Every week I’ll pose a question for you to share your experiences and tips. If you have a question that you’d like me to post, I’d love to hear from you!
I’ve mentioned before that I’ve been a deal seeker since I was a teenager,and I’ve always loved the thrill of the hunt and finding a great deal. But when I was pregnant with my second son, I was laid off, and I began couponing out of necessity at that point. Today, although it’s no longer a necessity, I still coupon because I love knowing that I’m getting a great deal, which gives us more to spend on family experiences and save for the future.
I’d love to hear your couponing story as well!
How did you get your couponing start? Did you start couponing out of necessity? Because you tried it and became hooked? Or do you coupon to free up your budget so you can spend more on luxuries and the things your family loves?
Join the discussion — add your two cents to previous Ask DSM Readers questions too!
Kristin
I was super board at work and reading anything and everything on the web about saving money (I knew we could save more), came across a certain coupon website and saw how easy it was and taadaa, here I am a big couponer and deal seeker.
Jean
I love finding deals too! My husband and my 4 sons always ask me if there’s a new deal today. There usually is. I started couponing a couple years ago when my 91 yr. old grandma gave me an article she read in the newspaper. I went to the blog in the article which then led me to this blog and others. I was hooked. I save so much and have fun doing it. My husband makes enough money – I don’t have to do this – but why spend it if I don’t have to? I have had some people ask me if I’m embarrassed to hand over all my coupons and then pay so little for my purchases. No – never – but they should be embarrassed to pay so much! Today I’m going to take a bunch of cheap or free food and cleaning supplies to my 93 yr. old grandma when I visit.
Amanda L
I married a seriously frugal man. He hates to spend money on anything…even necessities like food and toilet paper. Strange, I know. I have dabbled in coupons a few times, but now I am addicted. In just a few months I have created a large stockpile of many things for us while cutting our budget by more than half. I love getting things for free and recently had to start a “Do Not Buy” list for some things.
I am looking for a job and saving us money on just about everything is a big help. Food, personal items, eating out, and big purchases are all areas we aim to save. I am still learning, but I hope to continue to save more, donate more, and live on less.
Tara Kuczykowski
Thanks so much to all of you that have shared your stories — I absolutely LOVE reading them, so keep them coming! There’s absolutely no shame in using coupons. I love Jean’s comment about how other people should be ashamed at overpaying so much for everything.
Terri
I’ve always been about “the deal,” whether garage sales, consignment stores, travel rewards, or anyplace else that you can get something good for nothing or nearly nothing. Couponing was a natural segwe about 6-7 years ago when I got into Rite Aid rebating. Coupons brought those prices down so far I was making money! That expanded into couponing for just about everything else. This frugalista lifestyle and couponing helped me survive two long-term layoffs and the loss of a life’s savings in a ponzi scheme. I’ve since taught my techniques to another family “on the edge” and it has literally changed their lives. I’m able to donate my extras regularly to the local homeless and animal shelters. Couponing is a win-win for everyone. I just LOVE it!
Justin
I think I started couponing when I was a junior or senior in college… you know how poor we can be. I just graduated this past May so I’m still pretty new at it. I suppose I became interested because of where I work. I’m currently an assistant at a nursing home and every Sunday we receive about 50 newspapers. Well most of the residents don’t really do any shopping, so its not uncommon for me to walk out of there with five sets of inserts =). I had heard of matching up the sales with coupons, but I never thought of saving the inserts for weeks or for looking for additional coupons online. I stumbled upon Deal Seeking Mom and the rest is history, this is THE best site in my opinion for matching up the sales and other great bargains. Everyone’s mouth always drops when I tell them how much I paid for the mountain of stuff I bring home. I also frequent Slickdeals but that’s not really couponing. Its just another perk that Tara’s only about 45 minutes away from where I live, so most of the sales she posts almost always apply to where I live too, in Dayton. Good luck everyone!
