[Daisy1339]

Okay, I consider myself a reasonably intelligent woman. I work in a detail oriented job, tackle problems head on, blah blah blah.... WHY CAN'T I FIGURE OUT COUPONS???

I've got the clip and collect part down pat. What I can't seem to wrap my brain around is how to work a grocery list. I need some schoolin'!!

When I sit with my note pad and my freshly clipped coupons and the grocery ad's I'm lost. I get dizzy looking at the ads! I mean, am I supposed to:

a) make a list, look at all of the ads and see if there's something I need and then check the coupons

b) make a list and then check my coupons and then look through the dizzying ads

I know it sounds stupid, but coupons stress me out. Am I supposed to scan every migraine inducing ad for one can of beans that I have a coupon for? Some things really shut my brain down, math is one of them, coupons are the other. They are my cryptonite!
I see other people using and saving them and I feel left out! I get up to the cashier and she asks, "any coupons?" and I never have any and I hear this inaudible gasp from all the other ladies in line with their perfectly clipped savings in hand.

Help me.

I literally need someone to tell me their Saturday morning routine blow by blow, if you would take pity on me and share. I really want to put my big girl panties on and use coupons and save money on our food bill.

[mdesi]

This is probably not the best advice, but this is how I "work" coupons. I know that there are certain products we always buy, so I keep those coupons. I am pretty loyal to one certain chain, and they have one of those cards. Yes, it is a little "big brotherish" that they keep track of what I buy, but they give me coupons for those products. I use those. Also, this chain sends out special coupons that I use - unless DH throws them out before I can go. (He threw out a $40 off coupon for $200 + in groceries, once, and I still have not let him forget it. - especially b/c heaven forbid I throw out something he needs.)

This week it was actually funny the coupons I got - twice. As I was wondering out loud, not really upset, but just wondering as I posted earlier, we went to the store and got a coupon for Pampers - twice. I guess my local grocery store believes that we will have a need for those. BTW - Thank you all who shared your stories. I needed those, and they have really added this sense of calm about the whole thing. First time ever that I have made it through PMS and cycle week w/o tears and self pity. You guys have no idea how much you have helped me and my DH. ((hugs!!))

[Fran27]

I don't have much luck with coupons. I guess I don't really know where to get them because I rarely find some that I need.

When i get the BJ coupon book though, I just skim through it and remove the ones that I'd use, and put those items in my list.

[Rose-Garden]

Hi, this is my system:

I go through the grocery ads and write items we use and their sale price on a post-it(s). Then I stick them to the front of the ad for easy reference.

I go over my grocery list with my stack of coupons and match up any I need a day or so before shopping. I also write a little "coup" next to the items on the list in case I forget while in the store.

I hope this gives you some ideas! I get distracted so I need lots of notes.

[binkybear]

I love coupons, for me it's like a little game to see what I saved at the end...BUT I don't base everything we eat or buy on coupons. I have dietary restrictions so I can't just buy "anything" that's on sale on with coupon. My hub is pretty particular with food so I know what he likes and what he doesn't and that's where I start from...what we like, what we need, what we use. If it's a really good coupon for something similar or something worth trying I'll clip that too....but I don't clip them all just to clip them. It's not saving anything if it's wasted time or wasted product in the end

I start by checking the fridge, checking the pantry, checking the freezer and make my shopping list while doing that...10 minutes tops. Then I sit down with my organzied "the coupon wallet" that I got online ages ago and I match up the coupons with the list...another 5 to 10 minutes. I use the coupons according to date..if I have 2 coupons for Green Giant veggies and one expires sooner I use that one first. While going through the coupon wallet I kinda make a mental note of what's in there so when I'm in the store if I see a sale item that we might not "need" right away, but might makes sense to buy now with that coupon I have. This isn't hard to do because in the end you know what you like, need or what you've probalby clipped anyway. You get use to what you're clipping and what coupons you have. KWIM?
It takes me mere minutes to cut coupons, in fact I did it last night while sitting up in bed watching the news. My parents don't use them so I get theirs from the paper too!

