Let me start by saying that I am a HUGE fan of coupons. I have used hundreds of coupons in my lifetime and will continue to use coupons. I also love finding good deals. However, lately I have noticed that since cutting back on using coupons, I have actually SPENT less and have SAVED more.
When I first started couponing and studying how everyone else was doing it, I was hooked. I was in the stores often, trying to score the best deals that everyone else was getting. Even if it meant that I necessarily didn’t need the product, I had a coupon and was getting it for next to nothing. I spent hours searching for and clipping coupons, and hours each week in the stores searching and spending.
A few months ago, I noticed something strange was happening. There were NO coupon inserts in my local Sunday Paper. I was paying about $20.00 quarterly for my subscription and every Sunday I looked for my inserts and found NONE. I called the newspaper company and found out that they were having problems with the companies that were in charge of the inserts and would not be putting them in the papers until the problem was solved. My “frugal” decision was to cancel the newspaper subscription and just deal with the fact that I couldn’t participate in the deals that I was finding online. Canceling my newspaper subscription also meant that I was going to stop receiving store circulars each week. Ever since I canceled my newspaper subscription, I have noticed something interesting. I have SAVED more money–and time. There are several reasons for this:
1. I am not paying $20.00 quarterly for my newspaper subscription and have stopped buying newspapers altogether.
2. I am not clipping unnecessary coupons and spending money on products that I do not need just because I “think” I’m saving money. I found that I was buying more “junk food” with coupons because I thought it was going to save me money. I am not a fan of junk food, so the “advertising” is what sucked me in! I also threw out a lot of these “great deals” because I never ended up eating or using the product=money in the trash.
3. With the store circulars out of sight, shopping is out of mind. I am RARELY in the stores buying because I want to get the “good deal” that isn’t necessarily needed. Keep in mind that coupons are a form of advertising. When they are not in front of you, most likely, you won’t be thinking about “needing to buy it.”
4. By cutting back on shopping, I am cutting back on gas. Gas prices are high right now and making trips to find deals wasn’t saving me money.
5. Cutting coupons and finding deals takes time: time away from family, time away from a career, time away from other important areas in life. I have also saved “time” since cutting back on coupons and have found that I am more productive.
Let me repeat what I said in the beginning. I am a huge fan of coupons and will continue to use them. However, I will NOT be an “extreme coupon user” like I had in mind at the beginning of my coupon adventures, because I don’t find that it is necessary. If I have to buy a bigger house and storage units to store all of the “freebies” and cheap deals I have found, then I am not sold on the fact that coupons could be saving money. Using coupons MIGHT be doing the opposite for you. When I clip coupons now and in the future, I am ONLY clipping coupons for products that I already know that I regularly buy.
If you are a coupon user, take a step back and study your situation. Are coupons “really” saving you money? They may be–they may not be, but in my own personal life, I have noticed that since cutting back on using coupons, my wallet is a little fatter these days–and that is not a bad thing!
I can totally agree with you. I LOVE coupons and I LOVE finding great deals. I have a pretty good stockpile of items but I am not one of those crazy coupon people. I can totally see where you are saving money now. 🙂 Good post.
I been using coupons for years i only use them if it what i need at kroger the first wednesday in hte month u get 10% off for senior citizen thats when i do most of my shopping alone with my coupons that’s my saving never buy the newspaper unless it posted on the net about sunday insert that the only time i buy it
Yes, using coupons can be dangerous! When I first started I would fall for any deal, but then I read a great article that suggested before you use coupons you must set a budget or you’ll never save money. So I set a budget of 70.00 a week which include any food, toiletry, personal care items, and any stops at fast food restaurants (basically, if I save a lot of money, I feel free to reward the kids with a stop at chik fil a or something). It has really worked for me. I am so lucky to live in an area that has grocery stores that have amazing deals (like Harris Teeter), and it isn’t too hard to stay in that budget, whereas before I did couponing I was spending anywhere from $80-$150 per week!
WOW !! $70.00 a week !! That’s great..Our budget for a family of 4 is $250..now that includes dog and cat food and diapers for the 14 month old (it did include formula too, but we are off that)..I don’t know how you do it..that’s great !!!
Amen, sista! This is SO SO true and exactly why I stopped being hardcore. 🙂
Same here! I found that out this past summer when I couldn’t get internet!
I totally agree with you! I love coupons too, but the time and energy is not always worth it.
I totally agree with you. Sometimes you just have to pass on a good deal; especially if you don’t even need it. There will always be another good deal in the coming weeks.
