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CTC Readers' Poll:
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| "Finally,
someone who makes sense about couponing! It's not an all or
nothing activity. I am a single, professional woman, with a one bedroom
condo, one cat, one credit card, and one car. I clip coupons if
there is something I can use. However, since I cook from scratch and
freeze, and most of the coupons are for products that I don't buy or
use, there aren't many coupons for me to clip. I do search the Internet
for coupons for things like: tires, batteries, oil-n-lube change,
anti-flea treatments (for my cat), cat litter, etc. My Mom and I share a
membership to one of the big warehouse chains and we often split the
cost of paper napkins, cat litter (in case I don't find a coupon),
cleaning supplies, etc., but not food (we each like different things). I
don't need 48 rolls of toilet paper in my condo and not even 24 rolls
(if I share the bulk purchase with my Mom). What I have found that
works for me, is buying a four roll pack of a drugstore brand. Each roll
as 1,000 sheets and I time my purchases to when the packages are on
sale. If I buy two packages at a time, I can wait until the next sale
and buy two more. The sale price is less expensive than the
warehouse bulk price. It's important to realize that whatever works for
each person's circumstance is 'the' answer." ~ Sean
"We are not a family of
coupon clippers anymore. I found that we actually spent more
money on groceries when we clipped. Some of those items were
things we would usuallu buy the house brand of, so there was
really no savings. Sometimes it would actually cost us a bit more.
We now shop at a markets that have
their own brand only in stock, (Aldi or Save-a-Lot) so the coupons
do us no good. Plus these stores' prices are much cheaper
than stores that do take coupons.
We still do get a Sunday paper,
(our son is the paper boy!), but we give the coupon section to our
neighbors!" ~ Janice
"Thank you for your article on
coupon-clipping!!!!! I have felt defensive and slightly guilty for
years because I hate clipping coupons. I had also noticed, as you stated in
your well-thought out article, that most of the coupons I saw were for
processed foods. I am a full time stay-at-home mom and part-time
student, and I buy as much organic and make-from-scratch food as
I can. When I did (for a short while) clip coupons I found myself
buying stuff I never would have bought otherwise! 'Here, here!' for
those of us who are frugal without clipping!
P.S. The best, most frugal thing I ever did was take a class on getting out of debt. We now have zero credit card debt and we pay off all of our bills every month. Our only debt is the mortgage which we refinanced for 15 years a few years back. As I see everyone around me in my suburb, building huge houses and adding big additions onto their homes, I sometimes feel a little cramped (and jealous!) in our 2 bedroom 'starter home' . . . that is until I think about being totally debt and mortgage free in eleven years. Hooray!" ~ Rebecca
"I understand entirely. I
used to be a coupon clipper but no more. Too much time and few
staples offered. When one
cooks from scratch and has a kitchen garden, the grocery bill is low. I try diligently to avoid
preservatives and to do that, one must cook from scratch. Though
we enjoy ham and bacon, we save those for when we eat out. Besides, scratch
food tastes better.
We never buy fake food. Artificial sweetener, low fat anything, egg beaters (our hens would throw a fit) or margarine has not reared its ugly head in our house for over 30 years. This year I tried something new. Perhaps a smart gal like you has already been using it. We use real butter for baking and toast, etc. but I don't like to leave it out in summer and it is too hard to spread from the fridge. I made my own spread that we have come to prefer. (Never thought I would say that, butter lover that I am.) I beat together 2 cups butter with 2 cups virgin olive oil and pour it into glass refrigerator containers. This hardens when cold, is delicious and spreads beautifully. Both my husband and I are in our 60s. Our over-the-counter pain killers all expire before we use them. He started a new career four years ago remodeling and renting single family houses. We thank, Jesus, our ultimate Source of all good things." ~ Mrs. Miller
"I am an avid coupon clipper but clip
the ones that I think there might be a chance I will use. THEN I only
use those where I can reduce the price of the name brand product to
below the price of the equivalent generic product. I take
it one step further, though, and put my savings into a separate 'cookie
jar' throughout the year and then the entire amount is spent on
Christmas at the end of the year. Sure comes in handy about that
time of year and those funds do not get lost in the shuffle of
everyday expenses." ~ Loretta
"I seem to handle coupons in much the same manner, typically too much time wasted and not enough savings. However, I do have my favorite grocery stores e-mail coupons and their weekly specials to me. I also 'subscribe' to our newspaper on-line, totally free, where I also can take advantage of printable coupons. This cuts down on a lot of time. Many of us are seasoned shoppers who are quite familiar with our stores of choice and know when a coupon is really worth clipping. Just remember these factors: If a coupon is $.40 off of two boxes, i.e., it's typically not a good deal unless the items are: 1. already discounted at the store; 2. are buy one get one free' or the store doubles coupons. Also, if you have to drive out of your way for cents off, it's not a good deal. You'll be putting whatever money you saved right back into your gas tank. Happy shopping!" ~ Suzanne "I’d like to offer a resounding ‘amen’ to your non-coupon-clipping philosophy. I don’t clip either, for all the reasons you indicated. I have four boys, ages 14-21, and I buy in bulk, and buy generic. Coupons are usually for expensive brand names in sizes so small that I’d have to buy two to feed my guys. Plus, to be perfectly honest, coupon clipping is a big pain. I can earn more per hour by doing almost anything else!" ~ Janice
"I
agree wholeheartedly that clipping coupons can certainly be time- and
cost-prohibitive. My household strongly supports store-brands and
local growers and we rarely find coupons that apply to our needs. But
not all coupons are a waste of time. We clip coupons for
services, stores and restaurants instead. When we get our package
of local coupons or visit its website (www.valpak.com),
we thumb through it to find free, money-saving coupons for places that
we like to eat but cannot always afford, or for places that offer
great services but aren't always in budget. This allows us to make
room for treats (or car repairs!) and to do it more affordably."
