A whine and a question

[candee0512]

On the one hand, I think coupons are less valuable recently - a .55 coupon which can't be doubled instead of a .50, which can be doubled - oh please! This is happening more and more often. Or saving $1 if you buy 4 of something - the expense of buying 4 with 25¢ off each isn't a bargain IMHO.

On the other hand, there are still some good savings to be had. However, as of last Sunday, the Atlanta newspaper, where I got my coupons from, stopped its circulation to our county. The local paper only comes out once a week and of course doesn't include the coupon circulars. There's not a mid-sized city (that delivers to my county) nearby. I don't have friends or family not in my city that I can ask for coupon circulars.

What am I going to do? I went to smartsource.com and redplum.com and couponmom.com, but they don't have nearly as many coupons as the Sunday coupon circulars. Honestly, I was surprised at the number of "offers" instead of coupons. Also, their expiration dates are really short. And I have to use my ink to print them!

Thanks for letting me whine. I hope you guys can think of something I haven't!

Candee

 

[tnd]

I don't know if this is realistic for you, but I don't tend to use coupons much at all. I buy generic brands of nearly everything, and only buy the brand with a coupon if it is also on sale, or the price with coupon is cheaper than the store brand item. I also find that a lot of coupons are for things that we don't buy, mostly pre-prepared items.

I have heard there are websites where you can buy coupons, but I am not sure which ones those are. Maybe something to look into?

 

[candee0512]

I have heard there are websites where you can buy coupons, but I am not sure which ones those are. Maybe something to look into?

I had forgotten about that - while googling yesterday I saw ebay auctions for coupons. I think I'm too much of a skinflint to pay money for coupons. That seems to me to defeat the purpose, you know? And I wonder if there is anything to keep people from selling out of date or counterfeit coupons.

I agree, there will be many more store brand purchases in my future!

Thanks for the suggestions,
Candee

 

[CoP Luv]

I had never even heard of doubling coupons until I came on the Budget Board. You can't do that in Chicago and I have noticed that all coupons have "DO NOT DOUBLE" written on them.

Our papers hardly have coupons in the anymore. One week, I just got one circular and that was the P&G brand one with horrible coupons. Nothing else. Half the time they aren't even worth it anymore. But I still clip...just in case.

 

[bmartin1206]

I don't know if this is realistic for you, but I don't tend to use coupons much at all. I buy generic brands of nearly everything, and only buy the brand with a coupon if it is also on sale, or the price with coupon is cheaper than the store brand item. I also find that a lot of coupons are for things that we don't buy, mostly pre-prepared items.

I have heard there are websites where you can buy coupons, but I am not sure which ones those are. Maybe something to look into?

I've checked out a few of those websites that have coupons and generally like the circulars they for items I don't use. I also go with store brand on most items. Our store recently switched store brands that are cheaper but have a better quality. I guess it all depends on your shopping habits.

 

[pixiewings71]

Our paper has coupons but there is rarely one I want to use so I stopped buying it. I buy on sale or store brand only now and it seems to work great for me. I also signed up thru My Points for a coupon email, but a lot of times the stores around me won't take internet coupons so I usually scan it and then just delete the email. I did see coupons for sale on eBay but I can't see paying for coupons....altho they say "you aren't paying for the coupons, you are paying me for my time to find, clip and mail them to you" lol

 

[disneybridetobe]

I used to be a hard-core couponer. I was saving about 60% each trip, including diapers and baby formula! Now... I barely use coupons unless it's for diapers or wipes. The good "double-able" coupons just arent out there anymore, and the good coupons for things we use just aren't out there anymore. My grocery store even changed their double coupon policy! It seems to be that in this past year everything has changed.

 

[andymattmom]

I never used to use coupons...now I do all the time.

This past week I saved $20 just using coupons alone...in total I saved over $91 with coupons/sale prices.

I do www.grocerygame.com.

My local Meijer and Kroger both double coupons up to .50 even those that say DO NOT DOUBLE.

My best buy this week was a $8.84 tube of Loreal lipstick for .16 cents!

Walgreens will take manufacture coupons and their ad coupons. Lots of times I can make money using coupons and the Easy Saver Catalog.

