A renaissance for coupons?

Starting Saver, NY, NY — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:44:13 GMT

Since the downturn, I have made a stronger commitment to using coupons to save. I also stock up when items are on mega sale and try to use a coupon to make the savings even better. Coupons.com has helped a lot,and the coupons have barcodes and security features so stores know they're not counterfeit. My grocery store actually has a site that lets me make lists, then find coupons for items on the list. I just bought an accordian holder recently to start sorting the coupons I clip.

A renaissance for coupons?

A. Issac, Livingston NJ — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 02:53:15 GMT

How true. We've been publishing local coupon books since 1990 and in June of 2008 launched our website: www.moneysavercouponsonline.com Our traffic continues to grow as the economy softens. We deal with the local biz; dry cleaners, pizza restaurants, car washes, home improvement companies etc. Coupons help the consumer and the small biz person in these challenging times. The tough part of this is that it becomes tougher and tougher for the samll biz person to allocate funds for advertising. We are rolling out a super low cost program and hope it takes off.

A renaissance for coupons?

Coupon Convert, San Mateo, CA — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 04:37:11 GMT

I never used coupons before, but I have started looking on coupons.com before I go shopping each week, and so far I am saving $10 or so each week. Sometimes I buy a different brand than I would have, but always good brands just the same.

A renaissance for coupons?

Rebecca, Merritt Island, FL — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:51:34 GMT

I am apart of a group called the Grocery Challenge on MSN Money. We typically save $2000-$4000 a year doing coupon and sales shopping on our own. We don't pay for the services of other companies because as a whole, we can inform each other just as easily. Coupons are such an important part of my life that I cannot believe others would not use them. I save on average $250 a month on groceries and 90% of my spending on household products at CVS and Walgreens. Please promote the use of coupons! (As a side note, I don't read any part of the newspaper, I buy 4-5 copies a week just for the coupons.)

A renaissance for coupons?

No coupon bandwagoner — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:01:43 GMT

It's amazing how people suddenly "rediscover" coupons when things get bad...after sniffing in disdain at those of us who have done this for decades. I refuse to shop without them; if you really work at it, yes, you CAN buy groceries for pennies on the dollar. I regularly buy $150 or more in groceries and pay only half of the cost out of pocket. Sites like www.afullcup.com can show you how to save not just now during a downturn, but permanently.

A renaissance for coupons?

Coupon Catcher, Chicago, IL — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:29:37 GMT

About 2 years, I started using coupons and am still amazed at my savings. I love the convenience of online coupons, but many stores in my area won't accept them, so I still count on the coupons that come in the Sunday paper, as well as any manufacturers that mail out coupons on request.
And I never go to the store without my coupons.

A renaissance for coupons?

Amiyrah, Edison, New Jersey — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 16:54:24 GMT

Coupons are a wonderful way to save! Fortunately, I started to seriously use them in October of 2007 and have saved quite a bit of money. I now have over 6,000 in savings just from using coupons and sales to my advantage in 2008. coupons.com is a great site, but there are also sites like hot coupon world, a full cup, and a wonderful grocery challenge thread on msn.com's Women in Red Forum. This was the place where I learned to turn coupons into actual money while still providing healthy foods(in abundance) for my family every week.

A renaissance for coupons?

Savingalot, Mississippi — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:31:23 GMT

I participate in the Women in Red message boards on MSN and the Grocery Challenge thread has been amazing! I save around $1,000 per month using coupons and we stay consistently under-budget for groceries every month and I have pantries over-flowing with food. I use newspaper coupons and internet printed coupons equally, and I also use websites like hotcouponworld and afullcup to help me do my "homework" matching coupons with deals.

A renaissance for coupons?

Jen, CS, Texas — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:34:53 GMT

I can't imagine not using coupons. I have been using them for years. I use them in conjunction with sales and am able to get name brand products for less than generic and many health and beauty products for free! What really helps me are message boards on which great deals are discussed so I know what coupons to use, when. I love the Grocery Challenge thread on the WomenInRed board. They always seem to know the deals which makes it easy for me as I don't have the time to look.

A renaissance for coupons?

nidena, Dover, DE — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:41:43 GMT

I've used coupons off and on for years but didn't get serious about it until last year. It had little to do with saving money and more with wanting to spend it elsewhere...for now...and in this case: paying off debt at a faster rate so the monkey is off my back. I use online coupons rarely but, rather, utilize the ones from the newspaper. As a matter of fact, I only buy the paper for that reason. I do, eventually, read it though. The coupons that I don't use, I trade with fellow message board members. Hoorah for coupons!! Especially when stores double and triple them!!

A renaissance for coupons?

Leah — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:50:29 GMT

Im also a member of the Grocery Challenge on MSN Money. I started really couponing after I got married last Spring and have saved more then most can imagine. I am now buying for a family of 7 on a budget of 35.00 a week! Thats less then most spend on 1 person. In the last 2 weeks I have bought over 154.00 in groceries/Healthy items and spent 34.00 out of pocket.
I use the coupons out of the paper, online coupons, coupons through the mail from vendors and also coupon swaps and ebay coupon venders.

A renaissance for coupons?

