late, late night or early, early morning (when the best clearance deals were also available).

 

I purchased many of our toiletries, cleaning supplies, and daycare food at a substantially reduced price, better than the store or generic brand (and, in a signficant amount of cases, better quality stuff).

 

Now, since you will "mind" the time spent, you'll need to weigh that against savings. I didn't mind the shopping, or organizing.

[cathmom]

I also think that for some people, using coupons and playing these store games is a way to shop and not feel bad about it. Some people actually like shopping!

[2_girls_mommy]

I find that it is worth my time. But I live closer to stores than you do. That might make a difference. I have a routine down of when to go to certain stores when I am in that area.

 

With the increase in the price of gas this year, dh is very happy with my household spending going down.

[Carrie12345]

I've found that, with the rising costs and fewer coupons/deals, it's getting *less* worth it (for me), but I keep plugging along.

 

It's all about tailoring it to your needs, though. I only shop one store unless there's an exceptional deal at the next (across the street from my regular store). I "only" buy 2 Sunday papers now, compared to the 4 I used to buy. After years of using GG, I've taken what I've learned an applied it to free sites. My organization/list methods have been streamlined with practice. My kids do a lot of the actual cutting for me now.

 

Yes, I invested a lot of time and effort a few years ago. It was worth it. Now I'm able to invest much less time and effort (maybe 2 hours a week, tops, not including the actual shopping I'd have to do anyway). It's still worth it. I wind up "making" anywhere from $10 to $25/hr. while watching television.

[cougarmom4]

I just started a few months ago and I will say it is worth it for me! I do spend some time going through websites, clipping coupons & organizing them, but I do all of my shopping at Walmart. They match competitor's prices, so all I have to do is tell them how much mangos or cucumbers are at X store and I get their price. Combining price matching AND couponing has saved us a lot of money. I have a website I go to that takes local store weekly ads & I can easily create a shopping list of what I need/plan to buy and print out.

 

I do buy 5 Sunday newspapers each week--it costs me $18 a month. But my goal is to build up a stockpile of things that we need and will store well. Last year we had a few months when we didn't get a paycheck from dh's job...we lived off the shelves in our basement. Now I'm trying to rebuild this storage so we're prepared if something like that happens again. I don't do the 'Extreme Couponing' as in the show (I don't buy 50 bottles of mustard), but when I can get toothpaste for $.17, I buy as many as I have coupons for it. (When we only had $20 a week for groceries, it was awfully hard to spend any of it on toilet paper or contact solution, when I wanted to buy healthy food!)

 

There are a lot of coupons for 'junk food' that I wouldn't normally buy--but do occasionally now for when we go on outings or family vacations. Just to add a little variety and to make things fun--but only when I get them for very cheap. For example, this past week I was able to get Twizzlers for $.50...don't normally buy them, but it was a fun treat for the kids on the 4th of July.

[OLG]

I have always been 'allergic' to coupons and simply avoid them. Probably would never remember I had them even if I did. Suspect you spend more $$ using them when you buy stuff you really didn't need. We eat unpackaged stuff for the most part (except the ds) so that eliminates many of then I am thinking.

[Burger]

I haven't read the other thread, so sorry if I repeat everything said.

 

I would not pay a site, there are plenty of free ones. My favorites are southernsavers.com and iheartpublix.

 

It can be worth it, but yes you will have to go to different stores to really get the best deals and it will take a lot of time, especially at first.

 

For me, I only like shopping at one store, so that's the one I focus on (Publix). You can find lots of coupon match up sites, and I make my list based on those. I don't even try the drugstores anymore, because since all the crazy coupon shows they are always sold out of the good deals. Even with publix, every couple months you can get free or next-to free drugstore items (shampoo, toothpaste, etc).

 

So, mostly for me, I try to buy extra of whatever is on sale that we use regularly, match up coupons with the current buy-one-get ones, and always buy papers in an even number (usually 2, but will get up to 6 if there's something in that makes it worth it).

[Satori]

I'm not a coupon gal. Time is money and I value my time greatly, especially since I live 40 minutes away from stores. I also think that coupons would get my buying things I would've have in the first place, and I definitely don't need that.

 

I will however be checking out my Staples coupons!

[regentrude]

I would not want to spend the time- I much rather work my job.

I get a newspaper, and I look at the Sunday coupons - and there are hardly ever coupons for things we would buy anyway (except the occasional toiletries) . Most of our groceries are fresh fruit and vegetables and I have never seen coupons for those.

[Pamela H in Texas]

Without reading your post past what I could see in the preview:

 

The Grocery Game does the work for you, except cutting out the coupons.

When we did it consistently, we were spending an average of $34 per week.

I certainly can spend 20-30 minutes cutting coupons for that sort of savings that ends up being.

 

My husband asked his coworkers to keep the inserts for us as one insert per week isn't enough for a family of 9 (it was plenty for a family of 4, imo). I think 3 would be plenty but you can't guarantee on people being consistent so sometimes we will have more than 3 inserts and other times fewer.

[Night Elf]

It is worth it for me. I never spend more than about an hour each week preparing for my shopping and I save close to 50% on the things I would buy even if I wasn't using coupons.

