8 Reasons Why You SHOULD Use Coupons!
This morning, my inbox was full of emails from all of you about an article that appeared today in Yahoo’s Personal Finance section by Amy Fontinelle entitled “8 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Use Coupons.” Although I am not really surprised that this article was printed (I have often encountered coupon skeptics), I was determined to write something in return. So here is my personal rebuttal entitled “8 Reasons Why You Should Use Coupons.” If you have additional reasons to add, please do so in the comment section below. I will also be emailing the author, Amy, my article in the hopes that she will re-consider her reasons for not couponing.
Amy, if you are reading this, I am personally inviting you to join me on a “Follow You Monday” adventure…you pick the date and the store and I will personally join you with my coupon binder in hand…I guarantee that I will make you a believer in the value of coupons! 😀
**Please keep in mind the sentences that are in bold below are taken directly from “8 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Use Coupons”
(1) You have to buy a newspaper.
You do NOT have to buy a newspaper to be a couponer. You can snag coupon inserts from family, friends and neighbors who are not avid couponers. In addition, contact local coffee shops and restaurants and ask if you can come by every Sunday evening and recycle their Sunday newspapers; you can then take the inserts and drop the remainder of the newspapers off at a recycling center. And, check out this post here for ways you can snag multiple copies of coupon inserts for free. Finally, be pro-active. Contact your local newspaper and ask if they offer a discount if you buy several Sunday papers each week. Also keep in mind that many coupons do not come from the newspaper but instead are available online. You can access many high value coupons online on sites like Coupons.com, Smartsource.com, and Redplum.com. Even if you pay as high as $0.10 per printed coupon (due to ink costs), it is still worth it as you will save anywhere from $0.35-$5.00+ off the cost of an item.
(2) Clipping coupons takes time.
Clipping coupons does take time, but it is time well spent! According to an MSNBC.com article, the average savings per coupon is $1.44. If we assume it takes a minute to clip and organize one coupon, this means for one minute worth of work, you can save an average of $1.44. So if you spend an hour clipping 60 coupons, you will in essence save $86.40! I would also encourage all of you to check out my Follow You Monday video filmed back in February in Tampa, Florida at a Publix store…after coupons, we spent $3.45 out of pocket for $258.24 worth of items! Now, wouldn’t you agree clipping coupons is well worth your time?!
(3) Getting a newspaper invites lots of additional advertising into your home.
Couponers welcome advertisements because ads allow us to be more informed and savvy shoppers. Staying informed of all the latest ads in your area enables you to decide where to spend your time shopping during the week. In addition, advertisements enable couponers to take advantage of price matching which is available at large stores like Target and Walmart (price matching policies may vary from store to store). Check out my personal price matching story here that depicts how I succeeded in scoring Toy Story 1 and Toy Story 2 Blue Ray Discs for only $6.99 each!
(4) Many of the coupons will be for things you neither need nor want.
Although many of the items may be for things that you do not need or want, you can always find a use for these unneeded/unwanted items. For example, many Hip2Save readers will take personal care items that they snag for free (thank you coupons :D) and donate them to a local charity. Check out this video where I go to the pound and a local Women’s Shelter to donate my freebies. Or consider taking these items and making a nice gift basket for a friend…for example, I was able to put together a gift basket of household and personal care products (that I had snagged for free over the last few months) for a friend who recently purchased her first home. How great is that?!
(5) Coupons can tempt you to spend your grocery dollars on things you shouldn’t
Yes, coupons can tempt you to spend your grocery dollars on things you shouldn’t. SO can an empty stomach, a screaming child, a TV advertisement…the list goes and on and on. For the most part, couponers come to the store prepared with a shopping list in hand and a shopping budget in mind. Staying organized and focused prevents the desire to spend money on unintended items.
(6) The same coupons tend to be offered over and over again.
Thank goodness the same coupons are offered over and over again! In my mind, you can never have enough $3/1 Huggies coupons, right?! And, yes, I do agree with the statement that you often won’t use all the coupons you clip by their expiration date. However, that does not mean that you need to toss the coupons in the trash. Instead, you can put your expired coupons to good use. U.S. military families stationed overseas are able to use coupons on base for up to SIX MONTHS after the manufacturer’s expiration date! So start collecting those expired coupons and check out the post here for information on how and where to send your coupons.
