I’ve discovered Coupons! I can’t believe I didn’t use them before.

[BinkyBunny]

So for some reason, I thought the time it would take to search out coupons, cut them out etc, would not be worth just a few bucks. Plus, I had the assumption that the coupons would just make me buy stuff that I usually don’t use.  Well, my best friend said she got started on the coupon craze, and has been saving a bunch.

Well, I started collecting coupons a month ago, and once I got the hang of it, I can proudly say I’m learning to save big!  I just saved $30 bucks on a 141.00 grocery total – so the final was 111.00.  (OH, and I got a  .50/per gallon gas discount for spending over $100 – it’s a ongoing savings deal with local grocery)

The beginning was a little time-consuming,but now it’s all quick  and easy.   I made a list of all the things we use.   I then googled the product and coupon. But here’s the catch – you do  sometimes have to register for sites – Like I shop at Nob hill, and I get the best deals from them if I register on their site.   So I created a gmail account ONLY for getting coupons and registering for sites who give coupons.(like couponmom.com)  I  don’t want to fill up my regular email with a bunch of this stuff, plus,many times these sites will just spam you forever, so I  chose to just create a separate email.

 

The best thing is when the regular store puts on big sales on my  favorite items, and then I use coupons on top of  their sale -  Amazing discounts!

I can’t believe I haven’t been doing this all along – How did I not know about this? 

Does anybody else use coupons and if so, do you have any tricks to share?

 

[Beka27]

i love the coupon mom site! as you know they have databases of coupons. that site actually recommends that you not clip until you need them, so i date each flyer and put it into monthly file folders. i always shop at the same grocery store, so i scour the weekly circular and clip coupons once i know i am going to use them. my store doubles coupons up to 99 cents, and they do 10 cents off a gallon of gas for every 50 dollars spent. the other week the store had toothpaste on sale 2 for $3. i had a .75 coupon. doubled, i got the tube of toothpaste FREE! i get super excited about this kinda stuff. it kinda sucks tho b/c my printer doesn’t work, so i can’t print any out…

i try not to be too brand conscious. if i have coupons for different razors let says, i’ll use any brand if the discount is good enough…

[babybunsmum]

you know… i’m getting there too.  actually not so much with the coupons yet although after reading your post i’m inspired!  thats a great savings!  i have been checking out store flyers online so i go where the sales are these days.  on a select few things i am brand conscious but the rest depends on the cost.

[bunnytowne]

Well… I used to use coupons.  I found that they were for brand names and even with the coupon for brand names I still paid less for the store brand econimic item.  So I quit using them.

But boy those pet food coupons if I find any for oxbow I would be delighted.

My hubby likes to shop around from 3 different stores to get better prices.

I havent’ tried coupon mom  there is another one my friend uses.  Can’t think of it right now. Probably as soon as I submit this post I will remember it and  have to repost.  Don’t you hate that.

Now I got it  Coupon bug.com  yeah thats it.  Hey my mind works this morning after all.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

WOW Sign me up!!!

BB what a fantastic idea! The time to save any money we can is now, so coupons are a fantastic idea!! I’m going grocery shopping tomorrow I think so I’m gonna give it a go! THANKS!

[Scarlet_Rose]

I’ll have to try that coupon mom site. I’ve been looking for more ways to pinch pennies. I sign up for the “club” scan key-tag thingy at every store I go to, that way you receive coupons in the mail from that store and there are some reall deals on stuff I actually buy. I don’t know what grocery stores you have in your locale but King Soopers does (mail you coupons) but Safeway does not. The key tag often just gets you “specials” that you cannot get without it, sort of an electronic coupon but you are their mercy of the products to choose from.

I stole my neighbors coupons from their paper once. LOL For shame! Well actually he was out of town and just wanted me to throw the paper in the garbage for him. It sounds so much more scandaous saying I stole them. LOL

I am bookmarking those web sites right now!

[BinkyBunny]

It’s true that most of the coupons are for brand names, and the store brands (safeway, Raley’s, etc) are many times cheaper than the brand name product WITH the coupon, but here’s the catch on that. If you file away your coupons and wait for a big sale and then use the coupon…and the thing is – between the brands that go on sale all the time, and then the store putting on sales, along with coupons….WOW. For example, Kellogs has a sale going on right now for Family Size Kellogs Cereals – something like $2.68/box. Usually for that size their over $5.00. THEN, I use the $1.00 off coupon and I get a huge box of one of my favorite cereals fo $1.68.

