Are all Good Deals REALLY Good Deals for You?!
OK, so I have received lots of emails from readers who are addicted to buying each and every good deal that comes their way regardless of a need for the item or even a desire for the item. When I first started couponing, I felt like any item that I purchased with a coupon was a good deal and was enabling me to save money— in reality I was doing quite the opposite. I now know exactly when a good deal is REALLY a good deal for me… and here are a few tips that may help you realize when a good deal is REALLY a good deal for you:
**Make a list and stick to it and I don’t just mean a a grocery list. You can make lists for everything in life– can you tell I LOVE lists?! I make a “gift list” for everyone I will be buying presents for during the year and I also put the price range that I’d like to spend on each gift. I also make lists for household items with price points as well. Lists really do help keep your budget in check and make unnecessary spending a thing of the past!
**Have a designated place in your house to store your great finds. You may also want to have a list of your inventory and when you a reach certain amount of “like” products– STOP buying them! For example, I almost went overboard with Glade candles and had to limit myself. I mean do we really need 50 Glade candles in our home at one time? I think not!
**Only shop with cash and leave that credit/debit card at home! Designate a set amount of cash to spend each month or week and only bring that allotted amount with you. I can’t tell you how much this has helped me!
**Shop with a friend who will let you know when you are buying something unnecessary. I’ve had friends nicely question some of my purchases and it really does help to make you stop and think.
**Do not shop when you’re hungry. You are definitely more likely to come home with items that you would not have purchased on a full stomach. Ummm… ya… I’m thinkin’ Twinkies, candy bars…
I am curious how all of you feel about this subject. Take the time to read through the questions below and let us know how you feel in the comment section.
Will you snag anything if it is free?
If the great deal that you snag is something you hadn’t intended to buy in the first place then are you really saving any money?
Do you have a certain amount of money each month allotted for those great deals (i.e. $5, $10 etc.)?
Are all your great deals and finds overtaking your house (i.e. creating clutter and using up much needed space)?
Does your spouse or significant other support your need to snag all the great deals and freebies?
Do you donate many of your freebies/great deals or do you keep them all for yourself?
Q: Will you snag anything if it is free?
A: Not really. If I wont use it or anyone I know then no. But if someone I know uses this particular item, sure. I can give it to them.
Q: If the great deal that you snag is something you hadn’t intended to buy in the first place then are you really saving any money?
A: If its free.. I think so… if u dont over do it.
Q:Do you have a certain amount of money each month allotted for those great deals (i.e. $5, $10 etc.)?
A: Yes I have a $10.00 limit for Walgs and Cvs.
Q: Are all your great deals and finds overtaking your house (i.e. creating clutter and using up much needed space)?
A: Nope. I limit myself, unless its free and maybe I can give it to someone else like my mom or sister.
Q:Does your spouse or significant other support your need to snag all the great deals and freebies?
A: OMG YES!!! He actually tell me “do u have a cpn for this? he is too funny.
Q: Do you donate many of your freebies/great deals or do you keep them all for yourself?
A: I just started 2 months ago so not yet. But I have given friends and family a few things.
When I started I thought I had to chase down every deal, every one… It wore me out! I realized 2 things; 1- i had no space for all the goodies, 2- it was controlling me.
So, now I just get what I need, and what I know I will use. I do get alot of free samples and goodies, but I make sure the ones I do get will be used.
My hubby acts like he is aggravated at the whole coupon thing, but he always gets me a paper, and he always tells people about how much I save and how many free things I get at cvs. So he secretly likes it. 🙂
I do like to donate things and like to make gifts, thats the best part: Giving.
I have to say that I stockpile! Within budget 20-40 every 2 weeks for my Wags/Cvs deals. I have to way the cost on me physically when it comes to deals (back injury) So when it is real good deal I stock up so I don’t have to shop often (it just takes to much out of me). I love knowing that I don’t have to worry about buying toothpaste for a year. I will still pick a few up if they are free. When they were free at wags a few weeks ago I didn’t need toothpaste but I did need other things. I got the toothpaste for the RR so I could use them on cereal. Made money on that too!! If we can’t use them there is always someone in need.
My hubby gets tired of hearing about my deals but he loves the stuff I get and how little I spend. He is proud of me!
I tried getting all the deals when I first starting couponing last June and found I was burned out from running out all the time and keeping track of all the deals. I have it under control now. I miss out on great deals but that is okay. I hate paying full price for anything anymore but…..If I have to its not the end of the world(but only if it is 1 item though or it would be the end of the world!!)LOL!
I just started doing this coupon thing like 2 weeks ago. It is becoming VERY addicting. So this was a good post for me to read. Here are my answers to your questions.
Will you snag anything if it is free? Not anything… like I don’t have pets, so when you posted the Rachel Ray dog food sample, I didn’t request it, because I wouldn’t use it. However, now that I look at it, I could have probably donated it to the dog shelter or whatever, but they may have a certain brand. If it’s free and I can use it, or use it as gifts, or give to family/friends then YES… it’s free!!
If the great deal that you snag is something you hadn’t intended to buy in the first place then are you really saving any money? Probably not, but if it is a good deal like the i-motion Air wick things why not? I don’t usually buy fragrance stuff for my house, but I got it for .99 so it was a nice extra.
Do you have a certain amount of money each month allotted for those great deals (i.e. $5, $10 etc.)? We have $100 a week to spend on groceries/toiletries/baby items. I want to get this number down, but first we have to stock pile on the expensive stuff, like diapers, and paper towels, trash bags, and toilet paper. I could easily spend 70 bucks a week on just those items (of course I only have to buy it once a month, but still!). We just started the cash method and it’s great!
Are all your great deals and finds overtaking your house (i.e. creating clutter and using up much needed space)? No, but then again I just started a couple of weeks ago. My main goal is to use my guest bedroom closet, my office closet, and stockpile each bathroom full of soaps, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc.
Does your spouse or significant other support your need to snag all the great deals and freebies? He makes fun of me, and he doesn’t like to go shopping with me. BUT on the same note I’ve got him looking out for coupons. Like yesterday he went to a book store to get a book, and he was going to pay $22, but he seen a 30% coupon by the register for educators week! So the book costs us $15! He told me he wouldn’t have ever looked or used that coupon if I haven’t been so serious about it these past couple of weeks. So I am rubbing off on him.