(7) You might become a slave to coupons.
Yes, it is difficult to buy something without a coupon once you get used to using coupons. Knowing that you can get cereal for less than $1 makes it extremely difficult to spend $4+ on it, right?! For this reason, couponers know that when they find a great bargain, they take advantage of the savings opportunity. Couponers stock up on sale items, so that they never have to pay full-price for an item. Check out this stockpiling picture here from a Hip2Save reader.
(8) Shopping takes longer.
Organization is key! An organized couponer will not be in the store any longer than the average person. Check out my post/video found here for tips on coupon organization.
WOW! She has us all in a frenzy. Here’s my response…
Are you kidding me? Ms. Fontinelle, I invite you any time to go shopping with me. You will see that not only do I save TONS of money, I make healthy choices for my family. The fact that (because of coupons matched with sales) I haven’t paid for toothpaste, razors, shampoo, etc. in months gives me money to buy the fruits and fresh vegetables my family needs. Because of coupons we are able to buy the healthier items that before may have been out of our price range. Given our current economic situation in this country, I think that we should be encouraging people to clip coupons and save where they can. I look forward to seeing other couponers comments on your uneducated couponing article.
Thank you so much for passing info on sending expired Q’s to families overseas!! I had no idea this was something I could do…throwing away expired Q’s, to me, is just like throwing $$$ in the trash! I’m glad I’ll be able to give in some small way.
Great post, Collin. The blog posted earlier by another reader is very interesting. Especially since she uses coupons herself from time to time:
https://twopenniesearned.blogspot.com/2009/11/how-much-10-common-grocery-items-cost.html
just some excerpts from her blog:
“Salty Snacks: The regular price on Wheat Thins can exceed $3, but the sale price for a small box is generally around $1.69. I recently printed some $1.00 off coupons from Coupons.com, so I’ll be getting my next two boxes for 69 cents each.”
“Cereal: I can no longer bring myself to pay more than $2.00 for a box of brand-name cereal. At full price, most cereals seem to cost around $4. I usually get mine for $1.25 or $1.50 using a combination of sales and coupons. Some brands go on sale frequently (like Cap’n Crunch and Life) while others you have be patient for (like Banana Nut Cheerios).”
Maybe she doesn’t know how to EFFECTIVELY use coupons, and that’s where the basis of the article comes from?? Collin, I hope she takes you up on your offer. From the blog, she definitely seems interested in saving money.
one more important line!!!!
“Even if you hate to track sales and clip coupons, if you do it for just the ten items that you purchase the most often, you can save a bundle. Then you’ll have extra money to buy more food, spend on something else, or put in your piggybank.”
Talk about out of touch…maybe she is unaware of unemployment rates for the last few years.
On a side note I am far more disciplined in the grocery store than I was in my pre-coupon days and spend far LESS time shopping.
Amen, Minnow! I actually HAVE a list now that I coupon…wouldn’t go grocery shopping without one!
She probably works for the government!
She probably does not want others to use coupons. She wants it all!! I see that she’s got some contradictions between that article and her blog?
lololol i love it you go girl
Sorry for yet ANOTHER post from me, but check out this post: NO, REALLY, check it out!!
https://twopenniesearned.blogspot.com/2009/11/saving-money-on-groceries-with-coupon.html
It seems to be the same person from the description and name, but doesn’t seem to follow her article compared to her blog.
Key quotes:
“However, I have bought a few things I’m not sure I’ll use because they were so cheap ($1 or less) and I can always donate them to charity if I end up not using them after a few months.”
“It’s also important to note that some sale prices are better than others. One week pizzas may be on sale for $4.50, while another week the exact same pizzas may be on sale for $3.50. Once you start paying closer attention to sale prices (and perhaps even keeping a grocery price list), you’ll know then the best time to buy is. The best prices usually roll around every few weeks, and you should stock up and use your coupons then”
She wrote another article on money saving tips. This was one of them:
Might there be a coupon for this item somewhere?
