There seems to be a movement lately, of people getting into the business of couponing.
Historically I've ignored coupons. Growing up, my family never subscribed to a paper, and neither have Doc and I...so the whole Sunday coupons thing has been absent in my life. But a few months ago a friend of mine pointed me towards a blog dedicated to this whole New Way Of Couponing thing, and I admit I was intrigued. That blog led to others, and now I have a whole slew of blogs I've subscribed to touting the virtues of couponing, and sharing upwards of 50 posts a day on "deals" they've been alerted to.
These are the types of people who show up at the register with a cart overflowing with products and when they walk out of the store they've actually made money. Of course they have to send in a bunch of rebates and whatnot, but once they are reimbursed, they got all that stuff for free, plus some extra moolah in their pocket! Or on a less fruitful trip, they spent $32.19 but saved $498.69 on their purchases. Which admittedly is very impressive.
In the past, figuring out how to do this kind of shopping would be almost impossible. But with the Brave New World of internet tips, the whole thing has been turned upside down.
I've been reading a few of the blogs related to couponing for a several months now, and it's been tempting to jump in and join the fray. After all, there are "Newbie Tutorials" that promise to get you up to speed step-by-step, so that you too can be a crazy-penny-pinching-super-saving-savvy-coupon momma (or poppa).
Step one to winning big in the coupon game is that you have to get the Sunday paper coupons. And if you really want to be successful, they recommend you purchase at least FOUR copies of it. Allegedly, you will MORE than recoup your investment in money saved by having all these coupons.
Alternatively, you can buy blocks of coupons for specific products you use on eBay. Who knew?! But that requires being really on top of things. There are people who purchase hundreds of sets of Sunday papers, and then batch the coupons together, and then sell them online. You can get a bundle of 25 coupons for $.50 off Dish Detergent for $3.00, and then when that dish detergent goes on sale a few weeks later, with a register-printed "Catalina" (those coupons that spit out with your receipt) , you stock up on detergent which ends up being like $.03 each after all your hard work.
It exhausts me to think about it.
My questions don't center on whether it's A) legal B) moral or C) fair (though how annoying to "regular" shoppers who just want to get their one box of crackers that aren't available because the crazy coupon people bought 30 each). There have been plenty of posts dedicated to how the coupon industry works and the stores participation in them and how they get reimbursed blah blah blah. My question is whether or not this is a wise use of my time. Sure, even without the coupons in my hot little hands I've still managed to get in on a few great deals just by hearing about sales I otherwise wouldn't have known about. I recently purchased 40 boxes of Post Selects cereal...kinds I never treat myself to such as Blueberry Morning, for like $.73 a box. I wouldn't have known how to do that without these various sites guiding me. And I'm grateful, because cereal is the one prepared food we eat around here on a regular basis.
The guidelines have indicated that "You will be going shopping a lot". But will I be purchasing stuff I would otherwise not purchase? Will I be stockpiling things that I won't use? Where would I put all this stuff? Am I doing all this just so I have more to donate to the Boy Scouts or homeless shelter food drive? Is the food that you get these deals on mostly prepared foods or could a person eat mostly healthy and fresh foods? Will I eat more if I do this? How much time, TOTAL TIME, will it take? How much organization and focus will I have to employ to benefit from it. Is there any way to be a "moderate" couponer? Is this a cult? :-)
It's been such a frenzy around me lately that I thought I'd write about it. Don't know what I'm going to end up doing. Maybe I'll find a happy medium. I just hate having money and stuff be a major focus in my life, even while I'm committed to being a wise, prudent steward over what I've been blessed with.
Blessings:
1) Springtime
2) Dinner with my lovely inlaws last night for Doc's 40th birthday.
3) The happy song Bunch wrote that is running on a loop through my mind.
6 comments:
I'm TOTALLY intrigued by this post, because not long ago we had a RS activity where we learned about all this coupon cutting thing. I felt GREAT about it, and signed up for 2 copies of the Sunday Paper, realizing that saving hundreds on my grocery bill would DEFINITELY be worth it.