Do you donate many of your freebies/great deals or do you keep them all for yourself? For now I am going to keep them for myself. Once I get a nice stash of everything, then I’ll donate the freebies!
Getting free and cheap stuff seems to make me feel good. LOL My kids think it’s cool all the shampoo they can choose from and their freinds are amazed when I come home with my finds and say “all this cost me less than” . If it’s free I get it. If it’s under 50 cents I get it or if it’s a 80-90% discount I get it if it’s under a buck. If it’s more than a dollar I scrutinize over whether I will use it or need it. I’ll pay more for food than I will for toiletries or cleaning supplies. I have a cabinet in my bathroom for all my non food deals. I just got it a month ago and it’s full. I need to start donating things but I get emotionally attached to my deals. My sisters and I do re-gifting for Christmas each year – my gift this year will be a basket of my finds.
I love free trial sizes – they come in so handy for overnight guests of my children (who are older teenagers) – especially deoderant. I cant tell you how many times one of thier friends wanted deoderant.
I just started doing this coupon thing like 2 weeks ago. It is becoming VERY addicting. So this was a good post for me to read. Here are my answers to your questions.
Will you snag anything if it is free? Not anything… like I don’t have pets, so when you posted the Rachel Ray dog food sample, I didn’t request it, because I wouldn’t use it. However, now that I look at it, I could have probably donated it to the dog shelter or whatever, but they may have a certain brand. If it’s free and I can use it, or use it as gifts, or give to family/friends then YES… it’s free!!
If the great deal that you snag is something you hadn’t intended to buy in the first place then are you really saving any money? Probably not, but if it is a good deal like the i-motion Air wick things why not? I don’t usually buy fragrance stuff for my house, but I got it for .99 so it was a nice extra.
Do you have a certain amount of money each month allotted for those great deals (i.e. $5, $10 etc.)? We have $100 a week to spend on groceries/toiletries/baby items. I want to get this number down, but first we have to stock pile on the expensive stuff, like diapers, and paper towels, trash bags, and toilet paper. I could easily spend 70 bucks a week on just those items (of course I only have to buy it once a month, but still!). We just started the cash method and it’s great!
Are all your great deals and finds overtaking your house (i.e. creating clutter and using up much needed space)? No, but then again I just started a couple of weeks ago. My main goal is to use my guest bedroom closet, my office closet, and stockpile each bathroom full of soaps, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc.
Does your spouse or significant other support your need to snag all the great deals and freebies? He makes fun of me, and he doesn’t like to go shopping with me. BUT on the same note I’ve got him looking out for coupons. Like yesterday he went to a book store to get a book, and he was going to pay $22, but he seen a 30% coupon by the register for educators week! So the book costs us $15! He told me he wouldn’t have ever looked or used that coupon if I haven’t been so serious about it these past couple of weeks. So I am rubbing off on him.
Do you donate many of your freebies/great deals or do you keep them all for yourself? For now I am going to keep them for myself. Once I get a nice stash of everything, then I’ll donate the freebies!
The only problem I have with using cash is I might lose out on my money. For example, I went buy 8 sport drinks and the cashier had only given me back $6 in change instead of $16. Good thing I checked before leaving.
The more I coupon and stockpile, the more firmly I believe this:
True frugality is managing your money, time, and resources. Your money is valuable, and coupons and deals are great for helping with that. However, if your great deals are eating up all your time or space, they are no longer helping you achieve a frugal lifestyle. While it can be easy to get caught up with all the freebies,
I try to stop and ask myself if it fits in the bigger picture of providing value and savings to my life…or will it likely end up as clutter in the back of my closet. And is that drugstore deal worth spending $2.50 in gas and half an hour to the store to make $1.25 after rebate? Maybe – depending on the items. But if it’s something I don’t ordinarily use? I value my time more than $1.25 for a half an hour.
It’s all about balance.
Excellently said!! I have started to question what I stockpile and what I won’t. What is my time worth to me. Sometimes saving 5.00 is not worth the headache where at other times it is. I could save more money if I worked at it as hard as I used to. Then again I am happier with more balance in my life.
I agree!! Well said.
I heartly concur 🙂
I am quite honestly addicted! It is really hard to pass up free stuff, especially groceries since there isn’t even tax. I just had a conversation last night with my husband that I am not going to by any junk food just because it’s free anymore. My intent was that I would stash a few things and then when we need it for a special occassion, we don’t have to buy it. Well, it isn’t working out like that. My husband can’t stay out of the junk since it’s in the house. Plus my kids are begging for treats every day. It’s obnoxious! So, no more free treats for us!
My husband does support my deals! Thank goodness! We are paying off our credit card debt quickly as I do the couponing. He isn’t helping like I would like, but at least he’s not standing in my way!
I have a huge family and so I do give things away a lot. When we have a family party I’ll go through my stash and grab stuff and bring it. Everyone loves to get free stuff that they’ll actually use-vitamins, deodarant, toothpaste, etc.! I keep saying I want to donate to a foodbank but haven’t actually done it. I give things to my family members instead.
I agree about the junk food! There are too many snacks in the house and that Is not good for someone like me who loves to eat! Got to stop getting junk food! 🙂
From my own experience, and from reading about tons of others, it’s so easy to go overboard when you first start spending coupons. We’ve been used to paying much higher prices for things or for simply not buying some things because they cost too much. Now, all of a sudden, with coupons those things are practically free. What’s not to like?
After a while, though, we learn that those great deals come in cycles and we can always get more some other time.
So true! I fell into the same trap when I first started couponing, and before I realized it, I had 6 bottles of body wash and 8 tubes of toothpaste! I have since depleted that stash, but when you realize that if you miss a deal now, it will come back around it helps to keep you in check!
If an item is free I almost always get it. If I have tons of it already and its not something I really need I wont get it. Like shampoo in a brand I dont use. When I come across a good deal on something I wouldnt normally buy, I will buy it. For example we dont normally buy Go-gurts or the trix yogurt, however, if its really cheap I will get it. I have been couponing just for a few months and my kids love all the great stuff I wouldnt buy for them before. My 8 year old always begs to go couponing with me because he knows if he finds something in clearance and I have a coupon I’ll let him buy it. I also love all the toy coupons because now I can think for the year who I will probably need to buy presents for and get them for at least half the cost that I would normally have to spend. Thanks Colin for all your hard work!
