I don't have to have coupons at Meijer to get the buy one get one deals. I seldom use coupons anymore. Most things it seems I buy there are not coupons for. I look for the good deals at the store. Some stores in this area do not take coupons printed from the internet and I don't take a paper to get coupons. There was a time when my kids were little that I used a lot of coupons but no I don't use many now.

Sue

I don't use them either. I usually forget I have them and I find it mentally cumbersome to shop around them. (I can, however, walk and chew gum - barely.) I buy based on in-store bargains when I shop. I am not particularly brand loyal. I also purchase in-season produce and seasonal meat specials. I use a pack-it-yourself discount store for large trips.

Really though, I'm simply not well organized!

i have friends who save a ton...but uslually i forget too...so whatevers on sale i buy but if I want it and its not on sale I buy it too!

The only coupons I ever see are the slick ones in the Sunday paper, and those are usually for brand-name products that I don't buy. I buy household supplies at Costco, and most of my meats which I freeze and the rest I shop by sale. I make up my menus according to what's on sale anyway. And none of our local stores will double coupons.

I buy little in prepared foods at the grocery, and it seems that that's what I see coupons for. Or I see coupons for something free or really reduced if I buy so much of other products that I'd never buy anyway. Sigh.

I never see meats as BOGO anywhere around here. I buy my Choice meats at Costco and re-package for the freezer. I am really leery of the grocery stores' made-up names like "rancher's" or whatever---like tell me what the USDA calls it, please!

I buy on sale, and I also stock up at Trader Joe's for some products (tomato soup, low sodium, is on my shopping list). The local drug store has a good price on Best Foods mayo, so I may buy a couple of jars for the pantry.

But no, even if I did have access to coupons, I'd be leaving them at home or forgetting them until they expire.

Pretty much no. I don't buy beef and I tend to go to a fish market for fish. If I did buy beef, I would go to a meat market. My main concern is buying what I want - not getting something for reduced price that I didn't already want. Last week-end I got a bag of chicken breasts for 99¢ a pound, but I was shopping for chicken when I found it. I don't like to keep too many things in the freezer because I forget they are there, although I did freeze half of the breasts, and I do freeze chicken stock.

Lars

The only coupons I recall using are for Costco's weekly specials (not that I get there weekly), and only for stuff I know I'll use. My usual grocery store doesn't do coupons, but I always shop their specials. Their cash register receipts shows how much you save by purchasing sale items and I'm usually good for at least 20%.

I will check the Sunday fliers which is the only place I find coupons and watch the sale ads but sometimes I forget. There are certain items I heavily stock up on when they go buy one get one free. Eight o'clock coffee is occasionally buy one get one and then I will buy 25 bags of beans.

I don't see coupons around much anymore but I sure do show the specials.

My usual routine is to have a cup of tea and browse the flyers Sunday morning. I make a list of whats on sale and from that make a tentative menu. Truth is I rarely keep to the menu but I always shop the specials!

Saving money on the basics always helps justify my trip to Whole Foods! LOL

I don't get the paper, so I only use coupons if I happen to get to them first in the paper at work! If I were more dedicated or had more time I would like to be like some of the super-coupon users out there. It's on my list of things to work on.

I usually just go through the flyers midweek and see what's on special (meats, sodas etc) and try to remember to pick that up. Other than that I don't buy much processed food, which is all I ever seem to see coupons for. I can get fresh produce at the farmer's market and my staples at a local discount grocer and "special" stuff on sale at other stores or Trader Joes.

Yes and no. IF I see coupons for things I truly use, I'll clip them, but that's pretty rare.
The bulk of my grocery purchases are dairy, some fresh produce and basic pantry items. Those never seems to have coupons. Cereal is one prepared item I buy sometimes and actually had a store coupon for that today.
Woo hoo.

I do stock up on sale items and toss in the freezer.
I also have the "store cards" that rack up points (can be used for discounts on fuel purchases) or have extra savings in the store.

