Coupons Options

[Mommy]

Does anyone know of a Web site that has coupons on it for groceries? I want to be really frugal at the grocery store. Even though I have the money to pay more, I want to get through these recent food price spikes with only paying the same as I did before. I wouldn't mind printing up a few coupons to do that. I don't get the Sunday paper so that idea is out.

I did manage to go to the store today for a few things and made out decently, but only because fruit is finally in season so it's cheaper.

I got a bag of grapes, 3 plums, 2 nectarines, 6 bananas, 3 large oranges, 3 cans of tomato sauce, a bag of frozen french fries, a 12 pack of Pepsi, dishwasher soap, and some cookie dough all for $20 and some change. I just wonder if I could do even better than that.

I wanted some of the muffins from the HEB bakery, but a 3 pack was $3.19! That's insane. They used be two something.

[Mommy]

coupons.com sucks BTW. They don't have too many useful coupons. It's worth browsing before heading to the supermarket though.

I just found http://coupons.smartsource.com ....that one had more useful products. Still not as extensive as I would have hoped though.

[Epic]

jessica, not really

i went to startsampling.com and got some, but overall, just request from the product manufacturer. if you use a lot of a certain brand, write their customer service and ask for coupons. i got like 20 for febreeze, and have stocked up on tons for the iams dog food i use and other non-food staples.

for food, HEB really sucks with coupons, you just need to go to their coupon center before you start shopping and see if anything on your list is a value that day. i've gotten a lot of my snacks for better prices and have been able to take advantage of their "meal deals" (buy the meat, get the salad, fixings for free) quite a few times.

also ask for the coupons from the register every time, often they have a stack of unclaimed ones that print out that they'd love for you to take off your hands. also turn your reciept over and see if they offer anything, sometimes you get some gold nuggets under there.

yeah, i'm pretty thrifty when it comes to my shopping so i save money to pay for supplements, gas, and river adventures (and hopefully a kayak and kayak rack soon!)

[Mommy]

jessica, not really

i went to startsampling.com and got some, but overall, just request from the product manufacturer. if you use a lot of a certain brand, write their customer service and ask for coupons. i got like 20 for febreeze, and have stocked up on tons for the iams dog food i use and other non-food staples.

Hmm... I wonder if Huggies or Pampers does this. I am going to write them tomorrow.

[Junsui]

I don't know how many coupons they have for groceries, but you could try dealtaker.com. They have forums as well where people can ask for deals at different places.

[Oasis]

Does anyone know of a Web site that has coupons on it for groceries? I want to be really frugal at the grocery store. Even though I have the money to pay more, I want to get through these recent food price spikes with only paying the same as I did before. I wouldn't mind printing up a few coupons to do that. I don't get the Sunday paper so that idea is out.

Oh, so it's going to be you who I have to wait 15 minutes in line behind because you want to save 20 cents on celery and 12 cents on paper towels. Word to the wise....do not be that cunt.

[woody]

jesus jessica, you're married to an military guy

go to the commisary & start using the BX/PX

[impala454]

my coworker's wife gets her jollies off saving a ton at the grocery store, she uses this site for tips:

http://www.thegrocerygame.com/

[Mommy]

Oh, so it's going to be you who I have to wait 15 minutes in line behind because you want to save 20 cents on celery and 12 cents on paper towels. Word to the wise....do not be that cunt.

When you are getting ready to have a kid and will have to buy diapers (they go through about a dozen a day) and formula (definitely bottle feeding) then get back to me. I have a few coupons here for $5.00 of bundle of diapers. It's not silly amounts like what you said. Besides, I pride myself on always being prepared at the check-out counter. I don't sit there and dig through my purse to pay. I have everything ready before I go up there. If I have my coupons in hand, all they have to do is scan the bar code, and I'm on my way. If one doesn't scan, I'm not going to make a big deal of it.

And Woody, We live almost an hour from base right now. Any money we save going to the Commissary would go to gas to get there. I'm surely not going to make him go shopping for groceries after he has been gone 13 hours for work. I did go to the Commissary to look around the other day, though, when I went with him to work. They have really good deals. It's a shame it's so far from us.