I never pay more than 50 cents for toothpaste, cleaners. body wash, shampoo, recently I bought Tylenol at Kroger (which I never would have done) for 50 cents a bottle. Lots of times that suff is free.

I just bought Soft Soap at Kroger for 15 cents each.

I was one who never did coupons. I am getting name brand stuff CHEAPER than generic. I follow www.couponmom.com also which is free for Walmart, Target, and Walgreens. I pay for www.grocerygame.com but the small price is worth it for what I am saving.

I get my local paper and the Indianapolis paper---

If there is a big city near you will the deliver the Sunday paper by mail to you. Does the local Walmart, Target have the paper for sale with circulars.

 

[Chicago526]

I had never even heard of doubling coupons until I came on the Budget Board. You can't do that in Chicago and I have noticed that all coupons have "DO NOT DOUBLE" written on them.

Our papers hardly have coupons in the anymore. One week, I just got one circular and that was the P&G brand one with horrible coupons. Nothing else. Half the time they aren't even worth it anymore. But I still clip...just in case.

I know, I wish the Chicago area doubled! I always wondered why not! Jewel used to take expired coupons, which as almost as good, but I think they stoped that about a year ago. What you can do (at least it worked a few months ago) is if Jewel has BOGOF, you can use two coupons (or use a .xx off two). Even though the second one is free, it still counts as a purchase!

Redplum and Smartsource don't put coupons out every week, I think they skip weeks with major holidays and I think sometimes months with 5 Sundays.

I find coupons are hit and miss. Some weeks I find tons I can use both online and in the paper, other weeks I don't clip a single one. I do make sure to only use coupons with a sale price (unless I'm out of something and can't wait for a sale, but that's rare).

 

[3boymthr]

They dobule coupons up to 99 cents here in MA. But good luck finding a coupon that is a 2 or 3 or 4 for a $1.

The e-bay coupon thing is okay, I did it once, but really half the coupons are for local products and so only buy if the seller lives in same region as you.

 

[EC0323]

Atlanta newspaper, where I got my coupons from, stopped its circulation to our county. The local paper only comes out once a week and of course doesn't include the coupon circulars. There's not a mid-sized city (that delivers to my county) nearby. I don't have friends or family not in my city that I can ask for coupon circulars.
Candee

What county is that? Are you too far from another county where maybe you could pick up the AJC at a store?

For Kroger's do you use cellfire, or shortcuts or P&G? These all will send coupons to your Kroger card. ( you can use these with coupons with have but they do not double.)

You can also use coupon clipping sites.

hth

 

[candee0512]

What county is that? Are you too far from another county where maybe you could pick up the AJC at a store?

For Kroger's do you use cellfire, or shortcuts or P&G? These all will send coupons to your Kroger card. ( you can use these with coupons with have but they do not double.)

You can also use coupon clipping sites.

hth

It's Morgan County; our bordering counties are Oconee, Walton, Putnam, Greene, Newton, and Jasper. I think that's all! You know GA has a zillion counties . . .

This sounds crazy, but I'm not sure where I could go to get one. Any closer to Athens and it's the Athens newspaper, not AJC, and any further south and it's the Macon paper. Any further east, it's Augusta. And it's 20 miles or so in one direction to Newton county (West) from where I live. *sigh*

My husband's parents are now going without the newspaper they've read for 60+ years. It's sad - their mornings aren't the same anymore.

I think someone who could buy newspapers in bulk in Newton County could do a tidy business selling them in Morgan!

I don't have a Kroger nearby. Right now my only choices are Ingle's (BAD) or Walmart (WORSE), unless I stop at Publix on the way home. That eats up my evening and I have school age kids.

I have bought some store brands and don't have a problem with them, so I guess I'll go to them for as much as possible.

Completely off topic, but I need some chocolate like nobody's business.

Thanks,
Candee

 

[Ashley Kees]

Wow, I coupon A LOT and save a bundle. Last week I saved $27 using coupons. I don't buy much in the way of cleaning supplies or convienience food, but I do manage to get at least one thing for free every time. Kroger and Albertsons both double up to .50 and triple up to .39 out here, and I find plenty that are doable. I also CVS and use a LOT of coupons there coupled with their store coupons. The Dallas paper has at least one booklet of coupons every Sunday, two weeks ago there were 5 in one paper, and they put the Sunday paper out in the stores on Saturday so you have an extra day to clip and plan and can be at the good stores when they open.