And there are some things we can’t compromise on – like I HAVE to have Vlasic Kosher Dill Pickles (no other brand will do). Steve is the same way with Ketchup, and Peanutbutter.

I have several $1.00 off coupons for Vlasic. The pickles go on sale about once a month, and I print out my coupons and stock up. I stock up by Steve and I going couple of times since sometimes you can only purchase one at a time, but hey if a few trips saves me $8.00 total just for one product, then it’s worth it – and usually we have more than one product to save on. I find I can do this with alot of the things I buy. And,at first, I felt like a goofy little old lady with nothing better to do in her life than get excited about some coupons, and file them away in her little mini-pink plastic coupon organizer (er….revealed too much there!) but I’m evolving passed that stereotype now that I am beginning to see how this can really work – I’m not in the big leagues…..yet!

[Beka27]

lol Scarlet! you thief! i’d do the same thing tho!

what drives me nuts is that i get so excited about saving money with coupons, but then my husband will *have to* have a box of 5 dollar bakery cookies so some of my savings go out the door… lol.

[kralspace]

well, just think of it as a ‘free’ $5 box of cookies. (and give him his own coupons…lol)

[JamieM]

My mother sends me coupons all the time and I go to a website called http://www.heyitsfree.com for tons of free samples and coupons… it’s great. Here’s my method of coupon use and it’s kind of time consuming but it’s saved me a TON..sometimes up to 50% on my grocery bill…

Ok I clip coupons and bought one of those little coupon binder things to organize them in. I made a spreadsheet (I know, seems like a lot of work, but once it’s made, it’s just maintanence and updating, nothing too time consuming) that states the brand, the expiration date, minimum purchase, etc. Then, on sundays I sit down with the sale bills and if there’s something on sale, like let’s say Boca Burgers are $1 off. I see if I have a coupon and if I do, I buy them, cause you get the sale price plus the additional dollar off.

I know, I know it seems like a lot of work but you end up saving so much it’s totally worth it. I have gone to the grocery store, bought cans of veggies, boca burgers, fresh veggies, tofu (I’m a vegetarian, if you can’t tell..ha) and spent like $7… it adds up when you work in social service!

[BinkyBunny]

I have my little label binder now. I can feel it’s happening…uh oh…. I’m movin’ up the ranks to “Crazy Coupon Lady”

But the savings are worth the it. And now that gas prices are dropping, my 25 cents of each gallon with $100 grocery purchase ends up being much higher percentage rate!  Yahoooo!     (I’m frightened by my own excitement over this)

[Hedi]

There is more to the couponmom.com site than coupons. There are huge notes to check out their 1st Ebook on how to save. The book tells you how every month all products flucuate about 55% in cost so if you begin to just track the top 10 things you most often buy then you can see when it is the lowest price and stock up so by the time you run out then the cost will be down again and then you can buy again.

Makes perfect sense.

[Beka27]

yes i read that ebook the first day i signed up! i’ve noticed patterns in our grocery store circular ever since. almost like clockwork every so many weeks the same things are on sale… that’s the key to the sales. save your coupons until the items are on sale then buy enough of the product to last you the 4-6 weeks until it goes on sale again.

in my case, i almost never buy store-brand b/c i get better savings with the name-brand. generic salad dressing is $2, the namebrand is $4, but it’s on sale for $3… i have a .75 cent coupon (BONUS: my store doubles coupons up to .99, so really i get $1.50 off!!!), so i get the $3 dollar dressing for $1.50 after all the savings… less than the store brand!

my store just had a 3 for $10 sale on ice cream. regularly each carton is $5. in adition if you buy $10 dollars worth yoiu get a $3 coupon at check-out for your next shopping trip. so really the final price was 3 for $7. i had 3 coupons for .50 off that brand (doubled that came to another $3 off!!!) so my final cost on the ice cream was 3 for $4… i saved $11 after all was said and done… mmm. ice cream!

[bunnytowne]

Really  this is sounding really interesting. Hmmm. I get the Sunday paper too. I better start looking online and in the coupon papers too. Also have to find out which store here doubles coupons.

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