I will get almost anything that is free. If i don’t need it I can give it as a gift or donate it. I like to stockpile for my household and gifts. My church does a food distribution once a month and we do backpack for kids. Getting free stuff makes it a lot easier to donate.
I also keep a huge stockpile of razors, shampoo, candles, and air fresheners. I sell these every three or four months at a local flea market. This helps supplement our household income and cleans out all of our stockpile so I can start over.
If an item is free or close to it (under $0.10) then I get as many as I can match up to coupons that I have. If it’s something I don’t need, then I give it to someone who I know is in need (I live in S. Florida and I know alot of unemployed people). Also, I shop with a friend who is my coupon buddy and we question each other if we really need something or not if it’s not free. Not only does having a shopping buddy make it more fun to coupon, but also we cover each other if we don’t have enough coupons with us to buy.
awesome post! I have learned some girls in here . I just started coupon since FEB and I m still learning. I feel so addicted with deal and shopping! I need stop that ! hahaha because I want my money go to deal grocery store instead drug stores 🙂
Will you snag anything if it is free? sure why not. I would like to donate someone but I dont know where in my area but I will look for it . and I would like to give my family too.
If the great deal that you snag is something you hadn’t intended to buy in the first place then are you really saving any money? not sure because I just started.
Do you have a certain amount of money each month allotted for those great deals (i.e. $5, $10 etc.)? this month march I dont stay on my budget :{ but in april will start do my budget and use cash only!
Are all your great deals and finds overtaking your house (i.e. creating clutter and using up much needed space)? a little.. I need buy shelf ,storage box… I put some in storage but seem build stockpile now . I better do something before I get more 🙂
Does your spouse or significant other support your need to snag all the great deals and freebies? yes he does support me .. he proud of me that I find good deal and he will go with me shopping someday.
Do you donate many of your freebies/great deals or do you keep them all for yourself? not yet.. I would like to keep some for myself and my family and my side family too .
Will you snag anything if it is free? only things I can use or can donate to our city pantry
If the great deal that you snag is something you hadn’t intended to buy in the first place then are you really saving any money? Depends….If I did not plan to buy cereal this week but yet it goes on sale and I have a great coupon to score a sweet deal then yes it is still saving money because I would have needed to buy cereal in the next couple of weeks anyways. If I normally do not buy individual bags of chips but they are on sale and I have a coupon I will probably not buy them because it would still be more than buying bigger bags and handing out portions.
Do you have a certain amount of money each month allotted for those great deals (i.e. $5, $10 etc.)? I have a pretty good stock of most things…..so I only buy if it is a super good deal.
Are all your great deals and finds overtaking your house (i.e. creating clutter and using up much needed space)? NO! I am very organized….if not then it would be overtaking the house! I have little baskets in our bathroom closet to organize things…..body soap, toothpaste, etc. I have a pantry cabinet in the garage that I keep our canned and boxed items stockpiled in and then an old bookshelf in the storage room with the extra candles, air freshners, kitchen soap, etc.
Does your spouse or significant other support your need to snag all the great deals and freebies? Yes….because he knows how much I save! I do not let it rule our lives…..I plan my trips and do not run out after only one or two things. It isn’t worth my gas money to drive 10 miles to save $1. If I let it overtake our house then he wouldn’t support it either. I make him part of it….I show him receipts and good deals I find online. I love to make a meal and have him guess how much it cost to make!
Do you donate many of your freebies/great deals or do you keep them all for yourself
We keep about a 6 month supply of bathroom supplies and about a 2 month supply of boxed/canned food and frozen meats at most times….everything else gets donated! We have a pantry a few miles from us that we take lots of free soap, toothpaste, etc.
I have to DISAGREE with shopping with cash, for many reasons but the primary reason is
1) if you need to return something and lose the receipt some stores can look up your purchase from the credit card,
2) you have no consumer protections when shopping with cash,
3) and this is the BIGGEST reason for me – we use our credit card for ALL purchases (that we can) – we don’t pay interest because we pay it off each month – we earn 2% back on ALL charges and for our family, in a year, that equates to about 4 round-trip tickets FREE (and we take advantage of it every single year).
I understand if someone needs to enter shop-aholics anonymous or has no self-control and lacks judgement with their finances – then maybe they should leave it at home.
But why throw away free money back – that’s better than couponing IMO!
I have a debit card that pays 2% cash back. That negates any need for a cc right there.
I don’t like using cash either. I would have no idea how much I was spending! My husband and I track everything in Quicken. That way we can budget each general category, allot savings each month for unexpected expenses and keep track of where all the money is going. And that way I can see a record of how much I spend each month and generally watch it decrease as I save more.
I am the same way; I can track what I am spending even easier through my bank statement than if I just kept dolling out cash for everything (though I have gotten better at tracking via receipts since couponing since I like to keep track of my savings in a spreadsheet). Cash is too easy just to spend and spend and before you know it you spent your entire budget and you don’t know where it went… bank statements will always tell you that and I check my statements regularly to make sure I did not miss something.
Also, we get rewards through using my debit card as credit, so I make money off of using the debit card rather than cash.
I am the same way; I can track what I am spending even easier through my bank statement than if I just kept dolling out cash for everything (though I have gotten better at tracking via receipts since couponing since I like to keep track of my savings in a spreadsheet). Cash is too easy just to spend and spend and before you know it you spent your entire budget and you don’t know where it went… bank statements will always tell you that and I check my statements regularly to make sure I did not miss something.
Also, we get rewards through using my debit card as credit, so I make money off of using the debit card rather than cash.
I agree with all of your points! I don’t use CASH. We pay for everything with credit cards and pay it off each month. I earn points that I use for travel or redeem for gift cards. Plus, I can’t tell you how many returns I’ve done without a receipt by having them swipe my CC. In this day and age where you can’t do ANYTHING without a receipt, it’s nice to have the CC back up in case you need to do a return.
I am a banker’s daughter and was taught to save for things I wanted to buy. I put EVERYTHING on my credit card and pay it off every month. My Shell gas card earns 5% on gas and 1% on everything else. I have earned $1,000 since 2003. I use my Costco AmEx for travel and eating out.
