Today coupons are all the rage. You see on Oprah all these people who have saved hundreds off their grocery bills by using coupons. You stand behind one of those "super shoppers" and hear the totals just diminishing as the patron hands the cashier coupon after coupon. You feel discouraged. You hate coupons. You don't have time to cut coupons. You don't even know where to get so many coupons. It's for you that I offer hope.
In "The Tightwad Gazette", (you can't click to look inside, much as the picture may convince you you can!) Amy Dacyczyn gives a 4 page article on couponing, so I'll sum up what she offers. Reading it gave me the freedom to not feel bad that I'm not a coupon-er, as much as I like saving money.
1) How much time is spent clipping coupons? Could that time instead be spent making the same item from scratch?
2) How much money is spent subscribing to the paper or magazine, and could that money be better spent making something at home?
3) Would you ordinarily use the item anyways? Most coupons are for prepackaged convenience foods or cosmetic items, so if you are living thrifty, many are just "perks". For example, (to quote) "Even if Jell-O Pudding Snack Paks are near free, I seriously question these purchases because of the environmental issue of the excess trash created." Is the convenience really worth the hassle. How much time does it take to make instant pudding in a glass bowl?
We are told that 90% of grocery shopping should happen on the exterior of the store meaning Produce, Dairy and Meats. (for healthy living) Do you ever find coupons for things there? Rarely. On the interior of the store for your 10% left, it should be for bulk cheap items such as oatmeal, flour, dry beans and rice. The rest is prepackaged, and can be made cheaper if you go from scratch. Do you ever find coupons for those items? Never. So that sums up to me that only 5% (or less) of my total groceries are even coupon-able. Now I have to find the coupons. In my grocery store, usually store brand items are as cheap as a name brand item with coupon (unless on sale), so I've concluded that taking the time and energy to clip coupons is a waste of time. If I enjoyed it, I likely could justify it, but I don't. I usually forget to use the coupons I have, or they expire before I ever need them.
So, instead of taking the time to clip coupons, use that time to make things from scratch and prepackage it yourself and save money that way. "The Tightwad Gazette" (complete edition) gives hundreds of recipes to do that.
One of our favorites is here:
Instant Oatmeal
1/2-3/4 c. old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 c. milk (or enough to barely cover)
Soak in a bowl in the fridge overnight. Microwave 1-2 minutes until boiling. Add toppings you like. Enjoy.
This is much better for your heart (the old-fashioned ones are the only ones considered heart healthy, according to Grandma D's cardiologist), your wallet and your amount of trash accumulated by buying prepackaged goods.
Amy also encourages people to use "loss leader" sales to your advantage. These are sales that grocery stores often have to get you in the store in hopes you'll do all your shopping there. Take advantage of the sale, but don't get suckered into buying all your groceries there, if there is a better price elsewhere (and your life allows it..mine doesn't at this point, one grocery store is all I can do in one day) If chicken goes on sale super cheap, stock up! Instead of using your money on overpriced prepackaged items, buy in bulk, split it into serving size portions and freeze the rest. Learn to make a good white sauce so you don't need creamed soups. Invest in good quality freezer containers, making that a snap.
Another tip offered somewhere else is this: If it has a WIC symbol beside it, it's the best deal in that area. WIC only supports cheap healthy foods, so if your grocery store labels those items, take note. That's where your cost savings will be found. (and that'll be items like tuna, oatmeal, peanut butter, etc.) Healthy but cheap.
And say good-bye to feeling guilty that coupons just aren't your thing!
In "The Tightwad Gazette", (you can't click to look inside, much as the picture may convince you you can!) Amy Dacyczyn gives a 4 page article on couponing, so I'll sum up what she offers. Reading it gave me the freedom to not feel bad that I'm not a coupon-er, as much as I like saving money.
1) How much time is spent clipping coupons? Could that time instead be spent making the same item from scratch?
2) How much money is spent subscribing to the paper or magazine, and could that money be better spent making something at home?
3) Would you ordinarily use the item anyways? Most coupons are for prepackaged convenience foods or cosmetic items, so if you are living thrifty, many are just "perks". For example, (to quote) "Even if Jell-O Pudding Snack Paks are near free, I seriously question these purchases because of the environmental issue of the excess trash created." Is the convenience really worth the hassle. How much time does it take to make instant pudding in a glass bowl?
We are told that 90% of grocery shopping should happen on the exterior of the store meaning Produce, Dairy and Meats. (for healthy living) Do you ever find coupons for things there? Rarely. On the interior of the store for your 10% left, it should be for bulk cheap items such as oatmeal, flour, dry beans and rice. The rest is prepackaged, and can be made cheaper if you go from scratch. Do you ever find coupons for those items? Never. So that sums up to me that only 5% (or less) of my total groceries are even coupon-able. Now I have to find the coupons. In my grocery store, usually store brand items are as cheap as a name brand item with coupon (unless on sale), so I've concluded that taking the time and energy to clip coupons is a waste of time. If I enjoyed it, I likely could justify it, but I don't. I usually forget to use the coupons I have, or they expire before I ever need them.
So, instead of taking the time to clip coupons, use that time to make things from scratch and prepackage it yourself and save money that way. "The Tightwad Gazette" (complete edition) gives hundreds of recipes to do that.
One of our favorites is here:
Instant Oatmeal
1/2-3/4 c. old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 c. milk (or enough to barely cover)
Soak in a bowl in the fridge overnight. Microwave 1-2 minutes until boiling. Add toppings you like. Enjoy.
This is much better for your heart (the old-fashioned ones are the only ones considered heart healthy, according to Grandma D's cardiologist), your wallet and your amount of trash accumulated by buying prepackaged goods.
Amy also encourages people to use "loss leader" sales to your advantage. These are sales that grocery stores often have to get you in the store in hopes you'll do all your shopping there. Take advantage of the sale, but don't get suckered into buying all your groceries there, if there is a better price elsewhere (and your life allows it..mine doesn't at this point, one grocery store is all I can do in one day) If chicken goes on sale super cheap, stock up! Instead of using your money on overpriced prepackaged items, buy in bulk, split it into serving size portions and freeze the rest. Learn to make a good white sauce so you don't need creamed soups. Invest in good quality freezer containers, making that a snap.
Another tip offered somewhere else is this: If it has a WIC symbol beside it, it's the best deal in that area. WIC only supports cheap healthy foods, so if your grocery store labels those items, take note. That's where your cost savings will be found. (and that'll be items like tuna, oatmeal, peanut butter, etc.) Healthy but cheap.
And say good-bye to feeling guilty that coupons just aren't your thing!