 

I follow the Grocery Game. When I get coupons out of the sunday paper, I put them in protective sheets in a binder and label the top of the sheet with the sunday date. I only clip the actual coupons I need on my shopping day. Now, if I had to sit there and clip all the coupons like I used to do, that does indeed take me longer.

 

I shop at 2 grocery stores in addition to Walmart. I shop on Saturday or Sunday, that means once a week. I don't do the price comparison at Walmart because they don't double coupons for me. So if an item at a grocery store is on sale for $1.50 and I have a .50 cent coupon, I can get that item for .50 cents total. At Walmart, they would match the $1.50 but only give me face value on the coupon which means my total cost for the item is $1.00.

 

I do take advantage of stocking up on items that offer an incredible bargain. But I don't stockpile months worth of anything. For example, I prefer to pay less than $2.00 for laundry detergent. When something goes on sale, and I am not brand particular for laundry detergent, I get as many bottles as I have coupons for. When I am out and nothing is on sale, my regular brand costs $4.00 a bottle. If I use the stockpile method, I'm always using laundry detergent that I got 50% off retail price. I now feel like a fool if I end up paying full retail. Toilet paper is another biggie. I AM brand loyal on that item and regular price is .56 cents per roll. If I can get it for less than .30 cents a roll, I buy as much as I have coupons for.

 

I do not buy any items that I do not normally buy. The few exceptions are when I can get an item for free, then it seems silly not to give it a try. For example, I got a bottle of Dial body wash for free. It was on sale and I had a store coupon and a manufacture's coupon that got doubled. The item was free. Who wouldn't want to take advantage of that offer?

 

I have a love/hate relationship with CVS drug store. Some weeks I can walk out with $25 of items for less than $5.00. But that is rare. If there isn't a deal that is worth my time, I don't bother going at all.

 

The money I save from couponing more than compensates the time I spend on doing it. My DH always goes with me. He gets so excited when the receipt shows how much we've saved! :tongue_smilie:

 

ETA: When we started using grocery game, we took the money we saved and started making an additional payment monthly on our mortgage. That is money well saved indeed!

Edited July 8, 2011 by Night Elf

[Lady Florida.]

I shop at one store. I spend about an hour a week gathering/printing coupons. I don't use coupons for processed food or junk. I save an average of 40%-50%. Yes, to me it's well worth that hour.

 

And when I've stocked up thanks to coupons, all I have to buy is fresh produce and staples like milk or bread. Sometimes I go weeks without setting foot in a grocery store (I buy our produce at a local produce stand).

[Night Elf]

Something interesting I have noticed lately is that people will often leave coupons around the store that they don't end up wanting. It happened to me several times in the past month where there was a coupon sitting on top of an item I wanted (like some sort of coupon angel follows me around). I got some really awesome deals a week ago on some yogurt my son likes.

 

I do that. I figure someone will benefit from it. I worry the employees find it annoying if they have to throw them away, but I figure the good outweighs the bad. I've also been on the receiving end of that. Goodness, one day I had a lady walk up to me and offer me coupons when she saw I was standing in front of products that she had coupons for. That was definitely nice. :)

[catz]

*I* don't think so. Time is money and I have more money than time these days.

 

:iagree: I use coupons/discounts if it is very convenient. But generally no - not enough hours in the day.

[Lady Florida.]

 

I would not pay a site, there are plenty of free ones. My favorites are southernsavers.com and iheartpublix.

 

 

 

 

I heart iheartpublix. :D There's also Hot Coupon World, though navigating through there can be overwhelming. I just go to the forum, and then to the stores I shop (which is mostly Publix). They do have a lot of beginner, couponing 101 type information at that site though. Totally Target helps you figure out Target sales and gift card offers, but I don't find too many great deals at Target. Oh, and Coupon Mom.

 

I wouldn't pay for Grocery Game or any of the other pay sites. It isn't worth it. It does take time to learn, but it takes time to learn to do most anything doesn't it? Once you get the hang of it, it doesn't take much time at all to make your shopping plan.

[DawnM]

Yes! I only do Southern Savers (free) and Harris Teeter. I don't go to a lot of shops, but I do make a Costco trip about once per month as well.

 

I LOVE couponing.

 

Now, I don't do the binder thing. It about made me throw out the baby with the bathwater. I do what I call "lazy couponing."

 

I get two papers delivered. I have a hanging file box. I pull out the coupons and slip them into a file by date. I then go to Southernsavers.com and print out my list. SS tells me what week the coupon is in and I clip ONLY THOSE!

 

The only coupons I always clip and keep in my wallet are L'Oreal hair color coupons because if I find a clearance I stock up.

 

I spend about 30 min. per week.

 

Dawn

[Night Elf]

Oh, I also wanted to say that I use my coupon site to show me what is on sale because that cuts my time spent walking around the store. For example, my DH loves cherries. This week I see they are 38% off. I don't normally buy those because of the price but it would be worth it to buy them this week. I like shopping by seeing the percent off an item rather than walking around the store and trying to figure it out myself. So yeah, sometimes I do buy things I don't normally buy. I don't have a coupon for them, but 38% isn't too bad to save on something that we buy only occasionally.