~ Carrie
"To me, coupons are a nuisance
and I almost never use them because (1) I don't
have a readily available free source for them and don't have time to
root around on the Internet searching for them, and (2) most coupons
are for processed foods or for single-use/disposable cleaning
products that I simply don't use.
I'm very fortunate that I
live just a mile from our small town and that it has a
wonderful little supermarket. It has terrific weekly specials
and amazingly low regular prices for the basics.
Some of this week's specials are: Smoked sausage 3 lb pkg
$2.64, Romaine $.50; 15oz cans Pork & Beans 3/$1, 2 lb of wonderful
Tillamook cheddar only $4.99. Not on special are Medium
eggs at $.69/doz; 1% Milk $2.69/gal, etc. We buy and eat what's
on special and I keep a well stocked pantry and freezer." ~
Jean
"I am a firm believer in
clipping coupons. I sometimes purchase a couple of different
Sunday papers but I have also found a great and inexpensive source
of coupons at the website: www.TheCouponClippers.com. I have
saved untold amounts in the past few months and have also shared
some of these great coupons with friends at our church. It
is not unusual for me to use $10.00 or more of $1.00 off coupons
and coupons that allow me to obtain items for free as I did
yesterday at my local Wal-mart.. I use the coupons for $.50
or less at a local store that will double them. Why would I want
to feed my husband generic foods when I can, with very little effort
on my part, feed him quality, brand-name foods for less money? If
you keep your coupons in an organizer, it takes only minutes each
week to file new ones and get ready to shop.
Years ago when our boys were young
and still at home, I was a real Coupon Queen. I would spend
a few hours each week at my local grocery store that tripled
coupons and usually spend $20 or less for $100 or more of
groceries. I did that for many years and also was an avid
rebater. Since it is just my husband and me now, my coupon use is
much less. I believe that it is my duty as a stay at home
wife to be as frugal with our funds as I can be. Using coupons is
one way in which I can feel good about saving money and getting
good quality items and not settling for generic brands which we
feel are usually not as good in quality as brand names."
~ Carolyn
"I totally agree with you! Most of the coupons are for processed food and snacks which we try to avoid in favor of produce and staples. And absolutely I've found store brands cheaper and just as good! Cutting and organizing coupons was a time stealer I realized wasn't worth it." ~ Teresa "I live alone now. For a lot of coupons, you have to buy 2 of an item to get any savings. Often, I won't use 2 of an item that fast. It also seems a majority of coupons are for processed kinds of foods that simply aren't part of the kinds of foods I eat. I do clip coupons and use them--but it's a very minor thing because most coupons aren't for things I'm going to buy. I still kind of resent the fact that one has to clip coupons, just like at one local supermarket, you have to get their 'card' to get the lower price. I wish stores would just find a way to have lower prices, although I've heard it said that they have coupons because it looks like they're offering lower prices, but they realize a majority of people aren't going to use them. I also sometimes--usually when I'm in a hurry--forget about coupons until after I've bought something. Bottom line: they are a nuisance." ~ Kathryn
"I too find that most
coupons are for items I would not purchase due to their expense
compared to their worth to me. I cook mostly from scratch.
