Does anyone actually save money cutting coupons?

[bob]

I know some people do, but I would just like to hear how much people are saving. I don't use many coupons since most of the food I buy is organic and many of the brands don't seem to have them, but I have heard stories of the extreme coupon cutters who can buy a whole weeks worth of groceries for a few bucks -

[matt]

I don't cut coupons either, for most of the stuff we buy it's not worth our time/effort. They generally aren't coupons for meat and vegetables, which is most of our grocery haul. Does anyone else seem to notice that most coupons are for junk foods or prepackaged/premade/processed food items?

[pochax]

i don't really cut coupons much either for groceries...i typically use the store discount card (most stores have'em and they're free at their customer service desk to sign up) as well as rely on paying by my AMEX Blue Cash card (get 5% cash back rebate for groceries, gas, and pharmacy purchases). so i always feel like i'm at least getting a 5% discount

[matt]

5% back is pretty good, I only get 3% with my chase card.

[Tristan]

Does anyone else seem to notice that most coupons are for junk foods or prepackaged/premade/processed food items?

That's why my wife and I don't cut coupons. The grocers never have coupons for the stuff we actually want/need...rather, they send coupons for junk.

[Amatachick]

I don't know if you count it as "cutting" coupons, but my husband and I print coupons over the internet. We did subscribe to a newspaper for a while just to get the coupons but with the $7.00 we were paying each month it seemed kind of absurd. We didn't even read the paper. That's when we found this site online and started just printing out the coupons and using them at the store:

http://www.valpak.com/coupons/home

You can usually print off a couple of coupons for each items. What we'll do it wait till something is on sale, if we can time it right, and then use a coupon on it as well. Certain stores in our area will also double coupons if they're under a specific amount. For instance, Meijer in our area will double any coupon 50cents or less. This came in handy about a month ago when Grands biscuits when on sale. They were on sale for $1.00 a can, then on the can itself, there was a coupon for 50cents off. We were able to use that at the register and ended up getting them for free.

I love coupons!

[matt]

Thanks for the coupon site, Amatachick! I'll definitely check it out. I'm not against coupons if it for things I want.

[KrozFan]

My wife and I use coupons every once in a while. The craft store will usually have a 50% off in their weekly ad, and Bed Bath and Beyond sends us coupons every once in a while. We don't use them on food though, we usually get store brand stuff anyway. I love using online coupons though. Every time I purchase something on a website and it asks if I have a coupon code I go out to Google and search for one. Usually I can find one and it doesn't take too long. I saved 10% just this morning and it probably took me less than 2 minutes to find the code. Well worth the effort.

[leitha2006]

I'm one of those insane couponers. I save a TON! I have 3 children so every bit helps. I go to a coupon preview website to see what coupons will be in the Sunday paper, at that point I figure how many papers I will buy. Last week I bought 12. I end up stocking up a ton so it really does also save on gas, not having to do shopping weekly. Only trips to the gas station for milk.

Also with the coupons CVS ends up paying ME to take things out of their store. I also get to donate more to shelters and other organizations.

Here is an example of one of my shopping trips(*note that day there was a promotion after buying so much of certain items you got a $10 coupon off your next order)

Shaw's Transaction #1

4- Chef Boyardee $4.00
6-Healthy Choice Canned Soup $6.00
2-Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers $5.00
2-Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers $5.50

Coupons:
2- Healthy Choice Soup $1/3
1- Chef Boyardee $1/4
2- 2-Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers $1/1
2- 2-Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers $1/1
2- $5 off my order from last week

The tax was -$1.50

OOP: $2.00

Got $10 off my next order coupon

Shaw's Transaction #2

Idaho Instant Potatoes $1.39
GV Sugar $1.89
Applesauce $1.89
4- Betty Crocker Cake Mix $4
4- Select Harvest Soup $4
2- Town House Crackers $3.76
Apple Juice $1.50
5- Bird's Eye Steam Fresh $5
12- Bird's Eye Vegetables $12
2- Ghirardelli Cho. Squares $3.78 on clearance from Halloween
3-Wheat Bread $4.99