Combine sales with coupons, and you’ll save even more. For the internet-savvy, eBay can be a great source of coupons, such as 10 buy-one-get-one-free coupons (abbreviated B1G1 in eBay lingo) of your favorite deodorant. The coupons might cost you $2.50 total including postage, but if you use all 10 of them, your net savings on a $3 stick of deodorant will be at least $27.50 plus tax. If you have time to look through a few pages of content, then sites that offer free printable coupons, like Coupons.com could be a good option for you too.
Ok, I’m done. I’m not trying to bash her, but wondering why she wrote the contradicting article. Maybe she was just trying another angle?
So the lady that has this blog is the one that wrote the article?
Yes. There is even a link to this article from the one Collin posted about.
Wow that’s crazy. Thanks for sharing.
A quote from her home page: “Because I am a writer who is also an editor, I understand the process of creating publishable material from both sides of the fence”
Maybe this is why she has contradicting articles. Perhaps she is giving reasons why for some people couponing is not a good idea… perhaps people who will be tempted to buy things they don’t need or that is not good for them or just more things, etc.
I thought the same thing after reading her blog and other articles she has written. She may have been asked to write an alternative view.
I agree. I read that in The Coupon Mom’s book. Now I wait for boneless, skinless chicken breasts to go on sale and stock up to get me to the next sale. Recently they were $4.99 at Krogers. They were $7.99 when I was there yesterday. Of course I didn’t buy them b/c I already have a freezer full! 😉
I stocked up on those, too!!
Wow I couldn’t believe this article! I even had to share it on my Facebook. The lady that wrote that article must have money to throw around. I wonder if she realizes how much money she could have saved in the time it took her to write that worthless article..lol In regards to #1 I use to buy the newspaper even when I wasn’t couponing. I know ALOT of people subscribe to the newspaper that don’t coupon….so if they started couponing they could make that money back. I buy 4-5 newspapers every week. I know for a fact with ONE newspaper I am saving more than $5 so it is definitely worth it!
There are so many good points already posted so I won’t go into it. Is it crazy this article makes me mad? lol
I save enough on my groceries by couponing to equal what I made at Target working part-time. Needless to say I’d rather stay home a clip coupons than work away from home.
Dear Ms. Fontinelle,
In your article, “Unclaimed Property–It’s Not (Usually) a Scam” you write “I write down every penny I spend and every penny I earn. I even write down when I find money, as long as it’s paper. How could I have not noticed so much money missing for so long?”
Yet in your article, “8 Reasons NOT to use Coupons” you write
2. Clipping coupons takes time.
Yes, you can do it while you watch TV and turn “unproductive” time into “productive” time. But there are a lot of things you can do while you watch TV – mop the floor, prepare a week’s worth of meals or actually let yourself relax and not do anything for once. Your time might be better spent on another activity.
Apparently one of the “other activities” is being anal retentive enough to write down every penny you earn.
I have read several of your articles and I have found them all to be poorly researched and poorly written. Disposable dinnerware, for a wedding? Your articles should be labeled “How to look cheap, and not really save much money while doing it”.
Sincerely,
Cindy Adams
I love it!
I couldn’t find anywhere on that article to leave a comment. I clicked on the investopedia.com logo since it says it’s brought to us by them. I left them a comment and told them to check out Collin’s rebuttal!
Find “contact us” then click. It should be show up comment area.
I searched high and low for a “contact us” and couldn’t find one! Point me to it and I will definitely contact them. That is the craziest article I have ever read!
Scroll down until very bottom of first page and you can see the right side. After click it, they say “Choose category for your inquire”. I picked “General”. Then after click that, you can see the form to fill up. That’s how I sent a letter to Ms. Fontinelle. I really hope she read my letter.