I heavily coupon and the coupons I clip are the ones that I use. I do invest alot of time in doing this, BUT I not only do it for my benefit, but I do it to help my family, friends and complete strangers in my community.
I have a budget of $300/mos. for my family of 5 and 2 furbabies and I stick with that cash system each month. We live in a rural area, so running out on a whim isn’t and never has been an option. When I do go out I make the most of that trip by hitting every store that I need to go to with coupons (RA, CVS, Target, Kroger’s, etc) and I map it out before I go to make efficient use of my gas as well. And not only do I run to those stores, but I also will recycle, go to the bank, go to a dr’s appt, or anything else that needs to be done while I’m down in town.
I can see your point-of-view for your situation, but it simply doesn’t apply to someone like me. I can see however how it would help some people, but I find it silly when I hear of people who run the roads every day in the chase for the next greatest deal. I think even if I didn’t live 45 min. from town I wouldn’t do that simply because I have so many other things that I have to do in a day’s time that I wouldn’t have time for something like that.
Great post though!!!!
I would like to encourage you to check out my budgeting blog I’m working on at:
http://thefrugalsquirrel.wordpress.com/
Good post!! I use more coupons for personal items than food. By getting free or extremely cheap items, i can then give them for gifts or to people in need!!!
I’m with you on the junk food part..would I normally buy 2 bags of cookies or candy if I didn’t have a coupon…NO. So why buy all those “calories” just because I’m saving $1.00.
I still cut all the coupons out of the flyers, but I put the ones I know I would never use in a ziplock bag. As I’m going through the store I’ll pull those out and just put the coupon on the shelf by the products. I know someone will use it because I’ve found coupons like that and have used them. It’s better than going around the store looking in everyones buggies ..lol.
I like your idea of leaving unused coupons on the shelves for others to find. So cool! I could leave piles….
I was also lured into buying things I didn’t need just to get the “deal”. I decided to make a list of all the brands we like and buy regularly and go to those websites. Sometimes they will offer coupons on their products, or you can simply email them and ask! You usually have to sign up on their mailing list, but that’s ok because I like their products and they will send special offers from time to time. I have been pleasantly surprised at how willing they are to send you coupons, special offers and even free samples! They are usually stoked that you support their product and want to keep you on board as a customer. Can’t beat that, AND you know you’re going to use it.
LOVE it. I call it saving with sanity! Thanks for taking the time to share your savings
What a great post, I am with you 100% on this! So glad you put it in writing! =))
I’ve been trying to start couponing. The one thing holding me back was spending money on newspapers to get the coupons. It just didn’t make sense to me. Now I have started the only time I use coupons is if it makes it free, and is something I would normally use.
Great article. I totally go in cycles with my couponing. I have never been an extreme couponer at all actually, because “extreme” is just not part of my personality (I’m too lazy, LOL). However I definitely think that some people get so enthralled with the savings that they don’t look at the bigger picture.
It can be an addiction for some people, that’s for sure. Good for you for realizing that there is a happy middle ground!
I jumped over from Blog Frog. Thank you for posting this. I could never justify using all those coupons when they were items I didn’t need. We eat whole, organic, semi-vegetarian diet and it drove me crazy that all the coupons were junk or items I really didn’t need. I tried to explain this to a friend who’s in the store everyday and she can’t see my point of view.
I’ve actually started to do the same as I would stock up on so many things, we wouldn’t even eat them. It’s not just about clipping coupons, its about clipping the ones that matter for your life. 🙂
Lorelei
I totally hear ya. We decided to try “couponing” a while back and fell off the bandwagon FAST. We noticed quickly that the vast, vast majority of coupons were for things we don’t buy or use. I do a lot of cooking from scratch, so we don’t buy a lot of pre-packaged, pre-seasoned, processed foods. We also use a lot of “natural” personal care products, for which there aren’t a lot of coupons either.
For us, we found that doing a “menu plan” every two weeks and sticking to it saves us more money. We automatically get the grocery store circulars in the mail every week, so we keep an eye on sales for the things we buy regularly. It works better. And saves us time.
Good post and good advice!
I so totally agree with you. I try to plan weekly or by weekly menus for my family, I THEN go and look for coupons that I can use , because it is for what I already buy.
I spent $50 less than my average monthly grocery spending in February because I stayed out of CVS and walgreens. Two stores that I might visit 6+ times a month each….last month I might have gone to each of the twice. And guess what…we didn’t run out of anything!!!