[Epic]

besides, included in the prices you pay for food there is an amount to pay customer service staff (cashiers) so if you're buying the food, you can take as long as you want. In their effort of speed, you sometimes get double charged, or not charged, or they ring up your produce wrong, so taking the time to be vigilant is being a responsible consumer and even a responsible capitalist, so if you're behind me, be prepared to wait an extra 25 seconds

[Oasis]

besides, included in the prices you pay for food there is an amount to pay customer service staff (cashiers) so if you're buying the food, you can take as long as you want. In their effort of speed, you sometimes get double charged, or not charged, or they ring up your produce wrong, so taking the time to be vigilant is being a responsible consumer and even a responsible capitalist, so if you're behind me, be prepared to wait an extra 25 seconds

You aren't being a responsible capitalist, you're being a fucking cheapskate. Seriously, you're shopping for one person. How much are you going to save via using coupons? Two, three bucks total? If you're worried about amounts of money that small you have some serious financial issues you need to address

It's just like the jackasses who will drive out of their way to a gas station that has gas 5 cents cheaper. Five cents sounds appealing until you realize a 15 gallon tank will save you a whopping 75 cents total, and it probably cost you more than that in gas to drive the extra distance. Morons.

[impala454]

my buddy's wife saves about $10-15 per $100 on average. that's worth an extra 30 seconds or so IMHO.

[Mommy]

I don't think Will realizes what kind of coupons are out there. Yesterday in my little hunt, I found coupons for like $1 off products that were only $3. I think saving 1/3rd of the price is significant. My grandfather uses coupons when he does the grocery shopping for our whole family. The total bill is usually around $320 or so for 5 people... He saves sometimes $35 off of that just with coupons... AND he is already shopping at the Commissary.

[Epic]

You aren't being a responsible capitalist, you're being a fucking cheapskate. Seriously, you're shopping for one person. How much are you going to save via using coupons? Two, three bucks total? If you're worried about amounts of money that small you have some serious financial issues you need to address

It's just like the jackasses who will drive out of their way to a gas station that has gas 5 cents cheaper. Five cents sounds appealing until you realize a 15 gallon tank will save you a whopping 75 cents total, and it probably cost you more than that in gas to drive the extra distance. Morons.

haha, i will never take financial advice from you Will. And I cook 3 times a day, rarely eat out, and i can accummulate quite a bit of savings that I devote toward hobbies that I enjoy instead of overpaying when you don't have to. The next time you buy a car, go ahead and pay sticker because apparently you're a cheapskate any other way.

And you can't spare 30 seconds to save 7 or 8 bucks? Well maybe if I'm doing it I'll ask out the cute underage cashier, will you approve then?

Of course this is coming from the guy who just a few years ago wouldn't buy food at Rosa's because it broke into his beer budget.

[chook]

You aren't being a responsible capitalist, you're being a fucking cheapskate. Seriously, you're shopping for one person. How much are you going to save via using coupons? Two, three bucks total? If you're worried about amounts of money that small you have some serious financial issues you need to address

It's just like the jackasses who will drive out of their way to a gas station that has gas 5 cents cheaper. Five cents sounds appealing until you realize a 15 gallon tank will save you a whopping 75 cents total, and it probably cost you more than that in gas to drive the extra distance. Morons.

buy gas when it is cool, or real early in the morning (6-7 am) Gas is the coolest then and will have the most energy/gallon.

[Mommy]

The word "coupon" even sounds cool.... heh

[impala454]

you don't say it all gay and say "cue-pon" though do you?

[Mommy]

you don't say it all gay and say "cue-pon" though do you?

I say it "Q-pon" not "coo-pon." Which way is the gay way?

[impala454]

Q-pon

[Mommy]

<----- gay

[impala454]

do you say "nyoos-paper" or "noospaper"?

[Mommy]

do you say "nyoos-paper" or "noospaper"?

I say it "noose-papers" but the "s" sounds a tad bit like a cross between an s and a z.

I say the coupon word the way I do because of the "u" in the word

[impala454]

well at least you got the non-gay newspaper one

[Mommy]

well at least you got the non-gay newspaper one

I have to pronounce that word correctly... otherwise what kind of journalist would I be?

