Does anyone use coupons anymore? (sales, home, buy)

[Blondage]

Hi, new to the forum and I live in Eastern Oregon.
Ive always enjoyed being frugal, catching a good deal, and saving money. And now that most stores accept internet printed coupons Ive been saving tons!
Ive also noticed that not many people seem to use coupons any more and I was wondering why. Especially with the hard economy you would think more folks would pick up on saving money this way.
So do you use coupons?...and if so, how well do you do? If not, why not?
Just curious. Thanks.

[Cornerguy1]

Perhaps you should check out the Frugal Living and Shopping forums here at City Data.

They can accessed through the drop menu box titles Forum Jump in the lower right portion of the page.

[Blondage]

Originally Posted by Cornerguy1

Perhaps you should check out the Frugal Living and Shopping forums here at City Data.

They can accessed through the drop menu box titles Forum Jump in the lower right portion of the page.

No thanks. I wanted to have this conversation specifically with Oregonians, and hopefully with folks on the East side of the state.

[backdrifter]

I work at a grocery store and I can tell you that there are a LOT of people who use coupons. And quite a few of those people use a LOT of coupons. Eugh.

[bluebird39]

I'm in NE Oregon and use coupons, but not too much, because I try to make everything we eat from scratch. You usually don't find coupons for staples. I also buy a lot of "generic", or store brands, so that's even harder to find coupons on, but Safeway for instance is giving a free meal away through Tues if you buy $50+ in food and have a card, so I took advantage of those coupons.

Which coupons do you use? I've just never found many coupons for the things I buy, but do watch the sales and rarely buy food unless it's on sale, then stock up when it is. I also can and freeze, grow a garden, do U-pick and hubby hunts so we usually have elk or deer in the freezer too.

[Silverfall]

Originally Posted by bluebird39

Which coupons do you use? I've just never found many coupons for the things I buy, but do watch the sales and rarely buy food unless it's on sale, then stock up when it is. I also can and freeze, grow a garden, do U-pick and hubby hunts so we usually have elk or deer in the freezer too.

I know so many folks that do u-pick and can and/or freeze. I can't think of the last time I walked into a garage where there wasn't a separate freezer. I think it is pretty common here in Oregon. We pick tons over the summer and do it as family outings with the kids. Coming home and making pie is the treat for all that hard work. The rest...into the freezer.

I am like you that I cook most of what I eat from scratch.

[Hawk J]

I grab hot pies off'n folks window sills when i make my rounds...

har har har

[Blondage]

Originally Posted by bluebird39

Which coupons do you use? I've just never found many coupons for the things I buy, but do watch the sales and rarely buy food unless it's on sale, then stock up when it is. I also can and freeze, grow a garden, do U-pick and hubby hunts so we usually have elk or deer in the freezer too.

Im in NE Oregon too. Im pretty crazy for just about any coupon out there. I get them through the Sunday paper, and a local site called couponboom.com. From that site I can print coupons from all 3 major coupon suppliers plus load e-coupons onto my safeway shoppers card. Those are cool because they come out on top of the manufacturers coupons. I also register/sign-up for a lot of coupon offers and promotions.
Im one of those pain-in-the-butt ladies who have a pile of coupons and can bring $100 total down to $10. Not every single time but about 80% of the time.
I also love canning and make sure to hit up the Fruit Loop by Mt Hood every summer.
Its amazing how the frugality grows on you. I adore just about anything that will help my family live larger on less.

[Blondage]

Originally Posted by Silverfall

I know so many folks that do u-pick and can and/or freeze. I can't think of the last time I walked into a garage where there wasn't a separate freezer. I think it is pretty common here in Oregon.

Not so much here on the East side of the state though. I used to do the u-pick gardens all the time when I lived on the West side. Around here we do get cherries and peaches and some asparagus, but I think the closest place is Walla Walla, and thats a few hours from me.
I usually wait till August and do the Fruit Loop. There Ill do peaches, tomatoes, pears, cherries, onions, blueberries, peppers, apples, and a ton more. Last year I picked huge ripe peaches for 20 cents a lb!
Cant wait for this year.

[Blondage]

Originally Posted by backdrifter

I work at a grocery store and I can tell you that there are a LOT of people who use coupons. And quite a few of those people use a LOT of coupons. Eugh.

So tell me honestly then, whats the worst part about coupons from a cashiers point of view?
Ill be honest, it makes me nervous to get a new cashier when I'm using coupons because I never know how theyre going to respond. Some are major cool about it, almost to the point of just manually entering the amount even if the coupon beeps. Others take their job verrrry seriously and scrutinize every single detail and then some, to the point of being rude.
And here's a question Ive been dying to ask a cashier....more than once they've said, about accepting the wrong coupon, "I could lose my job over this." Isn't a cashiers job a bit more secure than that?...to lose it over 1 wrong coupon?
I always try to scope out the ones Ive never had a problem with because my intentions are never to make someones work day harder by what I do. Just trying to save the family some money.
TIA!