I guess I'm just in a fantastic coupon area!

 

[candee0512]

I do www.grocerygame.com..

I used to do that and mostly really liked it, but each area is sold to different people, and my person just didn't do the best job. Consistently the list would say things were on sale when they weren't, and boy, is that disappointing. My husband never got the stockpiling thing. And now due to our budget, I can only buy a week's food at a time. But the biggest reason I canceled is the lack of coupons due to no paper!

Does the local Walmart, Target have the paper for sale with circulars.

Nope, the AJC completely stopped bringing them into my county. No delivery, paper boxes, or in stores.

Thanks for the suggestions,
Candee

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

Please try www.HotCouponWorld.com It's free! There are separate forums (and even regional subforums for large chains like Kroger) for every grocery store, in which ads are posted and the members match up the sales with coupons for everyone.

The coupon database is an amazing feature. You can search for all the possible values of coupons for one product. For example, some areas of the country will get the silly $1.00/3 coupon, while another area will get $.75/2 and yet another will get $.50 off one. I get about half the "good" coupons and trade on Hot Coupon World for the other coupons.

(disclosure: I am a volunteer moderator there!)

 

[EC0323]

It's Morgan County; our bordering counties are Oconee, Walton, Putnam, Greene, Newton, and Jasper. I think that's all! You know GA has a zillion counties . . .

This sounds crazy, but I'm not sure where I could go to get one. Any closer to Athens and it's the Athens newspaper, not AJC, and any further south and it's the Macon paper. Any further east, it's Augusta. And it's 20 miles or so in one direction to Newton county (West) from where I live. *sigh*

My husband's parents are now going without the newspaper they've read for 60+ years. It's sad - their mornings aren't the same anymore.

I think someone who could buy newspapers in bulk in Newton County could do a tidy business selling them in Morgan!

I don't have a Kroger nearby. Right now my only choices are Ingle's (BAD) or Walmart (WORSE), unless I stop at Publix on the way home. That eats up my evening and I have school age kids.

I have bought some store brands and don't have a problem with them, so I guess I'll go to them for as much as possible.

Completely off topic, but I need some chocolate like nobody's business.

Thanks,
Candee

Jasper may have them? But still it is a hike. I have found several bloggers who do not charge for posting their deals they find. They post weekly deals with coupon matching. Some even post the links to any printable coupons.
Several have walmart deals. Not sure about Ingles since I do not shop at one. Publix I think is covered. If you are interested you can pm me and I will send you the links to the bloggers.

Other than that I would try coupon clipping. Or join a coupon exchange? You could order any newspaper and exchange whatever coupons you do not use and hope that someone has the ones you are looking for.

 

[chrissyt27]

I hate that too, why didn't they just make them .50 not .55. I find that sometimes when a coupon says not to double, the register still does, it's automatic. I use coupons, but only if store brand isn't cheaper.
I have bought coupons before. Not on ebay, I use

http://www.thecouponclippers.com/

You can get want you need all in one place. They charge shipping and like .50 fee, and each coupon vaires, but when my family was on a dan active kick it saved a lot of money $1 on every 4 pack, and I bought like 80 coupons for like $14, there were more in there, but we saved $80.

 

[ELLE-TN]

I second HOTCOUPONWORLD.COM please check it out.

Thanks to advice that I received there and coupon trades I have managed to cut my grocery bill (which includes all food, hba, and cleaning products) in half. I have just recently adquired FREE 50 4-pks of cottonelle, 30 bags of GreenGiant valley fresh steamers, 25 rolls of Marcal paper towels, and numerous boxes of very cheap boxes of electrosol dishwasher detergeant.

Over the past year of hard core couponing, I actually acquired such a stockpile at the first of last year that I was able to just shop to fill in the blanks. I had so much shampoo, soap, deo, toothpaste, etc. that if we ran out I had my own little private store. And the best thing about it was it was either FREE or almost FREE to begin with.

There are great coupons to be had. You just have to know what to look for and know your store sale cycles.

Good Luck!