And I may not be actively working right now, but dammit I'm still gonna call myself a journalist because all I do all day is read news and post on here.... oh and I had a couple articles published in the Austin American Statesman. That's my crowning moment haha

[cmac]

cloth diapers.
problem solved.

[Mommy]

cloth diapers.
problem solved.

That's gross to me
I don't want to wash poop in the washing machine. Plus, I live at an apartment complex that doesn't have washer/dryer connections so we have to use the community laundry room. I don't think people would appreciate that.

[chook]

my coworker's wife gets her jollies off saving a ton at the grocery store, she uses this site for tips:

http://www.thegrocerygame.com/

that looks pretty good. think i'll be signing up for it.

[impala454]

heheh i haven't even really looked at it, i just recall him talking about it the other day. something about how they almost make it a contest to see who can save the most money buying groceries. sounds like lots of useful info on there though.

[Oasis]

haha, i will never take financial advice from you Will. And I cook 3 times a day, rarely eat out, and i can accummulate quite a bit of savings that I devote toward hobbies that I enjoy instead of overpaying when you don't have to. The next time you buy a car, go ahead and pay sticker because apparently you're a cheapskate any other way.

And you can't spare 30 seconds to save 7 or 8 bucks? Well maybe if I'm doing it I'll ask out the cute underage cashier, will you approve then?

Of course this is coming from the guy who just a few years ago wouldn't buy food at Rosa's because it broke into his beer budget.

Of course I'll spare 30 seconds to save 7 or 8 bucks. But are you really saving 7 or 8 bucks, and is it really taking only 30 seconds? Most sunday newspapers run $1.50 each. It costs time and money to go buy the newspaper. It takes at least 30 minutes to sift through all the Parade magazines and other shit in the paper to find the coupons you need, and more time to cut them up. Of course you could spend another 30 minutes online looking for coupons and printing them out using paper you purchased. And unless you're leeching internet, you're paying at least $25-$30/month for high speed internet access so you can get those coupons. Unless you're working a minimum wage job (which you aren't), that hour of time, effort, and small expenses in getting coupons probably saves you nothing in the grand scheme of things.

I'm all about saving money, but I can't justify wasting time accumulating coupons as way to cut expenses. Give me that hour back and I'll go mow my mom's lawn or something on the weekend and make $30, and the extra eight bucks I won't save at the store will be more than worth it.

That was my point.

Oh, and the last car I bought, I talked him down from $7200 to $6000 after several hours of doing research figuring out what similar cars in similar conditions have sold for. I'm not gonna pay full sticker price for shit if I can bargain the seller down

[Mommy]

Of course I'll spare 30 seconds to save 7 or 8 bucks. But are you really saving 7 or 8 bucks, and is it really taking only 30 seconds? Most sunday newspapers run $1.50 each. It costs time and money to go buy the newspaper. It takes at least 30 minutes to sift through all the Parade magazines and other shit in the paper to find the coupons you need, and more time to cut them up. Of course you could spend another 30 minutes online looking for coupons and printing them out using paper you purchased. And unless you're leeching internet, you're paying at least $25-$30/month for high speed internet access so you can get those coupons. Unless you're working a minimum wage job (which you aren't), that hour of time, effort, and small expenses in getting coupons probably saves you nothing in the grand scheme of things.

I'm all about saving money, but I can't justify wasting time accumulating coupons as way to cut expenses. Give me that hour back and I'll go mow my mom's lawn or something on the weekend and make $30, and the extra eight bucks I won't save at the store will be more than worth it.

That was my point.

Oh, and the last car I bought, I talked him down from $7200 to $6000 after several hours of doing research figuring out what similar cars in similar conditions have sold for. I'm not gonna pay full sticker price for shit if I can bargain the seller down

Umm... what if you buy the Sunday paper to read it? Wouldn't it make sense to utilize the coupons in there? And I don't know where you get off thinking it takes 30 minutes to sift through the paper and tear out the ones you need. There are 2 booklets of coupons per paper. Each booklet is max 20 pages. It would take 5 minutes tops. Printing a coupon in black on white on a piece of paper that cost a fraction of a cent is cheap too. And yes, a prepared customer only takes an additional 30 seconds to hand the cashier the coupons and be on their way. Jesus, you way over dramatized the whole coupon thing.

