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Couponing

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by Lieslntx, Dec 1, 2011.

  1. PaperDoll

    PaperDoll Well-Known Member

    My dad was into couponing way before it became a verb. The last vestige of that -- he died in '98 -- is his metal coupon box, which still travels in the trunk of my mom's car. It was his other child.

    It has dividers made of 6x9 index cards with handwritten labels for every possible category. He would cut coupons every week and file the ones we'd use, and donate the others.

    My mom still has no expiration date coupons which are so old they don't have bar codes. (It makes redeeming 'em fun!) I can still remember us getting items "less than free" when I was a kid, but that usually only happened when stores offered to double dollar coupons. These crazy deals I've heard about from the show... not so much.
     
  2. EStreetJoe

    EStreetJoe Well-Known Member

    Wife & I try to coupon, but most of the time we wind up forgetting to check to see which coupons we have before going to the store.
    Another couponing site is:
    http://shortcuts.com/coupons/print
     
  3. 93Devil

    93Devil Well-Known Member

    The show is a little odd because these ladies have no problem checking out for 3-4 hours (not shopping, checking out) then getting offended if they have to pay anything. It's one thing to save money, but a store does need to make some profit or not devote an entire shift of an employee to a single shopper. Plus, they have no problem clearing out an entire shelf of items, so if you wanted it and came in behind them, you were screwed.
     
  4. NickMordo

    NickMordo Active Member

    My mom has been couponing my entire life. She used to order two medium pizzas with cheese bread and a two liter instead of just one large pizza because it was somehow cheaper. Then we had leftovers for a week. I think she loves doing it.
     
  5. Inky_Wretch

    Inky_Wretch Well-Known Member

    Damn couponers have taken to stealing entire stacks of papers out of our racks, just to get the coupons.
     
  6. Webster

    Webster Well-Known Member

    I use coupons where I can and compare the circulars for three grocery stores near my house before I do the weekend shopping. I also rarely buy things at Target or BJs unless they are on sale and/or I have a coupon.

    I hate the idea that I can get a better deal somewhere.
     
  7. Pancamo

    Pancamo Active Member

    How do you get shit for free? A dollar off is a dollar off but how does that translate into free toilet paper?
     
  8. EStreetJoe

    EStreetJoe Well-Known Member

    Let's say the store has the toilet paper (or insert item here) on sale at a price of 3 for $1. You have a $1 off coupon if you buy 3 of that item. So the cash register will ring up the 3 items for $1, then deduct $1 for the coupon. $1 cost minus $1 in coupon savings = 0 net cost (freebie)
     
  9. jr/shotglass

    jr/shotglass Well-Known Member

    We use coupons; I don't quite know where we fit in the big picture. I'd say if we have a $300 grocery run, coupons bring it down around $280. So judge for yourself.

    I just try to be really careful that we're not buying things just because we have coupons for them.
     
  10. Lugnuts

    Lugnuts Well-Known Member

    I go pretty hardcore on Cyber Monday (teeing that up ... ) But seriously, I buy all kinds of staples and stock up stuff on Cyber Monday because you can find several "25% off your entire order" discounts. What I usually don't buy on Cyber Monday are Christmas presents.

    I did just use a $35 off coupon on holiday cards. How great is that?
     
  11. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    We don't use coupons, but it wouldn't work the way we shop--maybe for things like paper towels, toilet paper, but not for our groceries. We do about one run to Fairway every month (big supermarket in NYC) and coupons would work there. It used to be the place we got most of our stuff, but the quality and prices have gone downhill the last year or two. The stuff we get there isn't coupon type food -- a small brand of yogurt that is awesome, an organic brand of whole wheat pasta, etc. Stuff like that.

    Otherwise, we shop completely locally. One is a specialty food store that has every kind of bulk and specialty food (nuts, seeds, dried fruit, oats, bulk flour, olives, spices, huge cheese collection, coffee etc.) you can imagine at the best prices/quality around. They own their building and are just good people and their prices are outrageously good for the quality. They have been in business forever. We go on Saturdays and the place is always packed. Take a number for the bulk foods. You can't use coupons for that stuff. Then there is a small fresh fruit and veggie place two doors down that has the best produce around at amazing prices compared to other places around here, and we eat mostly veggies, so we load up there. We also hit two local farmers markets to see what they have each week. We fill in a few gaps at Trader Joe's, but not a whole lot of stuff -- I like their Raisin Bran (even though I'm told it tastes like cardboard), and we get milk/eggs/frozen veggies there.
     
  12. Lieslntx

    Lieslntx Active Member

    I was totally referring to the ladies on the TV show Extreme Couponing who go to the store and shop for 5 hours at a time 5 times a week. By no means was I referring to stay at home moms. I've been a stay at home mom and I certainly have tons of respect for the job. Perhaps I should have been clearer that I was referring to the ladies on the television show.
     
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