You are so hitting the nail on the head about this. I mostly get satisfaction out of using the coupons for shampoo and the like. Rarely is there a coupon for food that isn't for outright junk food or for buy 70 get one free. Gah. It is super annoying. Produce and meat and dairy just don't have coupons or are a rarity.

I used to be like you. Then I got laid off and it was a real "oh (insert favorite expletive here)" moment for us. The whole coupon/stockpile thing clicked for me and I learned how to work it. I save a TON. Even now that I'm back to work, I am one of those coupon people now.

Im the same way with grocery store coupons. I usually find I can save more by buying generic. But we buy a Entertainment Book every year and use the HECK out of it. My husband and I would never be able to eat out if it weren't for the BOGO restaurant coupons.

Angela, that's great! But my take on coupons is along the lines of Busy Mom's....I'll grab one and then realize I have to buy 3 of something to get the 50 cents off and and, oh my, I have lost interest! Usually I like buy one, get one free, but sometimes I don't even want the "free" one...hubby has cured me of that habit though. And I have NEVER found one of those entertainment coupon books (sold by schools) to be useful EVER! I am a lost cause!

As a single mom of 2 teens, my time is at a premium. So instead of clipping coupons, I buy store brand and generic. I save a lot, and with a few exceptions, the store brand is just as good. My kids used to hate it, but now it has become a family joke, and they get the humor, but also understand why I do it.

I hear you! I have never gotten the hang of coupons. I've occasionally cut them out, only to leave them at home or forget that I have them.

I barely remember to use gift certificates.

Is there a course I could take? Ah forget it, I'd probably forget to go!

I'm trying to find the pay off with coupons but I love Publix. I love that they don't make me sign up for a card so they can track my spending. I love the buy one get one things because I don't have to buy 2 - I can just get 1 at half price.

Honestly, I agree.

I love the idea of couponing. I like the idea of saving a bajillion dollars and basically getting everything for free - but, it never works out that way. (I don't have double/triple coupon places by me.)

I have a friend that will spend 1-3 hours getting ready to go shopping, searching websites and coupon codes only to save $10. Yes, $10 is something, but the 1-3 hours she spends searching & the ink/paper, etc... its just NOT worth it to me.

I do like to save $ w/ the rest of the world, but there is a trade off and I have yet to get hundreds of dollars worth of things for .47.

:)

I've seen your purse; I'd be scared, too!

Though I'm a spendthrift at heart, I rarely ever use coupons. I've made a consious effort this year to cut back on the amount of processed food my family eats. Considering that a majority of coupons are for boxed $:-@&, coupons are a waste of time for me. I get better return watching the ads and tracking prices so I can stock up on items we use often.

Hi! Found you through Sandy, and feel it when it comes to coupons....and I LOVE Publix too! Just had to say so! Love the name too...we are busygirls.

I try to do coupons. Sometimes it works (just a small amount saved) and sometimes it does not. I can't do the Publix BOGO since there are just 2 of us and you must get both it is a waste. I try using store brands and that works some.
The summary is...I am with you.

Did you know you can use 2 coupons on those BOGO deals at Publix? I've gotten things completely free that way.

Remember the good old days when coupons were good for a year or more? And some even said "No expiration date!" I'm also a fan of the store brands, but at least Kroger sometimes gives me checkout coupons for their own products. And when they have a BOGO sale, you can actually just buy one and they'll charge you half-price!

Amen. The only coupons that are useful are the Costco coupons that give you $2-$10 dollars off already cheaper-than-grocery store items, and their good for a month or more. And you can use them over and over. I'm stocking up on my fave cereal - Cinnamon Toast Crunch - this month.

Hello, I'd love to send you some Nature's Miracle Stain and Odor remover for free if you review it on your website, it's all natural and safe around kids and pets. Let me know and I'll ship it right over to you.

--Andrew

wow! a blog post!?!? thought you gave it up!!!

Hey girl! Good to "see" you on here! Totally going to avoid the whole couponing thing (because I could drone on forever and ever, Amen)...just wanted to know how the kids were - has school started back for you guys yet?

I have an actual small coupon "organizer" which is fairly useless because by the time I think about using them they have expired.

But like you I am ALL about that BOGO sale at Publix. I love Publix.

I've heard so many success stories using coupons! and I just can't I do not know what is wrong with me, yes I use a coupon now and then but usually I forget I have them, so I changed my strategy and put them in a file in the trunk of my car, and guess what! I forget them in the car too! I need to put them on my purse but if you take a look in it you couldn't find a thing you looking for, I can get my cell but is just because it has a light, anyway. I'm sure I will keep trying just because I'm in that way but I need to be very patient with myself

I am here to tell you, that couponing works, and it is really not that hard! I've only been doing it since March of this year, but I think I've saved several hundred dollars by combining coupons with sales. It's good to find one of the couponing blogs that already find all the sales and match them up with coupons for you, so all you have to do is clip them and go! My favorite website for the mid-TN area is www.faithfulprovisions.com. I don't ever clip coupons when I get the inserts, just slap the date on them and file them all away. Each week before grocery shopping, I will look at the coupon website, and she will list out what sales match up with what coupons (and list what date coupon insert the coupons can be found in, so there's no fruitless hunting around). Just locate the coupons, clip, and go saving! So easy! I agree, when I used to clip out coupons and stick them in my purse hoping to use them, they always expired and went to waste. It just didn't work.
Also, unless you live in FL, you do NOT have to buy 2 items at Publix to get the BOGO prices. You can just buy one and it will ring up at half price! Publix is my favorite store! I shop there all the time.

I've never been much of a coupon user unless it's free like some of those ones in the magazines. However, if I'm buying name brand or wanting to try a new product I look for a coupon nowadays..like in the past 6 months. I've found that I usually buy generic except for some items and I do save on those items. I don't buy into the buy 3 get free or buy 2 of these products and get 50cents off the other because most of the times I don't even use those other products so it ends up costing more money.

I wish I had a Publix near me. Not fair.

But I know what you mean! I don't want to have to buy three packages of something, just so I can save $1.00, and have the other two packages expire before I use them. It can become wasteful, almost.