[Epic]

Of course I'll spare 30 seconds to save 7 or 8 bucks. But are you really saving 7 or 8 bucks, and is it really taking only 30 seconds? Most sunday newspapers run $1.50 each. It costs time and money to go buy the newspaper. It takes at least 30 minutes to sift through all the Parade magazines and other shit in the paper to find the coupons you need, and more time to cut them up. Of course you could spend another 30 minutes online looking for coupons and printing them out using paper you purchased. And unless you're leeching internet, you're paying at least $25-$30/month for high speed internet access so you can get those coupons. Unless you're working a minimum wage job (which you aren't), that hour of time, effort, and small expenses in getting coupons probably saves you nothing in the grand scheme of things.

I'm all about saving money, but I can't justify wasting time accumulating coupons as way to cut expenses. Give me that hour back and I'll go mow my mom's lawn or something on the weekend and make $30, and the extra eight bucks I won't save at the store will be more than worth it.

That was my point.

Oh, and the last car I bought, I talked him down from $7200 to $6000 after several hours of doing research figuring out what similar cars in similar conditions have sold for. I'm not gonna pay full sticker price for shit if I can bargain the seller down

I don't mind the time it takes will, you were bitching about the time that my frugality would affect you, that apparently you're too impatient to calmly wait behind "that cunt" using coupons at the register. Those are the 30 seconds that I'm investing. And here's the other part about my time, i get free papers, already pay for internet for other uses, and can do my paper reading in the bathroom, where i'm obviously not going anywhere.

And i do things for extra money too will. I teach alcohol education courses, proctor exams (where I just sit and watch students take test, i read books and the paper there too), and the coupons i use the most i requested from the manufacturer and have stocked up on. I don't do too many online coupons, so...oh well?

i dunno, i've just always been pretty thrifty, and never have I thought of it as a drawback. Then again I paid for my two degrees on my own and have been living independently since I was 16 so it was part necessity then. Now its just more time on the river on a rented 'yak enjoying the sun and everything else about life.

[Epic]

but then again, i think Jessica got her question answer haha, here we are off topic as usual.

[impala454]

you don't buy the paper for coupons, they get sent to you automatically in those little ad packets. at least everywhere I have lived I've gotten them.

[Oasis]

I don't mind the time it takes will, you were bitching about the time that my frugality would affect you, that apparently you're too impatient to calmly wait behind "that cunt" using coupons at the register. Those are the 30 seconds that I'm investing. And here's the other part about my time, i get free papers, already pay for internet for other uses, and can do my paper reading in the bathroom, where i'm obviously not going anywhere.

And i do things for extra money too will. I teach alcohol education courses, proctor exams (where I just sit and watch students take test, i read books and the paper there too), and the coupons i use the most i requested from the manufacturer and have stocked up on. I don't do too many online coupons, so...oh well?

i dunno, i've just always been pretty thrifty, and never have I thought of it as a drawback. Then again I paid for my two degrees on my own and have been living independently since I was 16 so it was part necessity then. Now its just more time on the river on a rented 'yak enjoying the sun and everything else about life.

Ehh I wasn't referring to you or jessica as 'that cunt'

'that cunt' is the person who walks up to the register with 57 items and after every item gets scanned, she blurts out "oh wait I have a coupon for that" then spends the next 30 seconds fishing around her purse for the coupon

[Mommy]

Where do you grocery shop? The geriatric clinic? That has never happened to me. Besides, coupons for any items can be handed to the cashier after she finishes scanning all items. You don't have to hand her the coupon for a specific item after she scans that item.

[theIncredibleEdi...]

I like to check the websites for cleaning products and print out the coupons they offer....I've got a whole load of coupons for things like Swiffer and Scrubbling Bubbles products. :-)

[Mommy]

Hell yeah, I would do the same thing for Swiffer. Those suckers are $$$$

[theIncredibleEdi...]

I got some coupons for Scrubbling Bubbles wipes.....$1.50 off a $2.50 container...I stocked up!