Deanna

I used to use coupons all the time and it wasn't unusual to only pay maybe a half or less of the total price of what I bought. I got away from it for a while. Now I'm working at getting back into it. I only get the Sunday paper and only clip coupons for the items I normally use. I do watch the sale flyers for the stores I usually go to and stock up on what I use when its on sale. I really enjoyed it a couple of weeks ago when the one store had Tyson fresh chicken on sale at a nice low price and I had 3 - $1 off coupons for them. They also had turkey breasts on sale at .99 a pound and I picked up two of them even though I had no coupons. I just wish I'd had the sense when I found avocadoes on sale at .50 each last week that I'd picked up more than four of them.

I use a coupon maybe once a year. Many years ago I tried, I cut and saved and took them shopping with me, and promptly forgot about them. The biggest problem is that I rarely buy the type/brands of food that coupons are issued for, so I don't bother any more.

You bet! I use coupons for my weekly grocery shopping. I only buy what I would usually (no splurging on a brand/item I don't use) and brands that I am familiar with. Our grocery accepts internet coupons, so I search two or three sites weekly and also use the coupons from the Sunday paper. My savings are between $5 and $15 a week. It adds up!

I can't remember the last time I used a coupon. It's pretty rare that I come across a coupon for products I use. I don't use many convenience foods, and those I do use I find I can get a better deal on them by stocking up when there is a really good sale.

I think being really aware of prices helps me save more money than clipping coupons would. Some things are generally cheaper at Costco, for example, but others I'm better off waiting for sales at the local store.

I buy in bulk as well, and save quite a bit of money buying big bags of tri tip or pork roasts and chicken quarters and trimming/portioning them myself.

Another thing that saves us lots of money is cooking most things from scratch. It also helps me to control our diet by knowing exactly what is going into everything. I can make us a big pot of soup for what a lot of those single-serving canned soups cost each.

25 years ago, I could have written a book about the dynamics of couponing, and refunding. It was quite worth every second I spent doing it. Of course, one could use OCD to describe me when I get deeply into my behaviors. Now - as a single senior citizen - there is no need for that in my life. However, I certainly applaud folks who do this. It can be a great deal of fun besides being a good way to save $$.

DH and I started using coupons habitually last year and did so well that we started keeping track of our savings for this year (we set up and Excel file).

So far, we've saved $1,200 using coupons, storewide sales, & BOGOs. It's the hunt that we love! I could easily see myself getting a little OCD about this.

We justify going on vacation from what we save at the grocery store. We figure by not using coupons, we're just throwing money away.

I don't have time to hunt all the circulars or the paper additions.(I don't buy newspapers.) I do look at all three grocery fliers on Tuesdays when they come in the mail..but usually I just recycle them..I buy way more of my every day stuff at Costco, through a Healthy Food Co-op, and a Health Food Grocery Co-op. The local grocery stores have very little I need or use.

And like Deanna..there is very little coupons on Dairy, produce and essentials..It's mostly boxed/packaged goods.

I do however, use Costco's coupons.

Coupons I use are for household items such as detergent, dish soap, shampoo, paper products. As several have said, there are not coupons for the foods we eat. If I see something on sale at the market, mostly dairy or produce, that is what we eat. Even with coupons, most processed foods are more expensive than an alternative choice. I wouldn't save any money.

Like Cotehele, I mostly use them for household items, but can occasionally find one for coffee or cereal or such. I shop at a local Grocery Outlet and it's cost + 10%. Very cheap!

Bumblebeez: I hope you're putting in your points at the Eight O'clock coffee site and getting coupons for free coffee in return! Check it out here.

My DH does all the food shopping and he is a great coupon lover. He saves us all kinds of money..it's almost like a hobby for him! Of course he is retired and has plenty of time to clip them and organize his shopping list. I almost never use them when I shop!
Joann

pat_t, thanks for including the Eight O'clock coffee link.