My husband and I decided 3yrs. ago to become debt free, including having our house paid for. We gave ourselves 5 years, and we have 2yrs to go and we are right on track, thankly. I do try to snag free items, many of my family members lost there jpbs over the economy. Little by little we are stock piling there houses, and what they don’t need I donate. I am guilty I don’t have a certain about of money allotted for deals, but I only spent about $100.00 a month, which soon will be much less. My husband loves the deals I get and loves the stock pile. It’s nice to go to the closet or panrty and the item is there. I help people whenever I can. During the last double coupons at K-mart everyone I saw I gave them coupons on the great deals. An older couple who was in front of me had no coupons for there items and I saved them $23.00. They waited for me outside the store and gave me a big hug and thanked me. I don’t believe I did anything that special. Today I went to Toys R Us and picked up my pre-order Toy Story Movies and a woman was there picking up hers, she had no coupons, I gave her the 2 $5.00 coupons I had, she cried. So many people really need help. I am now stock piling toys and games for Toy for Tots and Angel tree Kids. I am addicted, but I was thinking about this topic about four days ago, and decided to spend only $100.00 more. We must help others who don’t understand this process of couponing and I am sincerely greatful to you for teaching me!
Coupon-ing is my hobby…being a full-time student, waitress, and intern I don’t have much free time, but I like to spend it clipping coupons and getting great deals. Also, cash is always limited…so the more couponing, the better, if I’m saving.
I definitely have a tendency to buy things I wouldn’t normally if they’re a great deal…but a great deal for me is pretty much if it’s free. Also, I plan on reselling a lot of my items at a local fleamarket in the summer and I definitely give some of my stuff away. I recently inherited a box of about 100 sample size frosted flakes and have been passing them out like crazy to fellow students I know have a hard time buying groceries on a budget.
My great deals aren’t overtaking my apartment…..yet. I have a designated place for them, and thankfully my mom let’s me store some things in my old bedroom. But my boyfriend definitely gets testy with my habits sometimes…like when I start clipping coupons during a movie. Also, he convinced me that getting free samples of things, just because they’re free, is a waste of resources if I’m not going to use them. So true. It’s good to have someone to place some limits on you so couponing doesn’t take over your life–saving money is verrryyy addicting. Ha.
Additionally, with the non-perishable food items I stock up on, I make donations to food pantries. Last year I donated 175 pounds of food…and plan on trying to top that this year.
I will snag just about anything if it’s free, and if I can use it eventually. I stock up on the travel-sized items and good health and beauty buys because that is stuff I can always use. I did just recently do an inventory and I don’t need any shampoo, conditioner, shave gel, razors or deodorant for quite some time! I also haven’t bought a feminine hygiene product in quite some time, thanks to all the samples and B1G1 deals that were going on for a while.
I only “splurge” on the good deals on pay weeks. If I can squeeze a good shopping trip out of my last $2 before payday, then I will, but I usually wait until the groceries have been bought and all my necessities are met for the month.
My roommates laugh at me and all of the mail I get and all of the deals/free stuff I bring home, but they do recognize that I have saved them thousands of dollars since I moved in with them. They have also started carrying the coupon wallet when they go shopping without me! They aren’t as crazy about it as I am, but they understand the value of it all.
As for keeping or sharing—I like to do a little bit of both. I have been using a lot of my freebies for gifts and little surprises for my family and friends (the Easter baskets are plentiful this year!), and I work for a non-profit that caters to children, so they get all of the great deals I get on games and toys 🙂
I just started this couponing business and I am completely guilty of buying some thing unnecessarily. I just got 3/ 3 months of restaurant.com deals. Which was a good deal and I got excited about surprising my husband with $25 out to eat that only cost me $10. Then I thought it was such a good deal, I bought 2 more for my SIL’s to enjoy! But that’s not in the budget so I used our credit card. So at the end of the day I will pay way more in interest for these dinners; and while it will make a nice gift, it wasn’t in our budget today and I should have passed…..this will be a learning process in self restraint.
I definitely got a little carried away when I first started couponing……rationalizing that I had a bunch to catch up on! Now I just clip those coupons that I know my family uses and when I need the product I get my coupons out and use just that coupon.
Will you snag anything if it is free?
Yes! Even if I don’t use it, someone will! I got the Just for men last winter because it was a moneymaker, obviously I don’t need it, so I gave it to my step-dad!
If the great deal that you snag is something you hadn’t intended to buy in the first place then are you really saving any money?
I am pretty good about sticking to my list. I go through the ads, go through the h2s match ups and make my list of stuff I am going to get that week.
Do you have a certain amount of money each month allotted for those great deals (i.e. $5, $10 etc.)?
Not really, but some weeks I have more, some weeks I have less.
Are all your great deals and finds overtaking your house (i.e. creating clutter and using up much needed space)?
No, I have organized my stock pretty nicely. Luckily we have lots of closet space. I have also gotten tubs that go under the bed.
Does your spouse or significant other support your need to snag all the great deals and freebies?
At first he thought I was crazy. But when I point out that he is eating free cookies or using free deodorant, he appreciates it. He has his own closet that he organizes his stock in!
Do you donate many of your freebies/great deals or do you keep them all for yourself?
I give alot to family. My mom, sister & brother have benefited from my deals! They love it!
i have been couponing for a couple of months now and love it. i too, seem to think i need to buy every good deal that comes my way. but i have found it difficult to find time to do normal grocery shopping and have found that i spend more money. so my goal now is to reorganize my coupons AGAIN and start making list like i use to and and try to pair this list with coupons for that product. i do want to get certain deals that are on sale and i have coupons so when i need it i have it on hand and i don’t have to pay retail. but, like you said who needs 30 something candles and 40 boxes of cereal at once?
I agree with everyone, when you first start couponing you are shocked that you can get so much. I wanted every deal I saw and got upset or frustrated when they didn’t work. Having 3 kids i couldn’t just pop out to get what i need and hit 3 stores. I’ve been at it for about 8 months. I’ve realized it’s not the end of the world if i don’t make it to get a certain deal, there is always the next one. i believe you have to go thru that processes of getting all the freebies because it really motivates you. I will always remember my shopping trip that cost me $7 for $200 worth of groceries. Anytime I’m in line and people are rolling there eyes I remember that and shrugged it off. It has enabled me ti help my friends save money and I try to donate all extras as my house is seriously cluttered. That’s my new goal with couponing to save enough to help me organise my home with shelving etc..
