why I'm not a coupon mom
When something becomes its own verb, you know it's a big deal. Couponing. It's a whole new world out there.
I'm sure you've heard of this. Using coupons is not just about flipping through the newspaper and clipping out a few little bargains anymore. It's practically a movement of own, with a name of its own: couponing. There are couponing websites, couponing classes, even. Seems like everytime you turn around there's some woman on TV talking about how she goes to the grocery store and the checkers just automatically fill her cart with food and then hand HER a fistful of money, because she has perfected the art of couponing and now she's going to retire as a millionaire!
For a long time, I've thought that this coupon-clipping was not worth the hype, but with all these people talking about how they cut their grocery bills in half, I decided to give it a go this week.
On Sunday, I went through every page of the fliers in the Sunday paper, pulling out coupons and writing down prices of items on sale. Then I went to a couponing website and sorted through various menus and categories, trying to find more deals. I ended up with a page worth of hand-written notes, a stack of coupons, and a list of four different stores to potentially hit up.
But first--before I drove around to every store in town--I did my normal grocery shopping routine: I went to WinCo, and I looked for the prices on generic, store-brand products. And when I did that, guess what?
Store-brand items were cheaper 87 percent of the time, even if you considered the coupon deals.
Del Monte canned fruit, Chicken of the Sea tuna, Head & Shoulders Shampoo, Eggland's Best eggs--all were on sale in the coupon circulars, all were something I thought I might purchase, but when I actually compared, even when factoring in the coupon prices I had written down, store-brand products were still cheaper.
What's more, some of the prices listed on the coupon website I visited were just wrong. They listed a ton of good deals at Safeway, enough so that I specifically didn't buy certain items at WinCo, planning to go to Safeway next and get the good deals. But then when I got to my local Safeway, the deals that I'd seen listed online simply didn't exist. Whether the website creators got their dates wrong, or their geographic area wrong, or they were just making stuff up for fun to mess with poor ignorant consumers, I don't know. But at that point I wasn't going back to WinCo to get the slightly-cheaper items, so I just sucked it up and bought them anyway.
I ended up spending my entire morning and driving to three different stores, even though I bought the vast majority of my groceries at WinCo and was driving to those other stores in pursuit of just a few specific items. By the end of the day, the kids and I were both exhausted and my 2-year-old was saying, "Why are we at ANOTHER store?" when I pulled into the third grocery store parking lot.
I think that some of the people who are saving so much on their groceries are simply buying different items than I do. If you read this blog post about couponing from TIME.com, and watch the little video in which a coupon guru shows off the deals she got, I would say at least fifty percent of what she bought are things I never purchase. Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, Cheetos, Coke, Easy Mac? Not things that I buy. How about a coupon for carrots or apples or whole wheat bread--things I go through by the truckload? Now, I'm not getting all food-snob on you here. I certainly do buy hot dogs for my children, and I could go through a box of Wheat Thins all by myself. But, overall, I've been making a conscious effort to cut down on the amount of highly-processed foods that I purchase, and that's what the majority of the items shown in that grocery video are.
So, to sum up, here's why I've decided my couponing experiment was a fail:
1. A lot of the coupons in the paper were for items I don't buy anyway.
2. The ones that were worthwhile to me were usually STILL more expensive than just buying the store-brand item.
3. Going through every page of the paper, searching through websites, and driving from store to store took me at least two hours longer than my normal grocery shopping routine.
4. In the end, I saved very little money. The only coupons I used were the manufacturer coupons, which would have been good no matter what store I went to. My grand total of savings: $1 off string cheese, $1 off Wheat Thins, $2 off razor blades.
Four bucks. I saved four bucks.
That, my friends, is not worth it.
I'm sure you've heard of this. Using coupons is not just about flipping through the newspaper and clipping out a few little bargains anymore. It's practically a movement of own, with a name of its own: couponing. There are couponing websites, couponing classes, even. Seems like everytime you turn around there's some woman on TV talking about how she goes to the grocery store and the checkers just automatically fill her cart with food and then hand HER a fistful of money, because she has perfected the art of couponing and now she's going to retire as a millionaire!
For a long time, I've thought that this coupon-clipping was not worth the hype, but with all these people talking about how they cut their grocery bills in half, I decided to give it a go this week.
On Sunday, I went through every page of the fliers in the Sunday paper, pulling out coupons and writing down prices of items on sale. Then I went to a couponing website and sorted through various menus and categories, trying to find more deals. I ended up with a page worth of hand-written notes, a stack of coupons, and a list of four different stores to potentially hit up.
Wheat Thins--something I did actually use a coupon for. Mmmm, Wheat Thins. I love to eat them with chevre. Why are there not coupons for goat cheese in the coupon fliers?