I didn't know about that.

When I think of all the bags of that coffee I've bought. . .

Rusty

No, I hardly use coupons for the grocery store at all. They are usually for processed/prepared food that I wouldn't serve to my family or things that I don't buy anyway. I do use coupons for stores like Michael's or BB&B., but food no. NancyLouise

I try to shop economically but coupon toting is a nuisance and just not worth it in my opinion. Hubby dubby clips coupons for us, but frankly they just mess up the kitchen counter or get buried at the bottom of my purse -- then expire.
Annie1971

No, as they are usually for processed foods or cleaning products. My favorite grocer has weekly and weekend deals for fresh meats and produce which is the way I usually go. I also stock up at Costco for the cleaning products I need, like Cascade. I found that I really don't need the things I find coupons for, so I just skip that part, it has saved me money and freed up cupboard space.

Love/Hate relationship.

Hate that manufacturers don't put exp. dates in the same place, and I need a magnifying glass to read them. All different sizes.

Love to save $$$$ on things I'd buy regardless (I hear my mom saying "would you bend over to pick up a $5 bill?)

God love my husband. He bought me a coupon organizer cause he thought my tattered envelope needed help. Shhh -- never used.

Fun comments.

Cathy in SWPA

Just wondering (not to sidetrack), if anyone has food/fuel perks -- percentage off gas or food for shopping at specific grocery store?

Seldom-- one I very seldom buy "name brands"-- and two ,almost never buy prepared foods. That said I do browse thru Sunday Papers coupons & do clip a few I know I'll use--- cherrioes, Smuckers Natural PB , wheat pastas, peacan sandies, Ben & Jerry's.

Just wondering (not to sidetrack), if anyone has food/fuel perks -- percentage off gas or food for shopping at specific grocery store?

Yep! I mentioned in my post above about fuel points.
Currently, I can save $.05/gallon on gas at my local Fred Meyer (owned by Kroger) store. It isn't out of my way and I've got enough points saved. Their price is $.02 lower than the closest discount fuel place right now so stopping there to fill up this week would save me $.07/gallon.
If I had to drive out of my way, it wouldn't be worth it, but since I drive right by there anyway.....why not?

I forgot to mention that DH works for a local discount drug store chain, so we have an employee discount there. We purchase all of our paper products, cleaning, health (toothpaste, vitamins, etc.), cat food, and some pantry items like chips, crackers, olives, coffee, etc. there.
It is fun to see the "end-of-year" statement to see how much we saved. It adds up!

Deanna

Coupons for things I need are few and far between, and like other's have said, they expire before I remember about them. When I have extra money I stock up on expensive things (like meat) and things I use a lot (then promptly stop useing them so often, lol). I stock up when I can on things that will keep when they are on sale or bogo. I also get employee discounts at Petsmart (doubled twice a year) so I stock up on my cat supplies then. I almost have room to store stuff in my 450 sq foot apartment, lol.

dgkritch, sorry I missed your comment. It's probably the one of the few times you feel good spending money on gas:)

Currently, our local Pittsburgh store (Giant Eagle) allows you $.10/gallon for every $50 you spend at a GetGo gas station (can accumulate.) THEN, you can earn food perks by redeeming your fuel perks. For every 10 gallons of fuel you pump at GetGo, youÂre awarded a 1% discount on a future purchase at Giant Eagle: 10 Gallons = 1% .... 50 Gallons = 5% up to 20% off your grocery bill (up to $300.) Somewhat confusing, but too cost effective to not participate. What marketing geniuses and competition!

I agree -- fun to watch the savings. Thanks for sharing.

Cathy in SWPA

I'm a veteran coupon clipper here, and I'm teaching Amanda. I bought her a coupon organizer just like mine, and mine is ALWAYS in the Jeep.

My small local grocery has double coupons on Wednesday up to 60 cents so I can often double a coupon and get something nearly free or for much less than a store brand item. I'm not brand loyal at all, I'll use whatever dish soap I can get the most cheaply.