It’s funny you should say that. I went to Target today, and the woman behind me did nothing but roll her eyes, and shoot me dirty looks for taking too long in line. I just laughed it up, because while she spent $200 on very few items, I spent $71 dollars on an overflowing cart of items my family needs. 🙂
I agree with everyone, when you first start couponing you are shocked that you can get so much. I wanted every deal I saw and got upset or frustrated when they didn’t work. Having 3 kids i couldn’t just pop out to get what i need and hit 3 stores. I’ve been at it for about 8 months. I’ve realized it’s not the end of the world if i don’t make it to get a certain deal, there is always the next one. i believe you have to go thru that processes of getting all the freebies because it really motivates you. I will always remember my shopping trip that cost me $7 for $200 worth of groceries. Anytime I’m in line and people are rolling there eyes I remember that and shrugged it off. It has enabled me teach help my friends save money and I try to donate all extras as my house is seriously cluttered. That’s my new goal with couponing to save enough to help me organise my home with shelving etc..
Will you snag anything if it is free?
If it is free AFTER TAX and I am already at the store then yes! If I don’t need it then I will give it to someone who does. And I say I will especially snag it if it is free with overage (after tax).
If the great deal that you snag is something you hadn’t intended to buy in the first place then are you really saving any money?
Possibly. If it is something I will eventually use or might have bought at a later date (for more money), then yes. If it is something I am going to buy just because it is a great deal and it probably will not get used or I am only going to use it now because I have it, then no. Though great deals do help me venture out and try new products that may replace or supplement an old product, in which case it may still be saving money in the long run.
Do you have a certain amount of money each month allotted for those great deals (i.e. $5, $10 etc.)?
No, it comes out of my food/ personal care/ misc budget for the month.
Are all your great deals and finds overtaking your house (i.e. creating clutter and using up much needed space)?
No, I have a pantry for food and a snack cupboard. And I have under the sink and in a door in my bureau for personal care items. Everything I buy finds a nice place to live.
Does your spouse or significant other support your need to snag all the great deals and freebies?
Yes… in fact I find I am often the one who has to be the voice of reason with great deals and say, “do we really need this” sometimes.
Do you donate many of your freebies/great deals or do you keep them all for yourself?
Donate the things I do not need or have a huge surplus of… keep the things I need and will use.
The local paper featured a story of a woman who successfully used coupons. She converted an extra bedroom into another pantry and it looked like a huge food shelf for the needy. But this was purely for her own use. It was in fact disturbing – surely she didn’t need to store 30 jars of peanut butter, those piles of cereal and heaps of toilet paper! I think we need to stop ourselves from becoming unnecessary consumers of things that are free or almost free and to question whether the product is really healthy, beneficial for us, and good for the environment.
My husband and I started couponing together about a year ago and we love it! He thought I was kind of silly when I started using double coupons from Albertson’s but once he started to get involved and reading all of the blogs that we read he got really into it. I think he actually might have been more excited about it than I was.
We had gotten married just a few months before we started coupoining and we were both in school at the time. It was very nice to know that we wouldn’t have to worry about getting by because we were able to buy so much great food without spending very much on it. It was also nice because we love having friends over for dinner but it made it so it wasn’t a huge strain to have people come over. If we decided on the spur of the moment to invite some people over we could just pull stuff off our shelves and throw a good dinner together.
There was a period where we would go get every little deal that we could find but now we have started to limit ourselves to the ones that are free or where we make money on it. We have a good enough stockpile to last the two of us for at least a year. We also enjoy being able to help out my husband’s brothers who are both in college as well. They love it because they know it isn’t a huge deal if we have them over for dinner or if they really need something they know that they can always give us a call and we proably have what they are looking for.
We don’t donate much to shelters mainly because we don’t know where many are in our area and when I called one they made it sound really difficult to donate. We’ve mainly stuck to donating products to our friends, family, and neighbors. When we moved in to our new apartment we told our neighbors that if they ever needed anything and it was to late to go to the store or they didn’t want to go out that they could always just call and we would probably have something for them.
I can see how easy this is to do especially when you first start out with couponing! I have a farily large storage room where I keep a 6 month supply of most items. I’m pretty proud o say that almost everything in there has been purchases on sale or $1 or less!
I totally snag the free deals IF I can. I have three little ones which makes it hard to go running off to grab every single deal out there. But if I can and it’s cheap or free….I get it and usually pass it on to a family member who is unemployed.
Great topic. After about a year and a half of playing this couponing game, I have definietly learned to hold back. For example, i was standing at Target with my $.50 off Suave deoderant q, debating on buying the $.97 product. Then it occured to me, I already have half a dozen deoderants stockpiled at home. $.47 for deoderant is a great deal, but it’s still money out of my pocket that I don’t really need to spend. Every penny adds up.
I did the exact same thing at Kroger. The deodorant is about $1.28 or so there and .50 coupons double, so I stuck the coupon on the shelf and left. Ditto for the kid’s wash. That was some serious self-restraint!
Thanks for this post Collin! I totally agree… sometimes I’m addicted to “saving” and it puts me over budget! What I’ve learned over the years is that a deal is not really a great deal unless it’s something I need and / or will use. I try to say no if I can’t answer yes to “do I need this? and will I use this?”
Although, if something is FREE, I will always get it, no matter what. If I won’t use it, I donate it to the food pantry down the street, and they’re always so grateful!
I have a stockpile of things such as shampoos, soaps, razors, cleaning supplies, toiletries, etc. I have become pretty much non-brand specific, meaning I don’t just stick to one brand of products. I get whatever I can get when it is on sale and I can match it up with a coupon. I try not to get it unless I need it. For example, I am pretty well stocked up on toothpaste and shampoo, but if I can get it for cheap or free and have to get it in order to get a RR then I will. I don’t try to get every good deal because I am really spending and not saving if I do. But every once in a while I will get something like the $3 Barbie deal. For only $6 bucks (I got 2) I can donate to needy families at Christmas. And I do try to donate or help where I can with my stockpile and free samples. For example, I just put together 3 care package boxes of foods, toiletries, and cleaning supplies and mailed them to a family that had to pick up and move on a moments notice because the husband got shot in Iraq (in my husband’s platoon). And other than the shipping, the care package didn’t cost much of anything. And it didn’t really put a dent in my stockpile of things either. I also put care packages together and send them overseas to my husband’s Army platoon in Iraq. So for not very much money, I feel like I help out. But I am very careful that I don’t buy things that I don’t need example: like the $3 scarf deal that Collin posted or every single toy deal. It’s only a good deal if you really use it and need it.