Thank you that was awesome
I went to Wags Sunday am early by 7 am. I had my coupons and RRs and figured out how I would do my transactions. I bought my “usual” number of newspapers with RRs so no OOP. (I always keep track of the money I put into couponing to make sure it is profitable.) I bought 5 papers and to my delight discovered that the Parade and USA newspaper magazines (which both come in one paper) each had the McDonald’s smoothie/frappe coupons–10!! 10 x $2.29 = $29.29 in free smoothies that I can get for me and my children. Coupons good until August.
I enjoy the paper every Sunday am and enjoy the coupons I get. There always seems to be a surprize of some sort. Last spring, there were the Hasbro coupons for the toys and I made a killing on almost free Hasbro toys with those coupons (Xmas 2010 here I come!!). Now the smoothies! I love the newspaper! I recycle my papers regularly.
I am not sure why buying a newspaper is a reason to not coupon–I have saved more than I put in but more importantly I try to make sure I make a profit. I like newspaper coupons more than internet but I do use BOTH!!!
Boo to this article!!
“Perhaps the most dedicated coupon clippers can overcome these hurdles and still achieve overall savings. If you’re not one of them, there’s no need to start clipping.” The last line of the article… I am forever talking to my coworkers and my family about all of the money I save when I use my coupons and all I have are 2 of the little $1 coupon organizers in my purse. I don’t even have a big binder yet and still save a ton of money at the stores!! Yesterday I went to walmart and used 6 coupons and saved $15. I don’t even make that in a hour of work at my job and it only took about 5 minutes to clip, organize, and use those coupons at the store. Now my coworkers can’t wait to tell me about their use of coupons and most of them are in their early 20’s but trying to move out and save some money too. Even one of the guys bragged to me today about how he used a B1G1 coupon on GoKarts this past weekend and he was super excited. That one little coupon saved him $8 so even if you just use them every now and then, coupons are a Blessing and will definatly save anyone some money! I am really hoping this lady takes you up on your offer and sees for herself that coupons are a good thing and definatly worth your time to get into!
That’s fine. Just more coupons for us!
My friend put it this way and I agree wholeheartedly: My husband works hard to bring home money to support our family. It is my RESPONSIBILITY to spend that money wisely and make it go as far as I can to honor his hard work.
I have a similar view – that couponing is my way to “earn” our family money because after all, “A penny saved is a penny earned.”
Actually, a penny saved is MORE than a penny earned, because you don’t pay any income tax on it.
In Dallas, we can get “The Briefing” free. It automatically comes actually unless you request it not to. Basically The Briefing is a snippet of the Dallas Morning News (our paper). It has front page articles, plus ads and coupons! 🙂 It comes Wednesday through Saturday, and Saturday’s includes Sunday’s coupons!
Knew I shouldn’t have left Texas for a reason…hee hee!
I have been a hip2saver since Dec. 2009. Since then my daughter has been addicted as well. I just had a free dinner tonight at Moe’s Southwest Grill because of a post that I saw on hip2save for a free birthday meal. I have clipped coupons for 30 years and am always looking for a deal. However, Collin has helped me “kick it up a notch” and I get tons of info here about coupons, freebies, clearance sales, etc. The woman that wrote this article is clearly uninformed. Keep it up Collin. We LOVE what you do!
P.S. Free queso at Moe’s on Wed., July 21! Woot!
I agree with you completely. I have always thought of myself as a savvy shopper and have always used coupons, but now I didn’t know that you could combine MF coupons with store coupons for even more savings. I just checked my Rite Aid SCR balance and I will be getting back almost $60 at the end of the month IF I don’t find any more deals this coming weekend. My daughter (16) now checks out this site before shopping at the mall. What a great lesson for her to learn at such a young age.
Amy needs to realize that if you use coupons wrong, it IS a waste of money. Why would you buy something JUST because you have a coupon. Do you walk into the grocery store and buy things JUST because they are on sale? Of course not, so why would you ever buy something just because you have a coupon for it? It is really a shame that she didn’t do a little more research before writing that article. I started couponing after I was laid off my job. I was on unemployment making about 60% of my previous salary. Because of couponing, I was able to live the same lifestyle as I had before the lay off. I rarely ever make a run to the grocery store to buy ingredients for dinner, because I already have all the staples I need. I recently started working full time again and I will be able to put an extra $700+ a month into savings for a down payment on a house.