I also get some coupons on-line from coupons.com, but my local grocery won't take the on-line coupons because they got ripped off with some fraudulent ones.

I never buy items that I don't normally use, but I've recently cashed in coupons for Domino Sugar, for Snuggle fabric softener (double coupon, BTW, and got $1.20 off), Riceland rice, Cinnamon Toast Crunch for the Princess.

Amanda is just starting and saved nearly $70 off her $250 monthly food bill last week, so now she's getting a lot more interested, especially since The Princess likes to carry her lunch a lot of the time. There's always a coupon for lunch meat or peanut butter or cheese.

Annie

My supermarket is the largest consumer owned co-op in North America. I always gas up there, since their prices are lower than the Big Brands, they pump it for me, and give me a grocery coupon based on quantity purchased. Since they are a co-op, I get a patronage refund cheque once a year.

Like Annie, we also never or rarely buy things we don't use, and we hunt around to various websites for things we do use. Also, many stores will take competitor coupons, for example:

Albertson's has a $5 coupon for spending $50 or more and sometimes Whole Foods will have a $10 coupon for spending $50 or more. We shop at Publix, mostly, and they will take both those coupons since we're going to be doing our grocery shopping there anyway (and usually average $50 per week or more).

That's $15 dollars right there! Sometimes we get really lucky and have those types of big-ticket coupons from 3 or more stores at one time. We can walk up to the register and immediately take $20 or more off our bill.

Also, we try to buy the things that are already on sale/or BOGO and use the coupons too. For example, we got 2 pints of Ben & Jerry's ice cream a couple of weeks ago for just $.79 total.

Another trick is to use coupons even if they're expired. Most places will let you get away with it, but some are cracking down...times are tough.

If a coupon says you have to buy 2 or 3 or something to use the coupon and you only want 1...TRY IT! Most cashiers/stores will take those too!

Another trick, if there is a brand of something you have a coupon for, say Cinnamon Flavored toothpaste, and the store is out of it or doesn't carry that brand, pick up a competitor brand (as long as it's the same size usually) and the the store will accept it.

Count on stores running sales/BOGOs on the same items every few weeks and plan accordingly. For example, the flyers from 3 local grocery stores in my area this week ALL have a pasta sauce BOGO, pasta BOGO, a salad dressing BOGO, a fruit cup BOGO, and a crackers/chips BOGO. I know that the stores run these sales in cycles, so I just wait to buy and stock up on what I use when it comes around.
Usually I wait for the good diced tomatoes to go BOGO, pasta, or even mayonaise.

It does add up. We save on average 30% of our grocery bill every week because we make a grocery list, preview the weekly newspaper flyers from the Wednesday paper and plan accordingly, and clip ONLY what we use.

We use a little accordian filer and take the coupons we think we'll use when we leave to go to the store. We rarely "impulse" shop or "just make a quick stop" at the store on the way home from work. We plan what we are going to cook & need for meals/lunches for the week.

Sorry to ramble! It's a habit that just takes to develop and sink in. Now it's fun. Two years ago, we would rarely use coupons, but now we love seeing how much we can save for other fun stuff like vacations!

I get an employee discount at both supermarkets I work at so that helps.I use coupons only on items I normaly buy and that is when they are on sale.I check the sunday paper inserts, the store flyers, and the web including the sites that offer free items and coupons.One supermarket I work for keeps a running total of what you spend and you can use the points towards gas.

You guys must get a better selection of coupons in your papers than we do. I think last Sunday's paper had a dozen coupons for various air fresheners, another dozen for cosmetics, hair color, and frozen junk food. We don't use any of that stuff.

I always look since I'm reading the paper anyway, but 99% of the time, the coupons are for things I don't use. The exceptions are toilet paper, trash bags, and (rarely) butter.