Coupons:
1-Idaho Instant Potatoes $1.39
1- Ghirardelli Cho. Squares $1/2
5- Bird's Eye Steam Fresh $1.5/1
4- Bird's Eye Vegetables $1/3
1-Town House Crackers $1/2
1- $5 off my order from last week
1-$10 off from transaction #1

Again Tax was -$.75

OOP: $14.56

[geekgirl4god]

I don't have enough time to coupon to get the really great savings, but I subscribe to the email lists of every store that I go to, and most of the time get coupons for that. Grocery coupons take so much more work, so generally I do the stock up method - get things only when they are a really great price and then get a bunch. I don't track it per month, but it's pretty rare for me to ever pay full price for anything. Basically I do as much as I feel comfortable with, and try really hard not to feel guilty for not doing more.

[TillyBell]

I attempt to use coupons. Sometimes I do better then others, but I'm trying to be more faithful about it. Especially when it comes to healthcare/body care type items. I try to watch the ads for Walgreens and CVS and if I'm faithful about it can manage to save quite a bit that way.

[UndertheFLSun]

I save TONS of money each month clipping coupons!
When stores have Buy one get one free's - I use coupons like crazy. I've walked out of Publix before paying $20 for over $100 worth of groceries.

I don't think it's for everyone. My DH looks at it this way. I'm blessed with being able to stay home and homeschool our kids, this is a 'job' of mine - saving us money.!!

[bob]

Ok, Leitha - that is just amazing thanks for all the detail, I am really intrigued by people who do that... very impressive... if you or UndertheFLSun are interested in writing a guest post for the blog explaining how you do it - or tips on insane coupon cutting, I would love it... If either of you, or anyone else who is good at it is interested, let me know...

[Amatachick]

For those that don't think they have time to cut coupons, I would ask what their time is worth to them. My husband and I both have pretty busy schedules but we thought about coupon cutting this way:

It usually takes us about 1 hour to go through the coupon site, print of the coupons, cut them out, then match them up to the weekly deals in our (free) paper. Generally we save about $25 - $35 when we do this. That means that we're really paying ourselves $25 - $35 for that 1hr of work. I'm not sure how much other people make in this forum but I think we'd all agree that making $25-$35/hr is pretty good money. Not to mention you get to work from home and could even watch TV or something while cutting out coupons so you don't miss your favorite show.

Just a thought.

[leitha2006]

Ok, Leitha - that is just amazing thanks for all the detail, I am really intrigued by people who do that... very impressive... if you or UndertheFLSun are interested in writing a guest post for the blog explaining how you do it - or tips on insane coupon cutting, I would love it... If either of you, or anyone else who is good at it is interested, let me know...

Awwww...thanks! I would love to. It may take me a bit and I will forward it your way with all my secrets

[bob]

Ok Amatachick,
I think you have me convinced - I am going to have to give it a try... thanks for the encouragement!

[mcelizabeth]

I watch for and clip only the ones that are for items I would be buying anyway, especially health and cleaning items. Most food coupons are for things that aren't very budget-friendly. I will not clip coupons that are 25 cents or less because they are not worth the hassle of carrying them around.

[hostapartyonline]

Just a heads up in regards to printing out coupons from online sites. Be sure to check with your stores before hand to see if they even accept them. I know here in Northern California there aren't any grocery stores that accept them nor does WalMart or Target. They only accept the ones that are in the papers.

[Amatachick]

hostapartyonline,

You have a good point! There is one store in our area that won't accept the printed coupons. They're already a kind of snooty store though so we don't shop there much anyway.

[cory]

You know, my boss's wife actually uses coupons at stores that will accept a manufacturer's coupon plus a store coupon. I guess Walgreen's is a store that will accept both together. He bought a bunch of toothepaste the other day for $.30 ea.

[ella2574]

I use coupons, but not all the time. I'm trying to be more aware of the coupons I have, and the sales at the stores. My husband & I need all the money we can get right now.

[grandmaks]

I do not use coupons---never what I need but have heard if you are dedicated to it, you will save.