Within 1 month I cancelled my subscription, because I ran into the exact problem you were questioning...All the products in the coupons are processed. I got a few good deals on Spaghetti sauces and things that are nice to have on hand, but being one who makes most of my meals from scratch (and also vegan, which equals LOTS of fresh veggies) It was not the right deal for me. We ended up with a lot of toaster pastries and cookie mixes...
I'd rather spend that "clipping" mixing something fresh on my own (healthier).
So my 2 cents is that if you're big into healthy, home-made stuff...it's probably not the best route to go. (and maybe I'm just slow, but it took FOREVER to go through everything and keep them organized).
Anyway, that's a really long comment. Sorry. But I would love to know more about some of those blogs, because I am curious to read more from people who actually have been successful at it.
i KNOW! it's overwhelming. Also, half the time, it looks like the valutime brands are cheaper than the coupons....maybe i'm doing it wrong.
where did you put 40 boxes of cereal??? I would have to stack them into an ottomon shape so they could double as furniture LOL :-)
Why can't they put practical coupons in the newspaper like "50% off flight to London,England" or " 2 for the price of one vacation day"
My laundry room is A) cold and B) mostly a storage area. SO I lined two walls with shelves to store stuff in that won't fit in my little kitchen. I keep some of my bigger pans and such down there, and that's my "pantry" too. We have a little place but the laundry/food storage room makes it workable. And i just pile the bags of cereal boxes up along the wall. I never get those "specialty" cereals cause they're never within my price range. We're more of a generic shredded wheat family.
There are some AMAZING travel deals these days Ann. IN this economy you can scoop up some awesome trips if you have time and a little spare cash.
Thanks for the feedback Heidi. I think your experience is how mine would go. not that we're so healthy as you describe, but i just avoid pre-packaged and processed things.
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It is a frenzy all right. I've been tipped off to a couple of coupon sites but have rarely found items we already buy or would need to buy. Sure there's an occasional gem but mostly stuff that I'm not interested in - especially all the advertisements from sponsors.
I browse the Sunday paper coupon sections occasionally and it always seems to be the same stuff for $.30 off. Then I usually forget to bring along the coupons when I do make a shopping trip. It really is something you have to be conscious and deliberate about.
hmmm...since i am one of the ones who have joined in the coupon clipping world...not a frenzy...i'll pipe up.
at first, yes, it did take a bit of time...i think i got swept up in the couponing thing and being able to save. now, no, it doesn't take long. i don't clip coupons unless i need them...could i save more if i did clip them all and carry them with me to the store? yes. but i don't have the time or motivation to clip and file every SINGLE coupon.
6 months later, i have a nice stockpile in my kitchen, but not too much. i like to have enough to know that i can skip shopping one week if i feel like it. i haven't paid for toothpaste or deodorant in 6 months, or shampoo or makeup. it truly has cut our budget.
in my opinion, the best thing i have found is the blogs that do the coupon matchups. they tell you which week the coupon was in the paper and the sale it will match. this saves me the time, and also helps me get the best deals. this is the ONLY time i buy name brand things...because lots of times they end up being cheaper then the valubrand when on sale and matched with coupon.
i have purchased things i would not otherwise purchase...but really only from CVS. i donate those, or give them to people that i know will use them.
so, i guess, yes, you can be a moderate couponer, because that is what i think i am. i only go shopping once a week. i only buy 2 papers. i don't get a ton of fresh foods, but we don't eat them much, and i do buy meat, which is still able to fit in our budget because we are saving so much on everything else.
i think it is worth the hour of my time it takes to prepare to go to the grocery store. cutting our grocery budget in half or more has been nice to help us use that money in other ways...
(and seriously, i don't think i could ever not clip coupons now. i haven't paid over $.99 for a box of cereal in forever, when in the past, i was spending close to $4!)
Ah, the coupon world. Love that it is a cult :) and love that you said, "it exhausts me to think about it."
Me too. I often find myself not doing so much in my life b/c of my inabality to even attempt to be more type-A, and organization is my weak point. THIS is too organized and planned for my brain, and I can only admire and wish I could be a member of this cult! :):)
That said, with 3 daughters, if I don't just bite the bullet and try to buy as much as I can organic and hormone free (milk eggs meat especially) I pay big now but have to wonder less if I am adding to their hormonal issues later that have been so fun in my life - or sporting 34C's in 3rd grade! :)
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