I do flip through the Sunday supplements to see whether there's
a coupon, say for shampoo if I need that." ~ Anna Marie
"I used to check out coupons and get all the grocery catalogues that came in the mail and then buy my groceries according to what was on special. Now I only check the catalogues for the things I usually buy (eg: meat, vegetables and staples like flour etc). Usually the only things with coupons and good specials in the catalogues are all pre-packaged and fancy foods, toiletries etc that I don't normally buy. I am a stay-at-home Mum and because my 8year old son and I am on a special diet (no wheat, dairy, also checking out preservatives and colourings in pre-packaged foods), I cook everything from scratch. Even my marinades for meats are all from scratch. I don't buy packaged biscuits or bottled goods. I even bake my own bread. I have cut my spending for the week by about a third. Also I am so pleased we are avoiding all the preservatives, salt and sugars in pre-packaged goods." ~ Lee "Here in Australia we really don't have coupons, but if you spend over $30 Aussie dollars at one of our big national supermarkets, you can get 4cents-a-litre off you fuel bill when you fill up at their petrol station. We are paying about $1.39 a litre for our petrol at present so we must try to save wherever we can. Tonight on the news we heard that our water bills will be going up by 20%. Makes you think about the old saying, 'Shower with a Friend' ----only kidding!" ~ Gail from Sydney
"While in the past I have
been known as 'Hector, Hector the Coupon Collector,' I have
not clipped a coupon for months. I also work from home and
money is tight. My family life have changed in that I no
longer have little children. Three are in college and my
youngest is a senior in high school. We have chosen to go
vegetarian. So coupons no longer pertain to our grocery needs.
Also about 4 months ago, the store where I shop stopped taking
coupons that you print from the internet. Since that is where
I get all my information from, it just didn't make sense to
continue. So for me to clip coupons is not just not a time
waster but a money waster as well, especially when you figure
in the cost of the ink to print the coupons. I am sure
that when you sit down and really figure out how much money is
spent to get those coupons, finding the right store,
with the price of gas, you are not really saving that much. I
think that grocery stores will soon phase out the coupons
anyways." ~ Laura J
"I found myself nodding
my head as I read your article on why you don't use coupons. I
felt like I could have written it! I have experienced
exactly the same frustrations. We are also one-income and I
just don't buy a lot of convenience foods. It's much cheaper
to cook from scratch. I'm glad to hear from someone else who
shops this way!" ~ Kathy
"I do use coupons and have found them to be a good
help to our budget. When a store has a 'triple coupon'
weekend, those $.75 coupons become $2.25 and I have gotten items free, or for only a little money.
I know the triple times don't happen very often, but many stores here have double coupons most of the time
(up to $.99). "I'm with you on
clipping coupons. When my 3 children were little and I was a
divorced parent with very limited resources, even with the
coupon savings the products were too expensive and we all
learned to like store brands. Even today, after my children
are grown if I have a coupon I find myself comparing the
item to the store brand and very rarely is the coupon worth "Coupons have become more trouble than benefit. Due to health issues we need to purcgase organic foods. There are not many coupons that address this need...more time spent looking than money saved." ~ Linda "I have found that I also don't use coupons. We have eight children so we buy in bulk and keep things in 6 gallon buckets. You typically don't find coupons for 50# sacks of things." ~ Kathy
" I agree wholeheartedly.
I agree for all the reasons you mentioned in your
article. The store brand is invariably cheaper
than the name brand with the coupon. Rarely, do you a
see a coupon for flour or milk, as you noted. So
unless I see a coupon for something I already buy, I
rarely clip coupons." ~ Cathe T, Texas
"Our family has moved away from processed foods this past year. We got freaked out about MSG and other food additives, so we are trying to move back to cooking from scratch. As Nancy mentions, many of the Sunday coupons are for processed foods promoting a certain brand name. With our switch, we've gone to more cooking from scratch, and buying organic packaged foods (if we do buy things like boxed macaroni and cheese or cold cereal), which practically never have coupons." ~ Elaine "Most coupons are for products I don't use, like snack food and prepared items. If I could get coupons for fresh fruits and veggies, I would use them, but those are rarely, if ever, seen. Most of the time I can get store brand products for less that a name brand one, even with coupon. Our groceries don't double or triple coupons, so there is little incentive to use them." ~ Janna "Thank you! I thought I must be the only person who would think of the hours I wasted clipping coupons to discover that the no-name brands were much cheaper and just as effective. I work full-time and manage to get home each evening and cook (from scratch) our evening meals. I modified 'how to cook for a day and eat for a month.' I prep and freeze so I can plan meals so I’m not in the kitchen all evening. I do look for loss leaders to purchase in bulk when I see them. I have found that coupon clipping robbed me of time that I could be spending with my family not to mention how it prolonged my shopping time. Time is my precious resource. You are right. We each have to figure out the methods of savings that are in line with our own resources. Thanks for the affirmation!" ~ Rhonda "I too have gone through coupon clipping phases and I have found that I rarely ever used the coupons I'd spent all Sunday afternoon clipping. However, I have found one practice that works for me. We live in a very small town (1900 people) and there are two small family run grocery stores. These stores send 'weekly specials' flyers in the mail each week. Before going shopping at the local Wal-Mart Supercenter I scan these flyers and match up items with my shopping list. Then when I purchase these items at Wal-Mart I show the cashier the competitor's ad and get the item for that store's sale price. Usually I can get meat and fresh produce at a considerable savings and I don't have to drive all over the county for good deals. (A bonus when gas prices are so high!)" ~ Jennie "I don't spend a LOT of time on it but what time I spend has been worth it in money saved. I am not ready to forget the coupons...yet." ~ Joy "I'm with you on the coupon issue. They
almost never fit our frugal scheme. I cut one the other day for cat food
that would bring the price of a name brand food down into the range of the store
brand we use. Then I thought, 'What if that spoils the cats where they won't
eat the store brand any more?' So I didn't get the cat food. Much more money
can be saved by cooking from scratch, in my opinion.