I’ve always been one that only clips for things I know I will buy. I always wonder how so many people save so much with coupons I save a little here and there but there are some things I won’t buy a different brand of just because I have a coupon like ketchup and peanut butter.
I so agree! I don’t think I’ll ever give up using coupons altogether, but I’ve taken a break from the extreme couponing. When I first found out about getting free stuff at CVS, I quickly mastered it and went overboard. I found I was hitting like 3 or 4 CVS stores on one day because they were all out of stock, so I was wasting lots of time and gas to save what, $3 for a free shampoo? When I look at the hourly wage I earn at work, my time has a pretty high value.
I have such a big stockpile built up that I haven’t really done CVS since October 2010, and still haven’t had to buy much HBA items. I’m working through my stash and freeing up closet space.
I’m also getting a lot pickier about what I eat, and many of the items on sale have ingredients I’m trying to avoid. I don’t even get a newspaper anymore and just use the internet printables.
Hi there,
I totally agree with needing to step back from overdoing it with couponing. I noticed the same thing when using some of my coupons when I did not need the products right away. If you buy lots of shampoo then you want to use it all up right away. Seriously, though, I am still using a few coupons. I read about cutting only those coupons that you really need. That’s made a big difference.
Thanks for taking the time to create this blog entry. It mirrors what I had found out for myself–you can save more money by not using too many coupons.
Rebecca G.
TOTALLY agree!! Love this.
Indeed! I haven’t subscribed to a newspaper in years, but have spent who knows how much money on ink and paper printing online coupons, all for items I don’t normally buy and don’t *need* anyway. So I shop where I save the most money, and *that* saves me money! Have a good day, all! 🙂
i went through the same experience! when i first started couponing i went in full speed ahead and was hardcore. i don’t regret it because it was a time for me to learn the ropes of couponing and deals. however, after a year of being hardcore i realized that i was spending more than i needed to for the products my family needs. so i cut back on my couponing and shopping. like you, i still love coupons and will always use them, but i use them only for products we need and i don’t get all the junk food that i did in the beginning.
thanks for this post
I find that most of the coupons are geared towards products for kids and junk food. My kids are grown and can’t have the junk food….so using coupons is something I do when I’m lucky enough to find one that is for the product I’m already using!
I completely agree!
I’ve noticed also that I am not going through as much paper and ink printing coupons which also means, less wear and tear on my printer. Some websites I could turn the paper and get multiple prints per sheet. Other websites it would print the coupon at the top and then advertisements for the product at the bottom.
I actually only used about 1/2 the coupons I printed. The various stores would be out of the products.
Then there’s sales tax. In my state the sales tax is 7% and it’s charged based on the pre coupon price. Even if I was getting the item free via a sale and coupon I was still paying sales tax.
I use coupons, but I’m not an extreme couponer. We only do major grocery shopping once every two or three months. Then weekly we go to the store to buy eggs, milk or bread if needed, as well as fresh vegetables to make salad and fresh apples for the lunches that are made.
Otherwise we wait til our normal grocery shopping time. Then we I do use coupons for our $600 budgeted amount for our main three month grocery trip that includes laundry, cleaning and personal supplies, I usually save about $40 with the coupons I do use. I’ll actually probably save a little more than that this next main grocery shopping time, but that is because Pedigree gave me a coupon with a value up to $20 off up to a 20 lb. bag since I adopted a dog last year from the animal shelter. I also have a few buy one get one free items on food we like to eat, so this time I might do better than I usually do.
I do think if people are going out and buying them just for the sake of getting things free they really need to think are they going to use up the product before the expiration date.
Note alot of personal care items have expiration dates too because chemicals can go bad or change after time, so check your deodorant and see if it has a best use by date, lotions and other products that use organic herbal ingredients often have use by dates too.
Plus who wants to buy so many noodles that the noodles get mill worms in them because they are so old, or other products that can draw bugs.
I saw on Extreme Couponers on TLC a couple that has $35,000 worth of products in their home and garage from their couponing trips and that they have the products insured. Now how much per year are they spending on that insurance, and also they buy extra coupons from couponing sites, so how much are they spending their? How much are they going to have to throw away before it goes bad? Is all that detergent in their garage flammable?
What if they develop allergies to some of those products and can no longer use them?
Things to think about before you go off the deep end.
Sure if it’s something you use and like and were going to buy it anyways or you could substitute for a meal you were going to make and your family will actually eat it and it’s got nutrition, well then use those coupons. Yet, if gas prices keep going up, you really need to plan your trips to happen all on one day and drive a circle type of path so you don’t waste a drop of gas and the gas prices for the mileage doesn’t exceed what you’d be saving.
