I've been learning about couponing lately and thought I'd create a place to discuss it. Share your insights, warnings, and news.

One thing I've noticed is that it can take a long time to find coupons you want sometimes. Is it worth the time to save $1.00 here, $.50 there, $3.00 somewhere else, etc. if it takes 30 minutes or more?

If you coupon, how much time do you spend looking through them?

Does anyone watch The Krazy Coupon Ladies? Which stores do you find to be most coupon friendly?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/2017 02:09AM by shoptastic.

It always depends upon the unique consumer. Coupons help some people . There are additional ways to spend less money. The first consideration is: are you buying a product only because you have a coupon for it?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/2017 10:59AM by Shop-et-al.

I follow a few of the coupon people from the show Extreme Couponing -- now, that being said, the show put on a lot and fabricated or stretched couponing truths, but the people on the show do coupon and run their websites and social media pages with deals for you to check out. I also follow the krazy Koupon lady but there is a lot of ads on the site. One that I really like is Hip2Save. I don't spend much time going into it or looking through it. I sign up for sites or follow their pages so I can see what is "hot". Often times, the really good deals are kept a secret for a while until everyone has racked up hahaha. I spend a few minutes just browsing the list of coupons on a few sites I know are safe. I make a habit of NOT BUYING JUST BECAUSE IT IS CHEAP. That's how you end up with 18 bottles of ketchup and 26 bottles of mustard you cannot use and other people just take "because". I did stock up on laundry detergent when they came out with a $3 off coupon for my brand and it was on sale for $2.99 at a local store... I bought like 60 jugs... and everytime I walk by I shake my head at myself.

I do a few of the apps for cash back too. Ibotta is a great one, and so is Checkout51. There are also receipt pal and receipt hog. Just don't get too caught up or you'll waste a lot of time. For the receipts, I scan them right after checkout to be done with it. I make $1 a week doing that but when you cash in at Christmas, it can be nice. Ibotta rebates can be hefty sometimes and often combine with coupons. Toss in your mystery shop and you may come out like a bandit. Example: Crest Glamorous White toothpaste had a $2 back and was on sale for $2.99. I also had a coupon for $1 off. I got it for a few cents tax but it was a mystery shop that I was already getting the product for free anyway. These are far and few between sometimes.

Occasionally money maker coupons come out. Walmart will give you cash back if you go to the ones that are friendly and do what they're supposed to. Many are getting in a bunch about coupons simply because they don't want to deal. I usually hit the self check out machine, but if your coupon is worth more than the product, it will set off a "call CSM" alert and then the manager comes and that can be a headache too.

Just like mystery shopping, find a balance, spend a few minutes checking out the deals, and don't stress too much about huge savings. Sure, you can save 25-50%, but the shows fool you into thinking you'll save 98-99% EVERY TIME. Those extreme coupon people make money from their websites and blogs and ads, so they can spend 40-60 hours a week doing coupons.

As far as friendly for coupons, Kroger always helps me out Also, Walmart (in my area) is great about it but a lot of times, I go to self check just to not deal with a manager. If you use more than $50 of coupons, our machines alert a manager to override. But no biggie there. The Dollar Tree store and Dollar General are usually coupon friendly in my area too. Some have limits, others don't. It's up to management, but overall friendly to the coupon people. I also notice tobacco stores are friendly with coupons. I don't smoke, but my spouse does. The tobacco stores such as Smoker Friendly or Smokers Friend are all about some savings.

@Shop-et-al wrote:

It always depends upon the unique consumer. Coupons help some people . There are additional ways to spend less money. The first consideration is: are you buying a product only because you have a coupon for it?

My mom is really guilty of this.

She sees a sale item and thinks it's great and buys it. Then she realizes (when I point it out) that it wasn't a necessity or even a "want" under non-sale circumstances and she just bought something she otherwise wouldn't have just because it was cheaper.

I won't buy something I don't need/want just because it's on sale. I think lots of people make this mistake!

@MountainCacher88 wrote:

I did stock up on laundry detergent when they came out with a $3 off coupon for my brand and it was on sale for $2.99 at a local store... I bought like 60 jugs... and everytime I walk by I shake my head at myself.

That's madness, MC. I hope they don't have expiration dates within the next 100 years.

Do you get a penny back on each one too?

@ wrote:

I do a few of the apps for cash back too. Ibotta is a great one, and so is Checkout51. There are also receipt pal and receipt hog. Just don't get too caught up or you'll waste a lot of time.

Right, that's been a question for me. How much time spent doing this type of stuff is worth it vs. sleeping/resting more (to maintain health and keep the doctor away), doing online work or phone mystery shops, etc.

I feel coupon is low-energy enough that I could combine it with watching TV and waiting for my laundry loads now that I think about it. It's not so much a trade-off if the $$$-saving things we do can be done simultaneously with other stuff (maybe even watching TV). Having said that, I don't get that many coupons that are worthwhile for me when I do grocery shops. I scan all the digitals for each grocery store and usually find just one I can use ...maybe two.

I have heard you can try to find manufacturer coupons on the company's websites too, so I'll have to check that out to see if it's worthwhile.

@ wrote:

Occasionally money maker coupons come out. Walmart will give you cash back if you go to the ones that are friendly and do what they're supposed to. Many are getting in a bunch about coupons simply because they don't want to deal. I usually hit the self check out machine, but if your coupon is worth more than the product, it will set off a "call CSM" alert and then the manager comes and that can be a headache too.

Just like mystery shopping, find a balance, spend a few minutes checking out the deals, and don't stress too much about huge savings. Sure, you can save 25-50%, but the shows fool you into thinking you'll save 98-99% EVERY TIME. Those extreme coupon people make money from their websites and blogs and ads, so they can spend 40-60 hours a week doing coupons.

I don't mind going to The Krazy Coupon Lady, b/c I trust them. They've been on TV and are well known online. I've watched Extreme Couponing too. It's straight up funny! I, too, heard they do stuff just for the cameras. No normal person buys 1,000 tooth pastes!! But, if they're free and/or you bought them for 10 cents and can sell them...hmmmmm...maybe?

Just like MS, each one has a couponing style that suits them individually.

My rules are:
1) buy only what I would buy anyway
2) it's ok to stock up on items my family will always need/use: toilet paper, detergent
3) take advantage of competitor coupons. Ex: my grocery store takes Target coupons. Target's Sunday circular has $5 off meat or $10 off groceries every few weeks
4) play with CVS ECB to buy things for fun (I never spend more than $10 in cash per month at CVS but get tons of cosmetics and makeup by "rolling" the ECB.) I use the www.wildforcvs.com for ideas.