I would say the hardest thing for me it deciding if I really need it. Airwicks- for example, I do not bother with because I have another brand & scent that I prefer. I know there are a ton of deals or freebies I could do, but it is not worth my time away from kids & husband for something I usually don’t need.
I will almost always get the HBA products & donate to a local shelter what I don’t use. I love being able to bless friends with groceries when I know they are having a tough time. For example, a friend picked up her kids I was watching & I loved being able to load her up with staples that I know they can really use & I got very cheap. LOVE IT!
Great topic. After about a year and a half of playing this couponing game, I have definietly learned to hold back. For example, i was standing at Target with my $.50 off Suave deoderant q, debating on buying the $.97 product. Then it occured to me, I already have half a dozen deoderants stockpiled at home. $.47 for deoderant is a great deal, but it’s still money out of my pocket that I don’t really need to spend. Every penny adds up.
I have a stockpile of things such as shampoos, soaps, razors, cleaning supplies, toiletries, etc. I have become pretty much non-brand specific, meaning I don’t just stick to one brand of products. I get whatever I can get when it is on sale and I can match it up with a coupon. I try not to get it unless I need it. For example, I am pretty well stocked up on toothpaste and shampoo, but if I can get it for cheap or free and have to get it in order to get a RR then I will. I don’t try to get every good deal because I am really spending and not saving if I do. But every once in a while I will get something like the $3 Barbie deal. For only $6 bucks (I got 2) I can donate to needy families at Christmas. And I do try to donate or help where I can with my stockpile and free samples. For example, I just put together 3 care package boxes of foods, toiletries, and cleaning supplies and mailed them to a family that had to pick up and move on a moments notice because the husband got shot in Iraq (in my husband’s platoon). And other than the shipping, the care package didn’t cost much of anything. And it didn’t really put a dent in my stockpile of things either. I also put care packages together and send them overseas to my husband’s Army platoon in Iraq. So for not very much money, I feel like I help out. But I am very careful that I don’t buy things that I don’t need example: like the $3 scarf deal that Collin posted or every single toy deal. It’s only a good deal if you really use it and need it.
This can get so out of control, I’m so glad you posted this! I have been able to pass up on great deals when I dont “need” the item, but it wasn’t always that way. The need to get and acquire goods used to be something I found very exhiliarating. And scoring a deal on those things is even better! But, in terms of true “need”…. I dont really “need” anything, except for water, food, shelter…. and heck, my computer, if I’m being selfish. 🙂 Sometimes when deals are posted on your site, I get that rush to buy them, and then most of the time I step back and say… would I have EVER bought that had I not found a deal? Usually 9 times out of 10, I wont buy the item because of that reason alone. I thank you for always giving us the heads up, because I can honestly say its helped me SO much to transform my already-frugal thinking into even MORE frugal thinking. Its helping me in so many areas.
I used to be somewhat bad about this but now I ask myself ‘do I really need this product?’. If something is free I will most likely snag it only if I think I will use it. If there is a new food product out with free samples I most always try them. If something is on sale and I have never had a thought about buying it in the past and do just because it’s on sale then no it’s not saving me money. Let’s face it even if it’s .50 it’s still .50 more I would be spending on something I have no intention to use. I set a budget to $50-$60 a week and I go by the sales ad and match them to my coupons. This includes groceries and hygeine/household items. I try not to get too cluttered. Although I haven’t bought laundry soap or toothpaste in a year. Once I get so much that I have no where to store anymore my husband usually lets me know I can’t buy anything else. If it is a really good deal he is supportive. He is a money man so he is very into saving as much money as possible. When I first began couponing he was skeptical but I think now he has come to the other side with me and realizes how much we are saving. I donate things I have an abundance of or I know are items that go on sale regularly. I have donated items to my church, family, and friends.
I’ve been couponing for about 8 months now, and i’m struggling with what to buy and how often to coupon. Thankfully our stockpile is so large that now I only go out for really great deals, but I find myself buying junk food because it’s a moneymaker and regretting it later, or getting all stressed out about trying to run a deal. However, couponing has made a huge difference in our budget (my husband is an unemployed student) and I feel much more secure knowing we have food, emergency supplies, and personal supplies in case of disaster, emergency, etc. I also donate a ton to shelters…mostly moneymakers. If there are big time moneymakers I will go out every few days and get more, I figure if it’s Thursday night and the store stocks it Friday then heck pick up a few more, and i’ll donate what I don’t need. I donated $400 value of stuff to a shelter in December that cost me about $30 total, maybe, which I bought while I was figuring out how to manage the stockpile so I bought too much stuff.
Will you snag anything if it is free?
Not really. I pay tax pre-coupon, so depending on the deal, tax may be a determining factor. My DH only likes a certain deo (degree) so when CVS has ecb deals on other brands, I may pass on it, even if its free. But if I have a $/$$ coupon and need to get my sub-total up, I may buy it to donate since I’m already paying tax on my other items.
If the great deal that you snag is something you hadn’t intended to buy in the first place then are you really saving any money?
From the beginning, when I started super-couponing (7+ yrs now), I had a feel for what was a good deal or not, when to buy and when to pass. I guess it had to do with the way my mom & grandmother shopped, they were really frugal.
Do you have a certain amount of money each month allotted for those great deals (i.e. $5, $10 etc.)?
Yes. DH makes salary, so after all money is set aside for bills & gas, I normally get $75 for the month. Plus I make a little extra money babysitting on the weekends. And believe it or not, I have learned to s-t-r-e-t-c-h every single penny out of that money!! So far, for the month of March, I have only spent $50.00 on grocery shopping and drug store deals!
Are all your great deals and finds overtaking your house (i.e. creating clutter and using up much needed space)? Nope. I have a walk in pantry, and while at times the shelves may be packed, it makes me feel good that I can feed my family from my stockpile.
Now, my Healthi/Beauty stockpile….is a little out of control. I have a very small bathroom closet, so I try to keep my stockpile on the top shelf, but I ran out of room!! So I rearranged stuff and moved a major portion of it to a cabinet in the laundry room and some stuff is the pedistal storage bin under the washer & dryer, but now I’m running out of room in there too!!
Does your spouse or significant other support your need to snag all the great deals and freebies? Yes! DH is even into couponing now and asking me if I have a coupon for this or that.
Do you donate many of your freebies/great deals or do you keep them all for yourself?