Lots of people do! It is the people who really “get” how to coupon that don’t.
The author of this article has probably never been an avid couponer. I have only been couponing seriously since March 2010. I love it! I feel like I am contributing to my family budget. I found the following statement from the article to be interesting: “but it’s not so great if you prefer variety and experimentation.” I have tried so many new products that without coupons I would never have tried! So I don’t find her statement to be true for me. I have found some great products!
Great response Collin – after ready her other blog it makes me wonder if she is doing this as a ploy to draw attention to articles…
One thing she mentions in #5 is:
“5. Coupons can tempt you to spend your grocery dollars on things you shouldn’t.
Coupons don’t always market the healthiest foods. This might mean that they’ll lead you to buy things that aren’t very good for you. Anyone can see that clipping coupons that tempt you to purchase sugary cereals and fatty or salty snacks isn’t the greatest thing for your health.”
She is totally focused on FOOD. She doesn’t consider the huge amount we save on cleaning supplies and personal hygiene. I haven’t paid for a toothbrush, toothpaste, dish detergent, etc. since I started couponing.
Couponing lady and proud of it!
Totally! The amount of coupons that are published (esp in the Sunday paper) for non-food items is much higher than food items! My coupon sections for “Household” and “Bathroom” were so large I had to divide them up even further.
Oh my gosh! That’s all I have to say! That article was almost nauseating in its narrow mindedness!
Bravo Collin!!
I love this post 🙂
I took a friend (who has been trying to grasp the couponing idea) out on a quick shopping trip. Between the Crayola Kroger deal and the G2 pens at Walgreen’s, we saved almost $33 in 15 min. without clipping one coupon. That made a believer out of her and, after feeling the rush of paying pennies for so much, she is totally pumped to start working a little harder 🙂
Couponing is theraupetical. I was very deppress because i lost my (very good paying) job and i had to cut my spending A LOT. Then my sister passed away and anxiety was added to my list. Keeping my mind busy, helped me to regain the confidence i lost and my mind stopped generating negative thoughts….Coupons helps me keep my sanity.
I agree. Some friends invited me out Friday night and I politely declined. I thought to myself …. I would rather go home and clip coupons!
The author of the Yahoo article totally doesn’t “get” it.
I have no kids, but I STILL took advantage of some of the great back-to-school sales and coupon deals to score some office supplies that I can donate to the Humane Society of New York, which is where I adopted my 2 feline roommates. Animal shelters can always use pens, markers, highlighters and other office supplies! I mailed a batch last week, and will be sending out another package this week.
Have pet food coupons, but no pet? Donate the coupons to a local animal rescue group that may not be as well funded as some of the larger shelters. Often, smaller, local rescue groups need all the food and pet supplies they can get!
Don’t need diapers or formula? Donate the coupons (or products if you get them free or close to free) to a local domestic violence shelter or home for unwed mothers.
Besides saving me a TON of money, using coupons enables me to donate more than I would be able to do without using them. 🙂
Collin, great rebuttal. You helped md change my ways of spending money. Now I use coupons for almost everything and if it wasn’t for my cousin who referred me a year ago to your website, I would be in a world of hurt since my husband lost his job around that time. God sent!!
I saved $41 at Publix on Sunday so they can write whatever they want. I will coupon forever!
Oh Collin I just love ya more & more! You are so awesome! Obviously all of us couponers realize Amy just doesn’t understand the coupon world. I REALLY, REALLY hope that she accepts your challenge! =)
I read this article about a week ago and literally spit out my glass of water while reading it. While I applaud your retort(AWESOME BTW), sadly it most likely will fall on deaf ears. It appeared(to me anyway) that the author’s target audience(as she herself may be as well) are lazy, unmotivated, and the sheep of Americans (follow the herd). Admit it couponing DOES take work, but the reward far exceeds what you could get working a job in corporate America making someone else rich. Why not make that money stretch for better things such as educational trips for your kids, private school (especially if you live in a poor school district) and better foods. I will admit to buying more items that I will NEVER use than I can count, but if the store is going to PAY me to buy the item, I will do it. That means I can spend less on my organic milk, 93% lean beef and organic produce without altering my grocery budget.