Laura
I started couponing out of necessity over 2 years ago. The situation has improved slightly, but in this recession still need to make our dollar stretch as far as possible and there is not much room for any extras. I recently had the pleasure of grocery shopping with my MIL (a non-couponer) and was able to tell/show her all of the good deals you can get by using coupons. She was amazed. I am hooked and love the challenge of seeing how much I can save each week! Thanks to DSM for making me this way :)
Tracy
I only dabbled in coupons here and there over the years. If I had a coupon I used it. No planning or thought. I’ve seen on TV those people who buy a ton of groceries for a few dollars and thought that was crazy and impossible. Someone posted on Facebook about a year or so ago how much they saved on a grocery trip and it peaked my interest. She didn’t even double coupons. She did recommend a coupon blog that she used to help plan her coupon use. So I googled for a coupon blog that worked with my local stores. Hi Deal Seeking Mom! This and another blog have been such a HUGE help. I still only save about $20 per shopping trip, but that surely adds up. I have a fun time doing it too. I don’t see myself stopping at this point. It’s a money saving/making hobbie.
Jennifer
I used to use coupons randomly, they usually expired before I remembered to use them. I just didn’t understand the concept of combining store and mfr coupons with sales and shopping at more than one store. And I used to work for a food manufacturing company in the marketing department where I designed coupons and wrote coupon code. How dumb was I???!!!
I thought I was saving money by buying store brands and shopping at Costco.
About a month ago I saw an article on MSN Money about back to school sales and found a link to Deal Seeking Mom. The light bulb went on, finally! I am starting to stockpile items that can be expensive at full price but that I’ve gotten great deals on. It feels really good to save so much. I want to do a little dance at the checkout whenever I’ve paid so little for so many items! :-) Thank you Tara for sharing your knowledge and that of other women who have the knack for finding ways to save!
My next step is to scale back my grocery budget, organize my coupons and start shopping different stores each week. I am inspired by all the comments I read on this site from other people who are so successful at making this work for them!
Telisa
We started using coupons out of necessity. My husband got a 30% paycheck last year and I’m disabled and can not work, it caused us to have to rely on Food Banks just to get food. while the food banks are great, they also don’t always give you the healthiest food. I seen an episode on the Tyra banks show about coupons and people saving so much money. I decided to google it and found alot of ways to save money. Now we are able to buy our own food even though things are still very tight for us.
Catherine
I’ve used coupons in the past just saving a dollar here and there. But I really started June 2010. I stay home and watch my baby while my mom worked two jobs. She saves and saves and I made sure that I asked as little as possible…but diapers are a huge expense. So I looked on the internet for a couponing website and I found dealseekingmom.com. Then I read where to get the coupons and how to use them effectively. Two months into it and I have got the budget for household needs and groceries down to $160 a month for us three. And I refuse to pay full price for anything.
The best part is I get to try things I would never buy because things cost so much. We have a full pantry and this time of the year I am collecting on school supplies and thinking of donating. The most important thing is making sure I don’t spend a whole lot from my mom’s hard worked money. Also price hunting is fun and we LOVE free stuff.
Lisa
I coupon a few years ago, but recently got back into it since I have two little ones and a stay @ home mom. I think me couponing is not only helping us save money, but then I feel like I am contributing to the household. Daily I try to find new ways to save.
Heather
I began couponing about 9 months ago. I am going to college and have two kids. My boyfriend has the only income. We had applied for assistance and was just over the amount. We kept having to borrow money and I even started working at night. while going to college all day then working all night. I had maybe two hours sleep. I worked myself sick. I needed a break. My uncle told me about couponing. I began slowly and still going it has helped immensily. I am not yet to where I would like to be but I can say that I am very greatfull for couponing cuz if I didn’t have it I don’t know what I would have done.
Brenda
I began couponing 4 weeks ago. My husband works on commission, and we never know what he is bringing home. I am a stay-at-home mom with a one year old girl, and didn’t know what to do. Every pay period we would have to choose between food for the family or gas to for him to get to work. New Years was coming up, and my new year’s resolution was to find a way to save money. I started reading how other people saved money on their grocery bills. When I learned how the system works. I paid 85.82 and saved over 200 on my last trip. I am also grateful for couponing, because we are a happier family.
yahoo
Holden, on the other hand, doesn’t hesitate to attack his macho jerk of a roommate
“right smack in the toothbrush, so it would split his goddam throat open. Heck comes inside the house and tells Atticus that he found Bob Ewell useless under the tree on the place where he attacked the children. Injun Joe is portrayed in an extremely negative light.
Tiara
I began couponing 4 years ago,I have two kids, and as we know, things can get pricey! I like coupon.com to get a lot of coupons and seek deals.com or promopure.com to look for some great deals and sales. As Fall is here, in October I still have a shopping plan, if anyone has any creative ways to save money, please let me know.