Yes, I do donate. Several times a year, I go through my health/beauty stash and weed out things I haven’t touched, or have a little too much of (like shampoo, makeup, toothpaste!) and make a bag to donate to the local women’s shelter. For food, when the post office is collecting, when my kids have food drives and to the local food pantry several times a year.
I am new to couponing. I have 3 children and find it overwhelming to go in and out of stores so often. If I have them with me, it’s hard to concentrate! Also, I don’t want to feed my kids junk food – so if the items are super processed, I pass on them regardless of the discount. I love the idea of stocking up on cleaning supplies, diapers, toiletries, etc! I am also trying to keep my food/toiletries/diapers/cleaning supplies budget at $400 per month. It seems like the money I am spending on stock-piling is eating away at my food budget. I know it will get better as my stock-pile grows and I don’t need any items. Still learning all of this!
I was just talking about this the other day. I have definitely reached “maintenance mode”. There isn’t a whole lot that I need. I like the hunt of the deals and so I do find myself in the drugstores buying things that I don’t necessarily need because they are on sale and I have coupons for them. I LOVE the idea about keeping cash and only spending that. My SIL did that and said it worked for her. I was supposed to start doing that this week….and well, I didn’t. I am spending less (some weeks) but brining home a lot more. I am going to challenge myself to not shopping for an entire week. I have plenty of stuff not to do it, so I want to see if it can be done!
This is sooooo timely for me. I have been couponing agressively for about 6 months or so, half my facebook posts are about deals I have scored, and I have gotten many on the couponing bandwagon. People say, “Wow, you must be saving a lot of money” but when I look at the last couple months, I have gone over budget (a little) on my household/ tolietries/ baby stuff because I can’t pass up a deal. Granted now I have about a 3-4 month supply of most things, and I feel like I need to slow down a bit. My husband commented that he didn’t want me to be known as the local “coupon lady”….I took offense at first and then he explained that he knows that there is so much more to me than just deals and coupons. I took that to heart. I think next month I am going to try to do a pantry challenge, use up what I’ve got, and really restrict my grocery buying to perishables. And no toothpaste, shampoo, razors, shaving cream, diapers, wipes, toliet paper, or paper towels…I have plenty!
I’m in the same situation. I’ve been couponing for about 6 months, and I’m so proud of the stockpile I’ve made! But I really don’t need a lot of the toiletries any longer, and I think I have enough pasta and sauce to last at least a year! I’m trying to convince myself I can hold back. I like your suggestion of not buying those toiletries for a month or 2 and just using up part of your stockpile and just grocery shopping for perishables. So I’ll probably do that. But now I have to use the $3/1 Snuggles coupon – I can’t resist, even though I have plenty already! I’ll probably save them to use as giveaways for a couponing class I’m teaching in April.
I definitely stockpile, but rotate the new items to the back so we use up the old product first. Rarely do I pass up free if I happen to be at a store with a good deal, but I won’t go out of my way just to get something free, unless we need it. Just because it’s a deal, I won’t buy it unless we need/use it before it expires,or it is inexpensive enough to donate. Since coming home with $50 worth of goods at Target for $3.22 last night, I don’t really need to budget severely… I used to spend at least $100 a trip. We have a tiny house with no space, so a little more clutter in order to save money isn’t a huge issue. The hardest part is finding a place to store the cereal, TP, and toys. My husband loves the totals on my receipts and is disappointed when I don’t have a coupon for an item! Donating in a much larger scale than before is definitely the best part about couponing. Being able to send four boxes of supplies to a disaster area instead of a $20 check, buying things for my daughter’s classroom and school, giving to my parents and friends, supporting local food bank and church groups… I also am lining up my first one on one free “coupon & saving class” for unemployed and stay at home Moms that I am trying to develop. Thanks so much Collin!
What a GREAT post! Just the other day my husband told me “he thinks I buy some JUST because I have a coupon”…well, I think he might be right. The whole couponing game is addicting for sure. For me, sometimes I don’t know I need something until I see the deal, and the deal just makes it that much more inviting so I get usually, if that makes sense. Now, I see its more about catching the GOOD deals and not every deal. So I (will/am trying to)strive for that. Although I still believe that some of these deals are just so good that why not get it and turn it around to be a money maker for me by selling on my end.
Great post!! Yes, if its free we will still get it weather we use it or not because we donate a TON of stuff to our local food bank each month. Like Collin’s video, they take any type of food, plus shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, body wash, diapers, toliet paper, and any other hygiene needs that they donate to a local homeless shelter and womens centers. So we will go out of our way to get stuff for free that someone else can always use. This allows us to be able to give back because our family was once on the receiving end of all that so we know how important this stuff is to someone who doesn’t even have $5 in there pocket.
If your family can’t use the stuff but its free you should call around and “ADOPT” a local nonprofit agency to give the stuff too. There are hospitality houses around a lot of hospitals that are always needing stuff for families with sick loved ones that had to leave their house on a moments notice. Abused womens and childrens shelters always need diapers and feminine hygiene products and other toiletries. And it doesn’t take any more than a phone call or stoping by and handing them a bag of donations. We are all so Blessed and this is one way we can help others who are not so fortunate.
I am realizing sometimes that I might be getting a great deal but the amount of time I spend planning and actually shopping isn’t always worth it. I can home last night after some great deals at Rite Aid and I was on such a high. I layed out all that I got to show my husband and have him play the “guess how much I spent for all of this?” game. When I went to bed I realized that once that stuff was put away and was out of sight, the high will be over and in the end, it is just stuff. I definatly love a good deal, especially when it is something we need anyways, but I need to put it in perspective sometimes and realize that dragging my kids to Walgreens to get something that might be free but that I don’t need, isn’t worth it.
I started couponing in January, and have quickly become addicted. It didn’t take me long to learn that “free” isn’t always, because in my area we pay state sales tax pre-coupon price. So that will affect my decision to buy if it’s not something I’ll use. I am also learning that my time is valuable, and though I live in an area where there are 8 drugstores, 3 supercenters and 10 grocery stores within 8 minutes, sometimes I need to just go to the park with my kids.
I have been careful not to go over my monthly grocery budget to “save” money. March is my 3rd month couponing, and the first month I’ll be lowering my money spent at the end of the month, by one third. This is the grocery budget I have refined over 7 years and thought I couldn’t squeeze another penny out of! My husband and kids are super supportive. My 2 year old daugher brings her coupon book with her everywhere we go.