CarolinaKid, Bostic, NC — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 20:47:28 GMT

As another member of the Grocery Challenge group, I can unequivocally state that I save a MINIMUM of 60% using coupons from the newspaper. I usually buy at least 3-4 newspapers every week, and also check newspaper recycle bins for extra sets of coupons. My most recent grocery trip? Before coupons, my total would have been $250 - after coupons, it was $105 - and most of that order was FOOD - few cleaning products, fewer toiletries, and no pet food or diapers. I usually don't bother with Internet coupons because of coupon fraud issues at local stores. I'm surprised that you seem to be "out of the loop" concerning coupons - there are a MULTITUDE of sites dedicated to helping couponers get the best deal possible. Do a little more research - in addition to the Grocery Challenge and afullcup, there is Hotcouponworld, iheartcvs/iheartriteaid/iheartwags, and taylortownpreview just to get you started. Many of these sites are also entreprenures with coupon-clipping services.

A renaissance for coupons?

Suzanne, NJ — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 21:09:09 GMT

Using coupons has changed my whole outlook on what I spend. Not only do I save hundreds of dollars using coupons, I've actually made a profit by combining stores sales, coupons and rebates. It has truly changed my life and I cannot imagine going back to paying full retail price for anything.

A renaissance for coupons?

Centralil, Illinois — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 21:14:31 GMT

I am also a member on the Grocery Challenge. I do not have any stores that double so I do not see as great of a savings on groceries as some of the ladies on the Challenge, but I have noticed that I am saving at the grocery store. The biggest savings I have had, though, are for HBA items and the like. I have learned a lot from the Grocery Challenge about saving at stores like CVS and Walgreens by combining sales and coupons. I too get the coupons from the newspaper and in trading coupons with fellow couponers.

A renaissance for coupons?

Anne, Greater LA, CA — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:59:51 GMT

While online coupons are useful too, I stick mostly with the Sunday paper ones. Most of my stores consider internet coupons to be "fradulent" because they can't tell if it's a copy- and printer ink/paper costs more than my $26/year sunday only newspaper subscription. On really good coupon weeks I buy multiple papers as well- ususally just 1 or 2 extra, but the first sunday this year I got 6 in addition to my subscription, which allowed me to get 7 boxes of electrasol for 49 cents each by getting them when they were on sale and using the coupon. And there are so many helpful, free blogs out there that lay out sale/coupon combinations for you, thus taking care of most of the research.

A renaissance for coupons?

dancinmama, CA — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 00:28:21 GMT

I too regularly participate in the Grocery Challenge. I have been clipping and using coupons for over 20 years. Occasionally I will use an internet coupon, but for the most part I use those that come in my Sunday newspaper. I am able to purchase items that my family consumes, spending very little money and many times without spending any money at all - all because I clip coupons and swap them with all the great gals on the Grocery Challenge.

I sure wouldn't be complaining if the coupons in my newspaper were multiplying; I'd be celebrating!!

A renaissance for coupons?

Tenney Ribellia — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 07:49:51 GMT

I, too, am part of the Grocery Challenge thread on the MSN money boards. I live in Hawaii, and don't do nearly as well as some of my partners in couponing, but I love the sense of community I get, exchanging ideas with 832 (at latest count)other people. We're all trying to save money, get out of debt, and feed our families. I used to use credit cards to purchase groceries, and hardly paid attention to sales or coupons, but now I'm a much smarter shopper, and I'm down to one credit card (that's not over the limit!). Believe me, tough times are even tougher if you have a lot of debt. Learning to be smarter about grocery shopping has extended into all my financial areas - not to say that I'm so smart, but I'm working on it! I hope you'll encourage more people to save money on their groceries! Hawaii doesn't get near as many coupons in their newspapers as the mainland, so I'm using more and more online sites - I finally figured out you don't have to print them in color!

A renaissance for coupons?

dancinmama, CA — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 07:49:49 GMT

A renaissance for coupons?

Shelly, IN — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 08:16:04 GMT

I also take part in the Grocery Challenge. I've been using that forum for the past year or so. However, I've been using coupons since I started college 15 years ago. I can't imagine not using them! I spend about an hour a week clipping coupons and reviewing the sales ads. That hour of work normally savee me about $20. Just yesterday alone I saved $10.64 on canned dog food---8 free cans---thanks to coupons!

A renaissance for coupons?

Donna, Indianapolis, In — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:06:03 GMT

I have used coupons since forever. I save an average $200.00 per week and get great deals like brand name air freshner-I had a buy one get one free plus $2.00 off, the cost for the product $2.00. So I paid $0.00 for the item and got two instead of one. I use the internet and newspaper coupons interchangeably. I get great deals all the time. I check out the ads and use the coupons when an item is on sale and buy in bulk. For my family of 8, I usually spend less than $75.00 per week and we have plenty of food. I do not see why everyone is not using coupons. I had a lady in front of me at the grocery store and she spent over $300.00 for her food and did not even use coupons. I feel sorry for her buget.

A renaissance for coupons?

ben mt vernon washington — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:36:10 GMT

My local newspaper has been shrinking and that's making me very sad. <snip> These papers are victim of there own demise. Poor quality and lack luster reporting out dated printing methods and general lossey treatment of contractors to customers. Let em' fail.