Comments on: Using Coupons Can Build Your Savings

By: Moe

Moe — Wed, 12 May 2010 03:40:43 +0000

I'm very new to the coupon "hobby". Some mom's from my child's school told me what a great deal they got, and I decided I just have to give it a try. There is so much i do not understand yet (I tried to get the same deal my friend told me about - but never found all the "coupons/offers" that I needed to do it :-( For those of you that are sharing tid-bits of HOW you'r edoing it - THANK YOU I have yet to clip and file coupons - I don't know the best way to do it yet... so for now I m keeping the inserts from the Sunday paper, and look through it when i read the e-mails I'm getting from DSM Thanks for teaching me...

By: Corrie @ "Cents"able Momma

Corrie @ "Cents"able Momma — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:22:37 +0000

I love how I get almost all my toiletries for free or almost free by combining coupons and sales at CVS and Rite Aid.

Not only does my family have a great stockpile, but I have been able to provide almost all the toiletries for a family member with financial difficulties. She doesn't have to feel guilty about me providing her with items she can't afford, and I get the coupon high from getting such a good deal :-).

By: Amy @ Amy Loves It!

Amy @ Amy Loves It! — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:08:21 +0000

Great post, Tara! I am working to turn my virtual savings into concrete ones. Thanks for the great tips!

By: ann

ann — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:05:05 +0000

I have been couponing for quite a few years now. I think it affords us the lifestyle we want to live @ more than half the cost!
I buy EVERYTHING on sale and with coupons from the big stuff (electronics, household items) to the small stuff(clothing,groceries etc). It has become very difficult for me to ever pay full price for anything.
I have become so good @ it that my hubby is even in the game with me and will search for the lowest price bf he purchase anything!!
When I stumbled on this site I was amazed and quite please @ how much people are also doing this and this gave me more motivation to continue to do what I do.
Thanks Tara and all your hardworking staff for all you do and in helping me to track even more deals!!

By: Bearista Gigi

Bearista Gigi — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 22:15:16 +0000

I love coupons. We are never out of shampoos, toothpastes, cereals, contact lens solutions , body lotions , razors etc... When it comes to a food deal, I always check the expiration date and figure out how much we will need before that date. I never waste food or eat expired food even those are free.

I seldom buy Sunday paper unless I am pretty sure I will use about $6 value coupons inside. Otherwise , I am more willing to buy coupons at ebay for what I really need.

Enjoy couponing and saving:)

By: Mommy Kennedy

Mommy Kennedy — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:18:52 +0000

Great write up! Thanks so much for the information!

By: Jan

Jan — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:14:00 +0000

I have been couponing for almost 30 years now, a habit I developed from my mother. I was shocked when I married and was out on my own and I discovered that no one I knew couponed. In fact friends began to joke that I couldn't buy something unless I had a coupon for it, but lo and behold we always had a stocked pantry and plenty of money left over. I still don't get why someone doesn't coupon, but it is fine with me. It is my hobby and I get a thrill out of getting things cheaply or free and giving so much more away to the food pantry, the canned food drive at school or as gift baskets to friends or for fund raiser donations.

By: Roni

Roni — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 19:57:59 +0000

I just love couponing, I've only been doing it for 3 months and I never realized how much can be saved. Thanks to sites like this I've been able to save and purchase "good" brand items that I otherwise would not have been able to afford. I love to share my "saving" stories with my family and friends.

By: Heather

Heather — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 19:16:15 +0000

It's my job to be the steward of my family's finances & couponing helps me do that. It enables me to cut down on our budget, but still buy mostly organic items. My budget may be more than others because of the lack of organic coupons, but every bit helps & adds up.
Excuses why someone can't coupon are simply that....excuses. Meanwhile, I am happily getting items for free or next to free!

By: Terri

Terri — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:32:13 +0000

As much as I would love to put my saved money into savings...I look at my coupon savings as covering my baby expenses. If I've saved $20 this week with coupons, that covers my diapers, wipes, etc that I need for my son. Basically, I've been able to keep my grocery bill the same, even with the added baby expense! I love it!