Again, good luck if you send this to the author, but by now I am sure she is on to the next big story that will afford her the next pair of Choo shoes she is drooling over.
For the first 40 weeks I couponed in 2009…I kept a running total and I saved almost $10,000! The article is ridiculous.
The SAME for me as well! My DH was so proud of my savings! 😀
Amy Fontinelle’s post might as well be titled “8 Reasons To Pay Full Price For Things – Brought to you by Walmartâ„¢.”
I have just started couponing in May. The hubby has been out of work for almost 3 years and I nereded to find a way to get items into the house for our 3 kids and save in the process. Today alone I saved $30 on my grtocery bill which would have cost me $80. To me this is a trip to the zoo or mcdonald opr hey how about that mortgage? hmmm these people are obviously not wrking with the same economy everyone else is!!! If I spend $1 on a paper at the dollar store on Saturday and $1.75 on sunday and then use $50 in coupons, I think Ive saved som money. Yeah its very time consuming and annoing for a starter at this point but its well worth it in the end. This year we finally made it to Cedar point, hmmm I wonder if the savings from coupons was worth it?
If you made it to Cedar Point then it was WELL worth it. That is the BEST amusement park!
I just have to say that today I went to Kroger and picked up 23 tubes of Crest, 2 body washes, 4 packs of tissues, 6 packs of pens, 2 packs of markers and 2 local papers for $4.45 thanks to coupons! My family actually has weeks where we don’t have to shop because I am able to save so much money with coupons! This woman is clearly delusional. Thanks for all you do for all of us Collin!
The lady that wrote that article did no research what-so-ever. There were so many errors and contradictions in her article it was laughable. Sure serious couponing may not work for everyone but to say “don’t use coupons” is just rediculous. We’re military so we have a set salary. I save our family an average of $700 a month by using coupons and discounts. I also mail my expired coupons to friends stationed in Germany and Japan. I feel great that I not only save our family money but that I’m able to donate to others as well. So explain to me why that’s such a bad thing?
Wow, that was probably the most insane article on couponing I have ever read. I have always been a coupon user but it wasn’t until about a year and a half ago that I became hardcore as I call it.
We lost a signifigant amount of income, and nearly lost our house. With three kids, and some pets, I was at the end of my rope trying to stay above water. That is when I started researching and found Collins blog as well as a few others, that taught me so much. Not paying for things like deoderant, shampoo, soap, toothpaste and saving huge amounts on groceries in general I feel saved us.
I have tried to show people that if you take the time it is most definately worth every minute and the few dollars ya spend on the newspaper and ink, but most people don’t get it, and sound exactly like that lady. I would never shop without coupons, I even put up with so much from cashiers that sometimes makes shopping extremely unpleasant, but again that doesnt and will not stop me.
Great job Collin, I hope she takes you up on the video, would love to see her reaction.
You absolutely do not have to buy a newspaper! I just traded in some airline miles that were getting ready to expire for a year’s worth of Sunday newspapers and the inserts.
I started couponing in January 2010. I made a few mistakes initially, but I learned from them. And saved a lot of money too. I think the lady who wrote that article published it without even reading it once. As Collin said, the article is totally misleading and tries to discourage people from even trying to understand the idea of coupons and the money you can save on using them. It will be interesting if she decides to join Collin on a coupon adventure 🙂
I love your rebuttals, Collin! Way to GO!!! I think people who don’t coupon are just jealous of all our sweet deals. In economic times like this I ask “How can you NOT coupon???”
i loved your article collin. couponing has allowed me to buy items i don’t normally want to spend money on. i have also been able to give alot of items to those in need. your rebuttle should be placed on yahoo.
This lady is crazy ive been unemployed and your site has really helped me to survive by using coupons i guess she does have money to burn in her pocket! I cant thank u enough Collin for all the excellent work u do!!! This is my favorite site!