But first--before I drove around to every store in town--I did my normal grocery shopping routine: I went to WinCo, and I looked for the prices on generic, store-brand products. And when I did that, guess what?
Store-brand items were cheaper 87 percent of the time, even if you considered the coupon deals.
Del Monte canned fruit, Chicken of the Sea tuna, Head & Shoulders Shampoo, Eggland's Best eggs--all were on sale in the coupon circulars, all were something I thought I might purchase, but when I actually compared, even when factoring in the coupon prices I had written down, store-brand products were still cheaper.
What's more, some of the prices listed on the coupon website I visited were just wrong. They listed a ton of good deals at Safeway, enough so that I specifically didn't buy certain items at WinCo, planning to go to Safeway next and get the good deals. But then when I got to my local Safeway, the deals that I'd seen listed online simply didn't exist. Whether the website creators got their dates wrong, or their geographic area wrong, or they were just making stuff up for fun to mess with poor ignorant consumers, I don't know. But at that point I wasn't going back to WinCo to get the slightly-cheaper items, so I just sucked it up and bought them anyway.
I ended up spending my entire morning and driving to three different stores, even though I bought the vast majority of my groceries at WinCo and was driving to those other stores in pursuit of just a few specific items. By the end of the day, the kids and I were both exhausted and my 2-year-old was saying, "Why are we at ANOTHER store?" when I pulled into the third grocery store parking lot.
String cheese. The only other food item that I actually used a coupon for, out of the almost $300 I spent on groceries.
I think that some of the people who are saving so much on their groceries are simply buying different items than I do. If you read this blog post about couponing from TIME.com, and watch the little video in which a coupon guru shows off the deals she got, I would say at least fifty percent of what she bought are things I never purchase. Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, Cheetos, Coke, Easy Mac? Not things that I buy. How about a coupon for carrots or apples or whole wheat bread--things I go through by the truckload? Now, I'm not getting all food-snob on you here. I certainly do buy hot dogs for my children, and I could go through a box of Wheat Thins all by myself. But, overall, I've been making a conscious effort to cut down on the amount of highly-processed foods that I purchase, and that's what the majority of the items shown in that grocery video are.
So, to sum up, here's why I've decided my couponing experiment was a fail:
1. A lot of the coupons in the paper were for items I don't buy anyway.
2. The ones that were worthwhile to me were usually STILL more expensive than just buying the store-brand item.
3. Going through every page of the paper, searching through websites, and driving from store to store took me at least two hours longer than my normal grocery shopping routine.
4. In the end, I saved very little money. The only coupons I used were the manufacturer coupons, which would have been good no matter what store I went to. My grand total of savings: $1 off string cheese, $1 off Wheat Thins, $2 off razor blades.
Four bucks. I saved four bucks.
That, my friends, is not worth it.
17 comments:
*This* is a fantastic post. Even more fantastic than usual, Jen. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said "the people who are saving so much... are simply buying different items than I do." Kudos to you for doing the whole experiment and keeping an open mind - then sharing with your readers! "Why are we at ANOTHER store?" LOL and oh dear! I agree - not worth it.
I agree. Too much work and not enough savings. I was just thinking that with us now using the envelope system I might use coupons more. I don't plan to go through the papers or hunt for them, but the ones that I just happen by that are for products I actually use, those coupons, have a better chance of getting to the cashier.
Amen! I gave up couponing a long time ago when I realized there was very little I actually could chase down a coupon for. If you eat Real Food, coupons can't help you! Though I would be more than happy to see coupons for the Farmer's Market :)
That is exactly why I don't coupon. They rarely have a coupon for what I want to buy, because other than the boys chips for lunches, and crackers we don't buy processed foods. It's not worth my time to run to that many stores for a good deal. I will though go to a couple different stores on occasion to get other products that I am looking for, seafood, meats and some breads.
Thank you! Couponing was always something I thought I *should* be doing to save my family money, but it's always so stressful and a huge part of it is that I just don't buy a lot of things there are coupons for. Again, you hit the nail on the head and put my thoughts into words! I used to have panic attacks in the store when I realized I didn't have my 35 cent off coupon with me, so I would walk out of the store without the thing I needed because of the guilt. James refuses to let me cut out coupons now! :)He thinks it's just another ploy to get people to buy things they don't need or use. Ahh, the freedom to buy what we need without the pressure to save a quarter! Never could make it work for me and I'm glad I'm not alone. :) -Kristin
Absolutely! In our area we have a big box store called Meijer, but ti's NOT Walmart Jr. Their preducts are just as good and even better than national brand and WAY cheaper than even the coupons. Plus. gas is ridiculous! I do try to get my meat at costco (about once a month) and my veggies at a local Italian market, but even that is a LOT of work with at least 2, sometimes 3 kids in tow. Why can't we get our groceries delivered like I love Lucy did? Every day, a knock at the back door and a kid with a bag of fresh things. THAT I would pay for.