[amanda77]

I cut out coupns but only for things or places that I go. When I first started, I bought everything that I had a coupon for, even if it wasn't the brand I normally use. I realized quickly that is what they want you to do. I finally taught myself to use the ones that I actually need (mostly cleaning supplies and paper products). I noticed that we have a couple of places that automatically double your coupons if they are less than a dollar and some that double all coupons for a week at a time. I have saved over $25 a couple of times on groceries that would normally cost me more than $100. I still haven't figured out how to use the coupons so that I can buy $100 worth of groceries for only a couple of dollars. That sounds like a lot of work.

[bfnJohn]

We subscribed to the newspaper once with the hope of cutting out the coupons and saving a bunch of money. Over the course of the 8 weeks, however, we saved exactly $0. We usually buy generics when we shop but most coupons I've seen are for the brand-name stuff. So, from what I've experienced, by the time I buy the more expensive brand-name stuff with a coupon, it's not any cheaper than the generics I normally buy (sometimes it's still more expensive). To be honest, we didn't use any fancy coupon strategy or anything like that. That's not to say I never use coupons, I just recently saved $10 on Turbo Tax at Costco. It's just that using coupons are the exception for us, rather than the rule.

[pochax]

there are actually online coupon websites that will send you coupons for items that you are interested in (both grocery as well as retail stores). i like http://www.fatwallet.com for electronics and http://www.retailmenot.com for clothes/accessories. i am sure there are grocery ones too but i admit i haven't really looked hard for those.

[McWalker711]

I'd love to save lots of money using coupons, but I don't. I usually cook from scratch and eat organic, and it seems like staples rarely go on sale or have coupons. I find that most coupons and discounted items are pre-packaged/convience food. That said, when I do find coupons for products I like, I use 'em!

[ahallihan]

I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to recommend websites to go to for coupons. The one thing I struggle with when it comes to coupons is finding ones for the items I buy. Hopefully these websites will help!

[milneepp]

I go through the flyers of the stores that I like, and if I NEED the item then I use them

[Amatachick]

Just thought I'd do a quick update. We went shopping last night and sales/coupons cut our spending from $95 to $79. We saved $16 by just doing a bit of comparing and planning.

[jrhendrix]

I saved $1.00 yesterday with a coupon for the toilet paper I buy. I was out and the coupon was in the paper last week. $1.00 isn't much, but it is a small dent in my grocery bill!

[bobster126]

I usually save between $10-$20 every time. I only buy (& cut coupons for) what I would normally buy. I try not to get caught up in the hipe of coupons. Usually, I do one big shopping trip everymonth for meats & staples. I make a list and read the sale ads and shop with my coupons and it works. The only other things I need at other times during the month are the fresh veggies and milk/bread/eggs.

[jcade]

I would love to say to that I save a bunch of money cutting coupons but what I have found out is that most of the coupons I received online and in my weekly paper are not really anything I buy. There are a few coupons I can use but I usually forget all about them when I head to the store.

[allekat]

Absolutely. I even have them downloaded to my store cards. When I'm out shopping for groceries are clothing I have my coupon book with me. Never leave home without and if I do I turnaround and go back to get it.

[jstudent09]

I always use coupons. At first I just clipped the ones I got in the mail, but there a lot of on-line sites that offer printable coupons. I work at Wegman's, a grocery store, and they double coupons up to 75 cents. I think there are a few other stores that do so as well. As a cashier, I scan people's coupons almost everyday, and some people have saved twenty dollars in one trip. That is a lot of savings.

[dg7]

I've been debating this with my fiance--and we've come to a conclusion.

We've "avoided spending" money while using coupons and/or we save money while using coupons (since I get paid every 3 months due to a grad student stipend and 1/3 of that goes in savings before it hits the checking account, we're left to juggle two months pay over 3 months...and I guess the couponing helps us keep the $$ in savings!), so the saving thing goes either way for us.

Quick example:
Ralphs Grocery store this Saturday: ham, oranges, grapes, cheese, organic wheat bread, makeup, yogurt, graham crackers, salad, oatmeal, etc.

I paid: $31.98, I "saved" $37.56

But I do much better at Walgreens where I don't pay for shampoo, toothpaste, or toothbrushes due to coupon + sale match ups!

[rox130]

I just started couponing recently after seeing a lady on the Dr. Phil show who coupons. She has a blog with coupon deals and her strategies on them too. Its called Frugal Coupon Mom I believe. So far I've used a few coupons and can see the value in doing it regularly. We have a very large family with lots of boys to feed.. so any little bit helps.

