About three months ago I started this new grocery shopping method.
At first it was really easy. Get newspaper, pull out coupon sections, file them away by date, check the Web site that matches the coupons with store sale items. I was getting great deals with very little time or effort put into it (and the $20 plus that I saved with the coupons each week more than made up for the $15 a month newspaper subscription).
What I didn't realize is that the more coupon inserts I have, the more time it takes to figure everything out.
There's searching through the stack of coupons, flipping through all the pages, then realizing that I ALREADY used that coupon three weeks ago. Snapdragon! (That's my new swear word)
The worst part is when the Web site is wrong (which is often). Either the store doesn't have the exact item that the coupon is good for or they make mistakes on exactly how much money you'll save (like confusing FREE with $1.00 off -- quite a difference when the item costs $7.00).
Very rarely do I find a super great deal. I'm also finding myself buying stuff I normally wouldn't buy if it weren't for the coupons. Plus, it seems like the good deals are on the SAME products every week. How much cereal, yogurt and shampoo can one person use? Come on!
Now I'm at the point where I dread getting my newspapers. I don't even want to get the coupons out of them. I just stare at them in their little red wrappers and hope they'll disappear.
Oh well. Anyone want some yogurt?
5 comments:
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I say that b/c you hit the nail on the head...I went to the same class and started the same system when you did...I have TWO weeks of papers in their red bags piled on the floor by my computer...I have no desire to get them out. I do not like shopping so even though I go about once a month and easily make back my newspaper subscription in savings I still DREAD it... I miss my once a month costco runs...
But Lois...J&D loved playing Oobleck...and that came from all that free cornstarch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =)
I just can't decide about coupons! I've heard great success stories, stories like yours, and some complete failure stories. I really just can't decide to try it or not. And your post didn't really help me, Lois!
Get out while you can!
SHILLIGS & JHJD & CAMILLE & GEORGIA -- I feel better now because I was reading the coupon blog and even the ladies who write the blog went on a coupon strike for a few months! It's not just me!
For me, it's more of a battle of laziness. Coupons save me money, but they take SO much time and effort. Also, I should be making things from scratch instead of buying convenience foods, but it takes SO much time and effort (not to mention a lot more cleaning and we ALL know how I feel about cleaning).
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