Many good points but thousands of families who use SavingsAngel would disagree. Much of the negative is removed by this service enabling families to save more time and more money than they were shopping on their own. Anyone who see this can contact me directly and I'll send you a link for a free trial. stan at savingsangel dot com
I'm a BIG fan on Winco and bulk foods! :) I've discovered each time i get the paper there are rarely even 1 coupon I would use. I do get some for items I do use from target, other than that, knowing your prices and checking out the weekly ad's online are much better way to go :) Great experiment!
I don't bother with coupons either. It is just a hassle and doesn't save much. Plus, like you said, most of the items I want aren't the ones that have coupons. I have my favorite stores and those are the ones I go to. I am not about to go to any more stores than necessary.
http://www.owlhaven.net/2011/02/01/finding-your-own-way/
Ha! Same wavelength.
I use coupons, but rarely ever on food because, as you said, there don't seem to be many coupons for produce. Particularly at Winco, which is where I do all my grocery shopping. Ever once in awhile I'll spy a good deal on milk, but I'm not going to Safeway just for milk.
The things I do use coupons on? Beauty products. Toothpaste, facial cream, hair products, razors, shaving gel--I always find coupons for these things because I never buy generic on any of them (it's the price we pay for high maintenance hair).
I also use non-grocery coupons if I find them, like money off on Children's Place clothes or an oil change at Oil Can Henry's. I like those coupons.
Great post!
I never use coupons either and for the exact reasons you stated. I once sat through a couponing crash course put on by a moms' group and was thoroughly convinced not to ever clip coupons. I buy bulk, fresh, and am not inclined to strain too many brain cells on remembering coupons. Price booking however? That is a fantastic tool.
Thanks, everyone, for sharing your experiences. And I don't mean to say that I never use ANY coupons, EVER. Just that "couponing" as a methodical practice is not for me. Today, for instance, I glanced through the grocery ads in the paper (I subscribe to the paper already, for the news, not the coupons) and spotted a coupon for Tillamook cheddar for $4.99 at Safeway. That one, I will attempt to remember to use, if I get to Safeway later this week. If it's for something I know I'll end up using, at a store I already shop at--then it's worth it.
@ Stan: I'd be interested in knowing what types of coupons your site offers. If you have coupons for produce, milk, eggs, cheese, and bread--things I use a lot of--then I might be interested. Though I don't think I'd probably pay $5/month for a coupon service.
@ Becca: thanks for the link! It's nice to hear from someone with TEN KIDS (holy cow!) who obviously knows about feeding a family on a budget, who has had a similar experience as mine. I have read Owlhaven occasionally, but not regularly. Today, though, looking at her site, I noticed her grocery spending ticker on the sidebar and am seriously impressed. I need to read through her archives to find out how she feeds her family of 12 on what she's spending!
That makes me feel so much better. I have been feeling guilty about not being willing to invest the time in couponing. I did figure that shopping at winco and never buying name brand was probably getting me close to coupon prices anyway. I'm so glad me hunch was right!
Yep...good conclusion Jen. However, I do find that I enjoy shopping at Safeway and in order to do so, I use the Safeway coupons and then sometimes double up on those with manufacturer coupons and some doubling coupons offered in the Safeway add. But most of the time for me to get a good deal there it has to be with in store coupons vs. coupons found on a site. And I never drive to multiple stores for my shopping.
Ditto to pretty much everyone's comments. I feel "the guilt" sometimes that I don't coupon, but was realizing the same thing you did... that most grocery coupons weren't for things I buy. I did clip a blue cheese coupon a few weeks ago because we do like it on occasion but I keep forgetting to take it to the store with me. And most likely once I get there, they won't have the right brand anyway. :) Thanks for doing the experiment for me. I feel much better about my non-couponing habits! (AND I am so thankful to live close to a WinCo!)
Wow. This has not been my experience at all. I'm a guy and I've been using coupons (mostly referring to couponmom.com) and I always save. I've gotten things free before. Last week I saved $3 each of off gain fabric sheets (so it was 26 cents total instead of $3.26 - which is way cheaper than generic). Mouthwash - originally $6, got it for 99 cents at Walgreens a while back. Usually if I spent $200, I've received $400 worth of goods. Meat and fruit - you have to look for store sales.... but I've been thrilled about my experience. And although I stop at more stores, I don't spend any more time because in the past I did massive grocery trips (1.5 hours at times), but it's easier to go in a store looking for 4-10 specific things and get out quickly). Anyway, I love couponing because then that money that would have gone to groceries and goods now goes toward experiences like travel, concerts and of course, retirement.
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