[gaylonj]

We use coupons regularly. I figure the money we save, whatever the amount, is better in our pocket than in the merchant's. In fact, we don't normally go out to eat unless we have a coupon for the restaurant. I keep the coupons in a folder in the car that includes fast food to nice restaurants in case we need them. Most of these actually get thrown away because they've expired, but I estimate coupons save us around $50 a month on average. I hate to pay full price for anything and I use the coupons in the game to meet that challenge.

[Layneh]

I think that hardest part about coupons, is only using the ones you really need. A lot of times it can be harder using coupons, because you feel obligated to use them. There have been times when I go to grab the product, like TP, and the store is having a better sale.

[tony34]

I don't actually look for coupons but sometimes we receive it in the mail and if I have, I try to go through it. It's not a big savings but still getting $.50 to $1.00 off on a $2 product is fine with me. However, these are just mini-steps in savings. My major focus is minimize buying of stuff I don't need, and saving as much as possible on the stuff I do need.

[Carmon Cents]

We use coupons as well. My wife has a coupon organizer and various coupon websites she visits to print them. We cut our grocery budget from $200 to $150 and sometimes have a little left over at the end of the month. I think if you are willing to give it a chance and a little time it will be well worth it. She really gets excited when triple coupon days comes around. But I say its definitely worth it.

[reporter20]

The best way I've found to save money on groceries is joining Web boards where super-couponers post deals, such as Slickdeals' drugstore/grocery section, HotCouponWorld, or Couponerswanted

They spell out deals and show you which coupons to use for ongoing savings. You will do best on long-term savings when you build a "stockpile" of things you use frequently, like cereal, or noodles, pasta sauce, or applesauce - you know what your top non-perishables are. You buy them when they're on sale and combine with coupons to get them for a cheap price, and buy more than what you need now - buy for a few months.

That way you don't have to buy those items at full price, ever.

[lilstufflessons]

I save AT LEAST 50% off my grocery bill by using coupons!!! And I just started a few months ago. I was very skeptical until I saw a lady talk about it on Dr Phil one day. This is her website: www.frugalcouponliving.com. More blogs that I follow are www.momsbyheart.net, www.thecentsiblesawyer.com, www.ingoodcents.blogspot.com, and www.kingdomfirstmom.com. There are SO MANY other resources out there, too many to name. Cutting coupons is SO WORTH THE TIME, I promise! Escpecially for big families like mine! :-)

[tony34]

I use coupons when ever I can but am not as much into clipping them as I should. But when ever I have time, I go through the newspapers and clip coupons. At our local grocery store, for some reasons, they don't take Web-created coupons; they require original coupons.

[mylegs]

I don't save a ton at the grocery store with coupons, but I do play the drugstore game at CVS and after an initial $30 investment, basically get all our toiletries for free with CVS extra bucks and coupons. That's a savings of at least $50 a month. And, when purchasing things online, I don't buy unless I have a coupon for % off or free shipping (or both!)

[milneepp]

some people are saving some decent money.... I think I need to be a bit more proactive about it.

[rsmallory]

I don't cut a lot of coupons, but I do use a few each week that typically bring my savings to around $10 per week. The key is to cut the ones for items that are already on your grocery list or for specific name brands that you already typically buy. Thanks.

[guy@howto]

Yes and No,

We don't go looking for coupons. My time is more valuable than the 30-60 cents I'd save.

We do open the coupon books and envelopes stuffed with them that come in the mail. Enclosed in these are often found free rounds of golf, buy one get one free dinners, etc. These are worth the effort, and we've found some really great spots we may not have visited otherwise.

Our biggest challenge is remembering to bring the coupons with us.

Happy Saving,

Guy

[mutex]

I use coupons from the Sunday paper but that's it, I get the paper mainly for the real estate section while we are looking for a house. I am now also looking into coupons you can put on your Kroger reward card which makes the process more simple to use.

[c.tatum]

Yes cutting coupons saves me money. It might not always be a dollar or two. But every little bit counts right now.

[bpsmit28]

It may not be a huge amount, given that the things we're buying are often generic, but this weekend alone, with just a few coupons, we saved $8.