I’ve had this couponing article queued for a while to post about. I was reminded of it recently by register coupons I received at Hannaford, including ones for $2 off an overall shopping trip and for 75 cents off a product that’s only $1.39 in the first place (which really means 75 cents off two, since it was purchase of one that provoked the coupon dispensing algorithm).
Do you use coupons at all? A lot? To an absurd degree as depicted in the article?
, for reasons of time versus money, and of lameness of most coupons.
Lame? Yes. If it’s a convenience product I won’t use, or that is expensive even with a coupon – even a serious coupon – I am inclined not to bother. If it’s a new product you want me to take a chance on for the first time, where I might never have known of it or considered buying it otherwise, it had better be more than a dime off. Or more than a quarter off, if it’s costly enough in proportion.
Granted, I have not explored the world of coupons lately, so things may have improved, and there may be online options that didn’t exist before, but frugal doesn’t mean work your tail off for little return. Or worse, to waste money.
The extreme folks depicted in the article are impressive, but they have to plan, spend time at it, and work out the storage and food rotation issues. It’s not frugal if you won’t use it. It’s not frugal if it costs you too much in other ways.
I use the one’s the Krogers sends me from using my Krogers plus card.
They send coupons every couple of weeks. They are based on what I buy and are mostly good. I don’t tend to use the save $1 when you buy 2 unless I really need 2 of that item. I really like the save $20 when you buy $120 and the ones like that. I don’t go crazy but if I have a good coupon I try to use it. If you use them smart they do save you money.