By: Angel

Angel — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:55:20 +0000

I have just re cently started using coupons. My husband doesnt understand it and thinks it takes to much time but I love it. I love seeing what I canget for free. I also have been able to try new products and brands that I wouldnt normally use. Example would be all laundry I love it but will not buy without a coupon. Thank you sooo much for your site, if it wasnt for you I would not use them.

By: Christine

Christine — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:33:44 +0000

What a great idea! I'm trying something a little different this year. I have a spreadsheet in which I account for all grocery spending (including drugstores). At the end of the month I'll transfer to savings whatever money is remaining from my budget. The month is more than half over and I see have close to 75% of my budget left. Couponing is 'da bomb'! :-)

By: Andrea

Andrea — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:00:17 +0000

I've considered transferring the money I save weekly from couponing into a separate account...but when I sat down with my husband, ran over the logistics, I realized that this was pretty adventurous of me. I've been couponing now for over a few years now (and grew up watching my mother do this as well...), so my savings and "couponing ninja skills" (as the hubs says) are pretty advanced - I save on average, about $50 a week. I just don't know if our budget could afford that every week, but now I'm motivated to try and find a happy number and save it every week. Imagine my husband's surprise when I tell him how much I've saved - I did that to afford a birthday trip for him last May too. Holding money back each week from the grocery budget was hard (and he complained a few times about how "tight" I had been with the money), but when I surprised him by giving him a trip for his 30th (his boss emailed him and let him know he wasn't welcome at the office that week because he was going on vacation and she wanted him to relax ;) ), it made it all worth it. Maybe I'll be successful again this year - I saved over $2K that way last year!

By: andrea

andrea — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:36:15 +0000

For some people, too, that are barely getting by, it could mean the difference between affording barely enough food and eating pretty well. Pay $2-plus for generic cereal, or less than $1/box for brand name with sales/coupons? The little bit of time and effort it takes is definitely worth it.

By: Joyce Callahan

Joyce Callahan — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:52:22 +0000

I feel that couponing is my hobby...I spend a little time on it every week. I cut the coupons from the Sunday paper, then file them by expiration date. Then on Wednesday when the grocery ads come out, I match up coupons that I have with what's on sale. I probably only spend about 30 minutes a week on this "hobby", but being the single mom of 4 teen boys, if I didn't use coupons, we wouldn't be able to eat at all. I honestly only spend about $40-$50 a week on groceries for all of us. I file the coupons by expiration date so that if one is about to expire, and it is for something I will use anyway, I can go ahead and get it even if it's not on sale. I do throw away many expired coupons that I am not going to use, because if it's not on sale, I wouldn't have bought it anyway. But there are MANY times when I have gotten things free with coupons, or they have paid me to take the item from their store. I haven't figured up how much I have saved in a year's time, but I would estimate it is at least $600. I rarely buy things without a coupon. Even a 25 cent couon is a quarter I can spend on something else! I can't "save" the money in a separate account, because I use the coupons to help our budget go farther. But it is a nice concept, that maybe I will be able to try eventually. I love this site!

By: Lea

Lea — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:04:27 +0000

Tammy,
Id love to read your paper. I agree, ive tried toturn some people on to couponing and the excuses are lame. I sure feel great when I save 12bucks at the grocery store in one trip!

Lea

goalie35@pioneeris.net

By: Tammy

Tammy — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:37:39 +0000

I have tryed to turn so many people on to couponing and they always have a reason they can not. I dont get it. I feel like it is free money just waiting to be used, but my thought is if you are not going to use coupons that means there are just more for thoses of us that do use them.

I recently wrote a paper on couponing for one of my classes and the professior was impressed she asked to use it as an example for future classes. She said it was a real weired subject but she also said I was very passionate about it.

I know that last year my family and I saved almost $3,000 between coupons and free samples. There are many products that we would never have used if it was not for coupons.

Thank you guys so much for all the work you put into this site and keep it up.