I use a bonus card, I register for extra coupons and emails from the supermarkets I use, I check the circulars for the coupons they hide inside...some have "$1 doubler coupons" where if you're using coupons already they essentially just take off another $1 for fun...and it adds up to $4 where I am right off the bat! AND I use those $5off your entire trip coupons when sent out. If there's a new organic product out there that I could use but have never tried I have zero problem shooting off a 1 line email to the company requesting a coupon & 99.9% of the time I get 1-2 freebie coupons in the mail within a week for doing that.

Last night we did a super fast run in to the supermarket before our "impending doom snowstorm" that (as always) turned out to be nothing but a dusting of snow We were only in there for 15-20 minutes but I walked out saving $14.50 all together on a quick small order of only what we needed for the weekend. We play the "how much did we save" game while walking to the car where we both take a guess, it's fun in the end and never just pennies here or there...it's real $$$$!!

Doing basic Thanksgiving shopping (not including the free $25.00 bird I got with bonuscard) I saved $28.10, 2 weeks before was $24.58 and the major stock up before that (freezer, pantry stock up for all the winterish foods I make) was $80.81!!!! I could probably save more if I used the coupon game sites, but I'm pretty happy with how things are going so far.

Just try to have fun with it

PS....we use regular old manufacturer coupons at BJs too! Yup, they take them for everything. If the coupon says save $1.00 on two boxes of let's say Glad trash bags and BJs sells 3 boxes all wrapped together..the coupon works! You don't have to by "2" of the BJ packaging...it's the manufacturers single packaging Cool, huh?

[lmvsmom]

I do the grocery game. You can check it out at Coupons, Grocery Coupons - The Grocery Game :: Home

It really helps me a lot.

[Daisy1339]

Thanks, you guys!!

I know it may sound silly. And I do have all of the store "big brother" cards, but some ladies seem to have handfuls of more coupons in their hands whenever I do my weekly shopping. It's just coming up with a system that makes sense for me and your ideas have helped! Maybe I should look at it as a hobby and sort of psych myself up?

Anyhow, Thank you, again!!

[binkybear]

I'm usually just trying to save something, even if we only have 1 or 2 coupons on a specific trip. Big stock up trips are when I really get myself super organized and set out to save a lot more.

I've seen the ladies (and gents) with tons of coupons and a cart full of food for like $30, but I've noticed that they stock up on specifics (with several coupons for specific items that are on sale. Read the coupons fine print some are one per purchase and some are one coupon per item..where you can have 5 items and 5 coupons.) AND they generally don't mind brand bouncing and buying "what's on sale" compared to me where I can't just buy to buy given food allergies that I have. My choices are a bit more limited, but even still I do pretty ok with coupons!

Looking at it as a small hobby is a good way to get started. You'll start seeing $$$ then it's just second nature to keep doing it

[millie58]

Having been in a relationship with someone who would clip coupons, go in the store, get the items, go to check out and forget to use the coupons, I gave up on coupons.

Originally Posted by Daisy1339

Okay, I consider myself a reasonably intelligent woman. I work in a detail oriented job, tackle problems head on, blah blah blah.... WHY CAN'T I FIGURE OUT COUPONS???

I've got the clip and collect part down pat. What I can't seem to wrap my brain around is how to work a grocery list. I need some schoolin'!!

When I sit with my note pad and my freshly clipped coupons and the grocery ad's I'm lost. I get dizzy looking at the ads! I mean, am I supposed to:

a) make a list, look at all of the ads and see if there's something I need and then check the coupons

b) make a list and then check my coupons and then look through the dizzying ads

I know it sounds stupid, but coupons stress me out. Am I supposed to scan every migraine inducing ad for one can of beans that I have a coupon for? Some things really shut my brain down, math is one of them, coupons are the other. They are my cryptonite!
I see other people using and saving them and I feel left out! I get up to the cashier and she asks, "any coupons?" and I never have any and I hear this inaudible gasp from all the other ladies in line with their perfectly clipped savings in hand.

Help me.

I literally need someone to tell me their Saturday morning routine blow by blow, if you would take pity on me and share. I really want to put my big girl panties on and use coupons and save money on our food bill.