Yeah, but Renee, I DO use hair color. LOL So does Ashley, her hair's a different color every other week, I never know who she's gonna be next!

this week's paper included $1 coupon for White Cloud toilet paper, and that's a cheaper brand so I'll buy it, and $1 off on that low carb Dreamfield pasta that Ashley likes and I don't eat it so I don't care about brands on that. I clipped a $2 cat food coupon for the cat who IS brand loyal and a couple of candy coupons because halloween is coming up and I have all those trick or treaters. I figure the five bucks I'll save will help pay for my coffee, which I DON'T have a coupon for.

The air fresheners and Oscar Meyer hot dog coupons I throw out, along with those for Lunchables and Pizza Rolls but I kept the one for Lipton tea bags because I'll use those at work even though I have bulk tea at home. Oh, and the Tums and the razors and the toothpaste, I'll use those on double coupon day, I use all of those things anyway.

Annie

I've not seen the first halloween candy coupon!

Oh, I lied, I have three coupons for Luzianne tea...which I love but can't find here anymore.

So how many hair color coupons can I cash in per pint of jam? LOL!

Yes, I'm a couponaholic. My local store also prints out coupons with my receipt for items I have bought in the past, those are great. I follow the ads much more closely than I used to as well. I have kids at home so coupons for lunch items, medications, juice boxes, etc are always used.

Thanks Pat, for the eight o'clock coffee site! I have not been accumulating my points unfortunately.

Yes Annie! Don't bargin shop for cat food. Cats have tender tummies and do best with one flavor of food. One local grocer probably thinks I'm nuts because the only thing I buy in his store is catfood... and I clean off his shelf of my cat's favorite when I'm there. Sometimes when people ask how many cats I have I tell them just one but he is big and very hungry. I buy all my cat litter at Walmart because I can get 100 lbs for $10... yup big kitty (most regulars know I have several small adorable kitties with names like Annie and Jessy).

I so seldom use coupons. I've made the cashier shake her head when I turn to the customer behind me and give away the register coupons. I think of myself as a value shopper. If a product has quality and I'll enjoy eating it then I buy. Even being single I'll buy a 10lb roast and cut it into usable portions. I like beans and rice so my grocery budget is not big enough to worry about. Meat and fresh fruit seem to be the big hitters on my bill... and of course beer is almost a budget of it's own. We have a super bargin meat market 20 minutes down the road but I hate using that much time and gas. When I do go I fill the freezer... beef tenderloin is currently $7/lb, lake perch $9/lb, any kind of beef steak between $3-4/lb, ground chuck normally $2/lb. They probably only make pennies a pound but they sell meat by the ton everyday.

I've been working with a very nice lady that enjoys coupons so I give her my Sunday paper. Last week she saved $11 with them. She enjoys it so I was careful not to rain on her parade but when I asked what she bought she said "junk food and a couple things I normally buy".

I'm a terrible shopper and usually just buy the same things over and over. I noticed I now have three bottles of my favorite vinegar in the pantry. At least I've done a fair job eating down the pantry and freezer so I can see what I have in there. Just picked another quart of tomatoes out of my garden. People were telling me a month ago to pull up the vines but they keep flowering and putting out new tomatoes so I'll hold back until the frost kills them. Hard to beat "free" food.

: )
lyra

Most coupons that I can find are for items that I don't or can't use! They are usually for packaged, prepared (not healthy) items and I cook mostly from scratch. Only once in a while I will find a coupon for something basic.

Think that most of those "coupon stories" that are publicized....such as, some "Coupon Queen" buying $100 worth of food and paying only $10 or even $25 are unreal! If that is the case they must be buying a lot of prepackaged, prepared, foods.

The coupons I like to get are for name-brand items such as butter, yogurt, tomato sauce, flour, etc. Basic stuff! I also use my savings card issued by the chain store where I usually shop.

There is no way on earth to cash in an expired coupon around here! The computers absolutely will not allow it, even the managers of the stores cannot override.

