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26 May 2011

couponing is not for me.

Like many people out there, at one point I wanted to start couponing. I wanted to be like those people who save 95% off their grocery bill. I thought it was awesome!

But, I didn't know where to begin.

Thankfully not long after I decided to become a couponer a class on it was taught as one of our ward's relief society activities. And as soon as the teacher said "If chicken is on sale that week, we eat chicken that week." I knew it was not for me.

And sure enough, I was right.

Every time people post pictures of all the stuff they got on their latest couponing trip I study it and realize that 98% of it is stuff we don't use.

I am a picky eater. I am very dependent on cravings to eat (part of the reason I'm so small, I can't just put anything in my mouth). And I'm very brand loyal (I only buy Peter Pan peanut butter, for example).

So, for me couponing was a waste of money because we wouldn't use what I bought. I figure if we eat it, who cares if I paid full price for it? At least it's in our bellies and not the trash can.

I still look at coupons and use the ones I find for things I use, but I'll never be one who plays that game.

Am I the only one out there like this?

5 comments:

  1. I am totally the same way. I tried couponing for awhile, but it was all for foods we never eat. . . mostly processed foods. Plus for hygiene items we weren't saving $$. . . actually I was spending more because it was fancy dancy name brand stuff that I don't ever buy--so with the sale + 2 coupons, I was still paying more for razors, body wash, etc. Also, it consumes your LIFE. Not worth it to me! I do the same and look out for things that we DO buy!

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  2. I think I am the same way. There are certain brands I buy, and I am in a routine and sometimes don't like to branch out and get different things. I hear you!

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  3. So, that was totally my couponing class!! LOL
    I don't buy my chicken like that anymore. I LOVE coupons! I can get things that I would normally buy the generic brand for less money than the generic brand.
    It does take a lot of time to get what I want, but to me it is worth it.
    And as for toiletries, I go to CVS and buy things for either FREE or NEXT TO NOTHING. To me it's worth it.
    But at the same time, it's hard to buy things fresh. I wait for things to go on sale and buy them then. I guess it's good that I don't need to be craving something to eat it. Farmer's Markets and places like Aldi are where I go to get my fresh produce.
    Just keep your eyes out for the things your family does like and you'll be able to save some money, too! Good luck!

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  4. Haha Jennie, it was your class! :) But it was REALLY good, I still have all the handouts and notes I took from it for if I ever want to try again. I should probably also mention that I'm lazy- I could probably get the stuff I do buy for less if I actually put some real effort into it:) And it'd probably be more worthwhile if I had an actual pantry and chest freezer to store food AND didn't have to move so often. I'm still trying to figure out how to do food storage whilst in the military...

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  5. I cook almost everything from scratch with fresh fruits and veggies. They don't have coupons for fresh foods. They have coupons for Rice-a-roni, and Hamburger Helper, and mac'n'cheese. Not that I'm opposed to those things... but I can make the same foods from scratch in larger quantities for much cheaper.
    And we buy a ton of stuff in bulk, so we save money there. Costco is by far my favorite store.
    We do make use of Walmart's price-matching frequently, though. I just peruse the ads from the local stores until I find the cheapest price for whatever I need, then I take it to Walmart and they price-match...even my fresh fruits and veggies.

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