I spend LESS time than I did before grocery shopping, b/c I have a list of EXACT items… you don’t have to stroll the aisles looking for the best deal, b/c you already know what it is…. I used to spend 2 hours grocery shopping in Walmart thinking I was getting a good deal. Now I don’t have to step in walmart unless I want to.
I work 2 jobs, have 2 kids, and I’m a full-time student. Yet, I still MAKE time to coupon, because the money I save is almost equivalent to having a third job… seriously! Somebody’s gotta enlighten Amy- I hope it’s you, Collin!
Perfect Collin!
What world does that woman live in? That is the most ridiculous article I have ever read!
I spend less time and money when I use coupons. I stay focused, know what I am in the store to get….hope she takes Collin up on this…oh and please video it!
I read that article and it seemed to me like one big whine. If people want to be lazy and not save a ton of money that is there problem.
Yeah, I do spend some time couponing, and creating my shopping lists, but it is reasonably enjoyable, and not really all that much. Then to be able to use a website like this to be able to pair those coupons with sales and get item for super-cheap or free…. it is well worth it.
Thanks to Hip2Save, I have a probably a year’s stock of things like deodorant, toothpaste, feminine pads, shampoo, etc. that I got for free or very close to it. Last night I came home with a large tube of toothpaste, two 2 packs of very nice gel pens, foot exfoliating cream, and a pair of arch supports for free from Walgreens. Last week, I bought $90 worth of groceries for $22. That’s a lot of savings for the little time I spent organizing.
I can see a little the point of the article – if you really hate clipping coupons, don’t read the newspaper, and make enough money that you can just walk in the store and pay full retail for everything you need, then don’t coupon. But for me, I’m going to keep on using my coupons and Hip2Save to save bunches of money on things I need.
I didn’t read all the previous comments so this may have already been pointed out, but I didn’t think this sentence made a lot of sense: “Plus, if you have a monthly grocery budget that you stick to no matter what, coupons will only get you more food or different food – they won’t truly save you any money.”
Sure, if your weekly grocery budget is say $75 and you spend that no matter what, her statement is true. But if you’re getting more food than your pre-coupon days every week/month, wouldn’t you eventually stop spending the full $75?!?! I don’t know anyone who would think “Gee, my freezer, fridge and pantry are packed full but since I budgeted $75 I HAVE to spend it on food.”
Oh and one more thing that has occurred to me. She points out that “clipping coupons takes time.” My full time job took up a lot more time than couponing does but I didn’t see any articles saying I should quit working. I’ve noticed that a lot (not all obviously) of people who frequent couponing sites are SAHMs. There aren’t a whole lot of jobs that you do can do while taking care of the kiddos at your house. And while couponing doesn’t give you an actual paycheck, if it makes the money you have go further that’s still like pay under the old “a penny saved is a penny earned” idea (not to mention money makers 🙂 )
What planet does Ms. Fontinelle live on? Never more than today does everyone need to be aware of the cost of things we buy. I coupon for myself, my family and my community. I give many personal care items and food to the local shelters and foodbanks. I teach “couponing” classes to anyone who wants to know how I save thousands of dollars each year. I never pay for toothpaste, shampoo, razors, etc. I have a stockpile of things we might need in the future and give the rest to those who are less fortunate. I am not working myself now and still I can give like I am wealthy. And I go into the store and see people spending $100 or more, while I pay $2 for the same amount of food. I smile all the way out to my car. Get with it, Ms. Fontinelle, saving money and helping others by couponing is the smartist thing a person can do, no matter what the economic climate.
Thanks, Collin, for the great tips.
Clearly this article was not well researched. Why on Earth would someone write an article discouraging people from using coupons? Who ever said that you have to cut out every coupon in the paper? She is also trying to deter people from bringing a newspaper into their homes, because advertising is oh so dangerous! She assumes that the reader is easily manipulated into buying things they don’t need. I think she may be speaking of her own failures, rather than the supposed “danger of coupons.” Seems like a real dim bulb to me.
Thanks to sites like this one, consumers can save more time and money than ever before using coupons.