Thanks for this post! I am a coupon newbie, yet haven’t figured out how to extreme coupon like so many others have. Now I don’t feel so bad about not devoting more time to it. Not only that, but I find I do better with Publix BOGO and Kroger 10/$10 sales for groceries. I still want to coupon, too, but not at the expense of family time and added frustrations.
Like everything in life, moderation. I print coupons off the internet and only occasionally buy a newspaper, so very little $ spent. I use the time I would normally use watching TV, so no great loss there. I drive past the store on my way home from work so no extra gas. I only buy products I use and only what I can fit in my pantry and laundry room.
That said, couponing saves me about a third of my grocery bill. It is also great to not run out of something b/c you have an inventory on your shelves. This past month I got free yogurt, free lettuce and free laundry soap, so what’s not to like?
I could not agree more! I often get into a couponing phase only to end up frustrated at how much time I’ve wasted and money I’ve spent on stuff I did not need in the first place. If I run across a coupon for an item I will use, then great but I’m not going to go and scout them out.
Nice post, and obviously from the comments, a lot of people relate to your experience! It is SO easy to get caught up buying things you don’t want just because you’re getting it for cheap. But if you don’t need it, that’s not really saving!
I love coupons, too, and I use them regularly, but before I even put one in my stash, I ask myself if we really even use the product it’s for. I find that by taking that approach, and only using coupons for things we really want/need/use, I routinely save about 10% on my groceries – not an extreme result (but then I’m not taking an extreme approach), but a noticeable savings that’s worth the effort to me!
Love this post…glad i found it! I noticed I had to do the same thing! So much time and money could be wasted trying to hunt down a deal that is not necessarily needed! THANK YOU!
You’re my kind of coupon queen! It is so, so easy to get “sucked into” buying things you don’t need just because it’s a deal. I’ve also noticed a trend among extreme couponers…they often ignore the store brand which might be cheaper! Did you know that switching to store brands will save you about 25% on your grocery bill…that’s easier than couponing anyday!!!!
I totally agree with you! I see all these posts about 2 or 3 trips a week to the drugstores. I have never gone more than once, and am planning on using the last of my ECBs from CVS this week. I’m just buying too much stuff that I don’t need. I still use coupons, but only on the things that we normally use or buy or if it’s free. If we don’t use the free item, I just donate it or give it to a family member. I do clip all coupons, but I only buy one paper a week for $1. I’m sure that I save over $52 a year. I don’t subscribe, I get them from the street vendors. I am trying to send my expired coupons to military families so others can benefit from them I am now taking the approach that I should shop the perimeter of the grocery store. There’s not a lot of coupons for healthy things, but I do find some for yogurt, almond milk and some other things we use. Extreme couponing is just not for me.
I have been keeping up with everyones comments and do appreciate all of them! Thank you for your input! Can’t wait to read more!
I see your point – Coupons are issued in order to help you spend money and not save money.
But knowing the problem is half the solution, I think. When I clip coupons, I only clip ones I really need and when I go to the store, I only buy what I have coupons for.
The profit is in the little items you buy “on the way” to the cash register…
I completely agree with you. I just did an article about couponing on my blog. I have found that by shopping at Aldi and Joe Caputo’s for fruit/veggies, I can get everything I need/want and still stay within my $80 budget and am not wasting time cutting coupons!
I would be thrilled to get rid of our monthly newspaper subscription. My husband really doesn’t want to and I let him win this battle. I find that most of the good, fresh, healthy food I should be buying doesn’t have coupons anyway. I buy all of my household and personal products online (green store) and coupons just became a waste of my time as well as presenting constant temptation for things we really don’t need.
I agree. Coupons actually make you spend more because you see a coupon and want to use it, regardless if you really need or use the product in question. Love this post!
i used to pay $15 a week in coupons and i only have a family of 3 so i didnt need an abundance of items cuz we’d go through things pretty slowly. so i mostly print coupons or order them off ebay if i know i’ll use them (item free)
My policy is to never spend money for coupons. That includes paying for the newspaper, or printing them. I still get tons of coupons, though, from other people who do not use them, from the mail, and from the occassional sweepstakes. Since I eat mostly raw fruits and vegetables, though, there are not a lot of coupons for the things I use most. I do love to use coupons on clearance items, though, and will buy just about anything I will use if it is on clearance AND I have a coupon for it. Otherwise, the brand I have a coupon for is not necessarily the cheapest – even after the coupon is processed, and I ALWAYS go for the best bargain.