[zetec]

www.retailmenot.com

from the makers or bugmenot.

online coupon code resource.

[chook]

This will be good for you Jessica

http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/grocery-coupons/840730/

[Mommy]

ooo thanks

[James]

If you don't have an entire room filled with diapers by the end of the week, I will be severely disappointed! You will use them allllllllll.

[Mommy]

If you don't have an entire room filled with diapers by the end of the week, I will be severely disappointed! You will use them allllllllll.

a dozen a day I'm told.

[Spectatrix]

That's gross to me
I don't want to wash poop in the washing machine. Plus, I live at an apartment complex that doesn't have washer/dryer connections so we have to use the community laundry room. I don't think people would appreciate that.

Most folks just rinse them out initially in the toilet, so there's really not much left when they get washed. Or you can get flushable liners.

As far as the washing machine situation goes, aren't you moving in a month or so anyway?

[Epic]

one couple i know was able to get a deal for a diaper service and once they compared what they were spending to the cost of disposable diapers, diaper for diaper they were saving 11 cents.

[Mommy]

Most folks just rinse them out initially in the toilet, so there's really not much left when they get washed. Or you can get flushable liners.

As far as the washing machine situation goes, aren't you moving in a month or so anyway?

I move the very last day of August....hopefully. The Army is kinda being goofy right now with their issuing of orders. It could be early September. Either way, we don't have an apartment in Savannah picked out yet so we don't know if we are going to have a washer/dryer there either. Finally, it's still fuckin' gross. I'd rather spend the extra money, kill the environment some more, and not be grossed out every time I have to change a diaper.

[Spectatrix]

Again, to each his own. I'd rather save the money and not have so much trash.

[chook]

one couple i know was able to get a deal for a diaper service and once they compared what they were spending to the cost of disposable diapers, diaper for diaper they were saving 11 cents.

that is a good idea.

[impala454]

Finally, it's still fuckin' gross. I'd rather spend the extra money, kill the environment some more, and not be grossed out every time I have to change a diaper.

I have a feeling you won't find it as gross after a while of doing it. I think it's kinda a parenting thing that while yes, of course baby shit smells, it seems the parents don't mind the smell nearly as much as a 3rd person. I noticed it first hand with my sister and her husband.

I will say though, that diapers would definitely come in much handier out in public places.

[Mommy]

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080702/coupons_tip...nking-budgeting

http://biz.yahoo.com/cnnm/080613/061308_sa....pf=family-home

[kcroxyoursox]

We live almost an hour from base right now. Any money we save going to the Commissary would go to gas to get there.

Go every few months and stock up? It's not ideal for a quick trip on the way home for one meal's worth of supplies, but for things like diapers where you'd be buying in bulk anyway, might be worth it.

One of the things that I always do before I leave the house is Google search whatever store I'm going to with the word "coupon" in the search as well. Last week I saved $10 off a $30 purchase at Bed Bath and Beyond and it took no less than 20 seconds to search, click and print.

The thing about coupons though is that you have to be careful you're only getting what you normally would have. When I started working in grocery, I was so amazed by how much people saved using coupons, so I bought a few papers and clipped my heart away. However, I came to find out that a lot of stuff I brought home I only bought because I had a coupon for, not because I specifically needed that item.

Did you know there are coupon clipping/trading groups out there? And it sucks that you have to pay for the Grocery Game

[kcroxyoursox]

Oh, and I recently read a book called "America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money"

Very interesting, lots of helpful tips, a good guide to have around for quick reference.

Jessica, have you ever heard of the book Baby Bargains? Basically it tells you what off-brand items are actually made by big-name companies for a fraction of the price.

[Spectatrix]

I signed up for the trial of the Grocery Game and I don't think it's really worth it for folks in Central Texas. I'm not desperate enough to save that I'll go out of my way to shop at multiple stores -- HEB is about it, unless I want something that I can only get at Whole Foods. The vast majority of coupons listed on the grocery game for HEB are HEB's in-store coupons, which are only good for a couple of weeks -- so price tracking doesn't really help with getting the best deals of those. And very, very few of the manufacturer's coupons (that you'd cut out of the paper) are for things I'd buy.