"I don't buy the
newspaper, but I collect coupon circulars from the
neighborhood. While I'm out running for exercise, I
pick up unused coupons from recycling bins. (I've
never had anyone refuse me removing the circulars from
recycling bins and it's a good way to meet neighbors,
too.)
Since I have several
duplicates, I put the pages together and clip 5 or 6
duplicate coupons at one time. My children even enjoy
helping with this.
I only use the coupons
if it's a great buy and if either I can use it or give
it to a needy soul or organization. I often clip
coupons not knowing whether or not I'll use them. Other
coupons for convenience foods we would never use.
Through the years,
I've thrown out many unused coupons, but I've also
saved hundreds of dollars." ~ Rachel
"I am a coupon clipper and I feel it works for my family. However, I am not a 'use a coupon or die trying' type of gal. My mother gets the Sunday paper. She won't clip a coupon to save her life, and so she passes them along to me. I flip through and take what I will use. I keep my coupons in a keeper but I only organize them into two categories; Food and Other. I don't have time to do more then this. I am a single mom who always has at least one child with when I shop. That child is the coupon kid. If I put something in the cart, they hunt for a coupon. I buy a lot of generic brands, but I also look for clearance items and sales. I am not committed to one brand nor the coupons for that brand. I am committed to my family, my checkbook, and myself. So far, all three of us are doing a good job of saving money, with or without a coupon." ~ Becky "I have recently just started using coupons
again and since I have more time than money, it is
worth my while. For instance on Labor Day
Weekend a name brand mustard was on sale cheaper than
the store brand and I had a coupon for it too. I
needed the item so that paid off. I do not
subscribe to the newspaper, but a relative does and
they do not use the coupons so she save them for me.
So it costs me nothing for the coupons. I also use the
yogurt coupons, my favorite butter and margarine
coupons, cheese coupons. About twice a month there are
coupons for free energy bars. That helps satisfy
a chocolate craving, but is not anywhere near as good
as a candy bar. My family also likes one or two
treats a week from the store, so I combine a sale and
a coupon to splurge for their one or two weekly
treats. I save anywhere from $5.00 to
$20.00 a week and still stay within the grocery budget
for the month that we have set for our family. I
am anxious to read others replies." ~ Angel
"I have found
that buying generic for most things is an easier way
to save money than clipping coupons for name brands.
Some things, however are of poor quality when I buy
the generic version so I look for coupons for those
things only." ~ Susie
"Coupon
clipping is of no use to me. We are
vegetarian, and eat mostly organic foods. I
also avoid buying processed foods, because they
contain unwholesome ingredients that I avoid, and
I use only natural and/or biodegradeable cleaning,
laundry, and personal care products. As a
rule, these things do cost more, but my health was
ruined by toxins from food, water, and household
and personal care products. Using these
products has restored my health to a significant
degree, so it actually saves money on medical
bills. And I save money on these items in
every way I can.
I buy grains,
nuts, legumes, and other dry staples in bulk 3
time a year from a wholesale co-op supplier.
It's delivered directly to my home, and I don't
pay a co-op mark-up. I buy canned goods, and
non-food items by the case, from a co-op and other
sources. This doesn't leave much for me to
actually buy from a source that accepts coupons
anyway - just produce, frozen and refrigerated
foods, and paper products, trash bags, etc."
~ Cathy
"I think it
takes a lot of my time but it does save money so
I do it." ~ Christina
"Personally,
clipping coupons hasn't worked real well for
me. I end up buying things I normally
wouldn't buy." ~ Denise
"I love snipping coupons although I don't always get them each week. It makes me feel good to know I helped save the family some money." ~ Erika
"I
seldom use coupons because they are usually
for higher-priced items. I'm a generic
user." ~ Faye
Editor's Note: Thanks to all these readers who took time to write! |