I have been blessed to be able to give away a TON of stuff, Which is good for me since by nature I’m a hoarder. 🙂 So when I start getting possesive about my deals, I know it’s time to take another box of stuff to the homeless shelter.
This is the first month I’ve gone cash, since I was getting rewards by using my debit card, But I did the math. 2% reward on $200 a month, vs the money I am saving by sticking better to my budget. A cc or dc doesn’t ‘feel’ like money to me, making it easier to justify overspending. I used to mentally say “well I’m already overbudget, what’s another $20” Which I am never tempted to do with cash. I know some people are very self disciplined when it comes to this, but there are studies done, and most people will spend more with a credit card, or even a debit card than they will with cash by around 14% .
And personally I am finding it easier to keep track of my spending with cash. I’m not worried about losing it, most of my transactions are very small amount, so I only keep about $20 on me when I go out shopping unless I am going for a major trip.
Interesting post!
If a freebie is at a store I’m ALREADY shopping, for sure I’ll snag it. I’m not going to go out of the way to pick up on thing at Wags unless it’s a really good MM. I used to do that, but it made me tired. 😉 I also take into account tax. Wags runs lots of good free med deals, but the tax will eat you up if you do them too much. So I only get what I need or what I know others in my life will use for sure.
I almost never buy any of the good deals you post on this blog. hahaha….probably not what you want to read. I’m in a stage in my life where I’m focused on food and household items only. Some day I’ll buy a bunch of cute junk 😉 but this is not the time. I don’t have the space or $. I LOVE the alerts you give on grocery coupons…that has really helped me.
Will you snag anything if it is free? It depends. If it is something I will use or would like to try, definitely. If it is a money maker, of course. If I have to pay tax on it and its not something I would ordinarily buy or something I want to try, I have to stop and think about it. I still get excited when I come home with a bunch of freebies but I sometimes find myself wondering WHY I chose to pick something up that we did not need.
If the great deal that you snag is something you hadn’t intended to buy in the first place then are you really saving any money? Again, it depends. For example, I rarely buy feminine pads. I use tampons so I really don’t need them. However, occasionally I do buy a package as back up. I got packs of Kotex last month for 10 cents each (22 count pads). If I’m in a bind and need them then you know there is no way there is going to be a deal like that going on. Its just my luck that when I NEED something there is no deal. So, I picked up 6 packages. I spent less than $1 (with tax) and now I have a good stockpile that will save me not only a trip to the store but money as well. In that case, I was saving money. I wasn’t saving current money but future money. As long as something doesn’t hurt my budget then I will go ahead and snag a deal, even if I had no intention of buying that product that week.
Do you have a certain amount of money each month allotted for those great deals (i.e. $5, $10 etc.)? Deals are included in our grocery budget. I have $130 a week (family of 4) and I buy toiletries, paper products, clothes, groceries, vitamins (OTC meds and prescriptions come from my medical spending account), gifts, and any household extras like a gallon of paint or a new mirror.
I have recently started using cash. I was reading previous posts where some people can’t understand using cash. I used to be like that. However, I found that if there was any extra money allotted for groceries at the end of the week that it ended up being reabsorbed in to the family account and I would start fresh the following week. It was also easy to go over a little here and there and just take the money from other areas of our budget. I’ve since started pulling cash out of the account before I do the weekly shopping. I often have $50 left at the end of the week. Some weeks when there are really good deals, I can really stock up and spend more than I would otherwise because I’ve saved back the grocery cash.
Are all your great deals and finds overtaking your house (i.e. creating clutter and using up much needed space)? Yes and no. I do have a major clutter problem right now but my stockpile isn’t taking up needed space. When I first started stockpiling we lived in a tiny 2 bedroom with no real place for storage. I had things tucked away everywhere and still had a mess. Several times I bought more (at full price) of an item because I couldn’t find or had forgotten I had stuff stockpiled. When my husband saw that I was serious about building a stockpile and continuing to shop with coupons and find deals he bought me a house. Well, okay, we were planning to buy a few years down the road but we found a 5 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car attached garage with a bonus play room (a single attached garage converted) that could technically be considered a 6th bedroom. We have 2 kids so we are only using up 3 of the bedrooms. I took one for my office and that leaves me a full room to stash stuff in (as well as the garage and the workshop behind the garage). I am in the process of clearing out the spare bedroom though and moving my stash in to the closets in my office so that things are easier to find… so, yeah… I have clutter. LOL
Does your spouse or significant other support your need to snag all the great deals and freebies? Absolutely! He is the one who always used to tell me to stock up on stuff so that we didn’t have to buy the same things each week. I’d go to get one jar of jelly and he’d tell me to buy 3. I couldn’t justify it because our budget was (and still would be without coupons) quite tight. I’d buy the one jar and we’d end up running out halfway through a week and have to wait a few days before we could buy more. He would get frustrated and give me that “I told you so” speech. He absolutely loves my coupon shopping now and my stockpiling.
Do you donate many of your freebies/great deals or do you keep them all for yourself? I give stuff away to friends and family and I donate certain times of the year (Christmas, food drives, etc.) but I really don’t go overboard with purchasing so I don’t have a huge abundance of stuff. I live in an area with 1 Walgreens and 1 Walmart. I play it safe and fly under the radar because I don’t have any other options. If one of my stores starts getting upset with how many free items I get, etc. and starts to monitor my shopping then I won’t have any other place to go. LOL
My husband loves my stockpiling, too.
And I have to admit buying more than one of something felt odd to me.
One day I bought a jar of salsa and by that evening it was gone. The kids had a snack and we ate it with dinner. I was a little perturbed that I no longer had this ingredient in the house.
Thanks to my new couponing ways (and money saved from coupons), I went out the next day and bought three larger, less expensive jars. I intend to do this with everything that will be a key ingredient in a meal.
At first, I bought EVERYTHING there was a good deal on. In NC, we have to pay 7.75% on non-food items before coupons. A $10 “free” item costs me $.078. Now, I really examine every pupose.
My dad is the executive director of the homeless shelter in Winston-Salem, NC, so his birthday, father’s day, and Christmas gifts are always large boxes of toiletries for the shelter. He is very appreciative.
If I can’t donate it or use it myselft, I sell it at my summer yard sale. Some people even comment that my front yard looks like a CVS! By the end of the morning, everything is sold. It’s a great way to recoup my costs. Other big ticket items like Zyrtec and Prilosec can be sold on Ebay for a profit.