The stores around here also limit the double coupons to the first five coupons you present, so you have to be sure and present the big ones first, but only up to .50 each. Sure, that can be an extra $2.50 (and I'm not scoffing at it) but it sure ain't $65!

Yes, we have BOGO, but those come off the tape automatically if you have a store card, and if you don't have a card the cashier uses hers! I don't consider those coupons at all...more like ordinary store sales. You can't not save the money if you read the signs that say BOGO and they're items you want.

You're lucky to live where you do, gardengirl; not one single one of your tricks will work in any store in my metro area. Expired coupons? No. Alternative items? Never. Rain checks...sure. You wrote: Albertson's has a $5 coupon for spending $50 or more and sometimes Whole Foods will have a $10 coupon for spending $50 or more. We shop at Publix, mostly, and they will take both those coupons since we're going to be doing our grocery shopping there anyway (and usually average $50 per week or more).

That's $15 dollars right there! Sometimes we get really lucky and have those types of big-ticket coupons from 3 or more stores at one time. We can walk up to the register and immediately take $20 or more off our bill. HOLY COW! How do they stay in business?

Here they don't take expired coupons or coupons for other stores, although Walmart says they'll match any advertised sale, so if I have a sale flier for someplace else, they'd match it. I still don't shop there....

My local grocery will let me use as many coupons as I want on double coupon day, up to 60 cents per coupon, so my 60 cent coupon for brown rice (Mahatma) got me a 2 lb. bag for about 30 cents. I had about three 50 cent coupons for Green Giant frozen vegetables,which I like to take to work, and those were on sale for 99 cents, so I got them free.

I've never gotten $100 worth of groceries for $10, and only occasionally will the local Meijer give me a register coupon that lets me take $10 off the next purchase of over $50. It's nice when it happens, though.

Still, I save that $2 on catfood and $3 on hair color and the frozen veggies keep my diet and my arteries and my pocketbook away from a greasy cheeseburger at the local bar.

Even though I don't save $90 a week, I figure I save about $50 a month, that's $600 a year that I can spend on vacation or Christmas gifts or fence posts or make a couple of Jeep payments....

Annie

Shermann, it does happen, I swear! :-) I live in Orlando, Fla, so there's a big population and lots of competitive grocery stores. Last year, we hit a streak of where 3 grocery stores had coupons in their flyers for $5 or $10 off the grocery bill. We really raked it in then.

The thing is, the stores COUNT on people NOT using those coupons, that's how they do it. And if this thread is any suggestion, they're right. Most people don't use coupons. And on top of that, most people don't know the "tricks" of how to make the most of their coupons, like stacking coupons on BOGO items.

We've never gotten $50 of groceries for $10 either, but we do save a good amount. We don't buy very much processed stuff at all, but we do buy laundry detergent, toilet paper, soap, bleach, aluminum foil, napkins, sandwich bags, shampoo, etc., so we make the most of those products and they are big ticket purchases. It all adds up!

Not exactly what y'all are talking about, but the local Bed Bath & Beyond sends out coupons quite frequently in their flyers, usually $5 off any purchase of $15 or more. So I'll wait until I have one of their coupons and go buy some stuff totaling $15.01 so I get a 33% discount; at that discount, their prices are reasonable :)

I do use coupons when and if there are any available for items I regularly use. Or if there is one available for a new product that I'd like to try, but not at its full price.

Neither of the two stores here have a double coupon day.
And buy one, get one free offers are very VERY few & far between.

Stores are reimbursed by the manufacturer for the coupons they honor. So if they honor an expired one, they won't get paid for it. Thus, this practice would help drive the over all price of things up. So in the end, you've defeated your purpose.

Passing off an expired coupon seems dishonest, but maybe that's just me. As does using a coupon to buy one of an item when the coupon states a multiple amount.

At times a store will, if they run out of a couponed item, give a rain check on it, unless the coupon or ad states "as long as supplies last", which is becoming more frequent around here.

Rusty