[mommy3]

My main hint is to have a small plastic envelope (or some other holder) that you just keep in your purse and whenever you see/find/clip/get a coupon that you might us, put it in there. I actually shop regularly at 3-4 stores, counting Costo, Trader Joe's, our regular grocery store and the natural foods store. Honestly, our list is always pretty similar except when I plan an unsual meal, so I just watch for my regular items and if they are on sale, cool; if I can use a coupon, I've got 'em with me. Typically, everything I cook is fresh, so lots of coupons don't work for me, as they are often for much more commercial items, but still, we probably save about $3-5 per week plus another 20-30 on that week's specials that just happen to be specials. I also have a medium-sized freezer and a decent-size pantry, so I buy extras or large-sizes so we usually have more than what we need for a week or a month, depending upon the item. The coupon game can be a real deal if you eat lots of commercially-prepared foods, but that's not us, so I just try to watch for specials on the brands and foods we eat and use coupons when I'm lucky. susan

[aclee]

Originally Posted by mommy3

My main hint is to have a small plastic envelope (or some other holder) that you just keep in your purse and whenever you see/find/clip/get a coupon that you might us, put it in there. I actually shop regularly at 3-4 stores, counting Costo, Trader Joe's, our regular grocery store and the natural foods store. Honestly, our list is always pretty similar except when I plan an unsual meal, so I just watch for my regular items and if they are on sale, cool; if I can use a coupon, I've got 'em with me. Typically, everything I cook is fresh, so lots of coupons don't work for me, as they are often for much more commercial items, but still, we probably save about $3-5 per week plus another 20-30 on that week's specials that just happen to be specials. I also have a medium-sized freezer and a decent-size pantry, so I buy extras or large-sizes so we usually have more than what we need for a week or a month, depending upon the item. The coupon game can be a real deal if you eat lots of commercially-prepared foods, but that's not us, so I just try to watch for specials on the brands and foods we eat and use coupons when I'm lucky. susan

Ditto this post. As a house hold where one person has a sodium restriction (no prepared foods for him) and I am gluten free...we really can't use coupons. If I need something premade, we buy a store brand if we can. I worry less about coupons, and more about stocking up with the item is on sale so we don't impulse buy. Impulse buying chicken breast can mean the difference between paying $1.39 a pound (or less!) or paying $3.99 a pound...makes a big difference in the meal. We just bought 10 pounds of chicken at 1.39 a pound...and we weren't even close to needing it. We stock up on veggies during the summer, or stuff that looks good on the reduced rack. I just bought 6 pounds of green beans at .49 a pound off the reduced rack. I know enough about green beans to look at them, know they were fresh, but were late season, and maybe just barely frost bitten. It makes for darkish spots on the bean...spots that basically disappear when you blanch them. So I have (6) 1 pound vacuum sealed bags in the freezer of fresh green beans for $3. And the dogs ate the end trimming in their dinner Fruit is harder. I find that they don't really move fruit to the reduced rack till it's VERY ripe...which is great if it's citrus that you'll use quickly, but for pear etc...it can be tough. When I was making stuff for Ty, it worked great, but stuff for eating now, it's a bit soft. I can't wait till spring/summer.

I won't cut our grocery budget if it means eating prepackaged rice with 1200 mg of sodium per serving. I'm not a complete scratch cook yet, but I'm working on it

[BrandyHagz]

Off topic, sort of.

This weekend, I went to the store (without coupons, I don't buy the paper) and I was walking down the dairy section and I see this lady with TWO HUGE BINDERS with these plastic sheets for trading cards in them - it has her COUPONS.

That seems like to much work for me. If I'm not saving enough money to pay myself for the extra time it takes me to do the shopping (my billable hour) then I won't do it.

I'm a get in, get it and get out kinda gal.

I play a different game - see how fast you can get the weekly shopping done and get home. My goal, 30 minutes.

[finallyamom0310]

A friend of mine turned me onto Couponmom.com and it has worked wonders for her. She read their on line instruction manual and actually takes the time to do step by step. She saves on average about 60% off their bills.

[aclee]

I think when we have 12 kids, I'll feel differently about the groceries I might do coupons then, cause we'll need the money to pay for gas in the 20 passenger van.

(Couponmom.com is not supported by Linux...I HATE having a GEEK husband...I can't even peek at it to see if it's worth it!)

[finallyamom0310]

A, I will send you the download if you can view PDF's.