Grocery coupons worth it? (Mart: sale, buying, live in)

[cakmke]

Last week on NBC nightly news, they had a story about a lady who has learned how to save a ton of money clipping coupons: bill was $167 and she only paid 42 cents. I have seen other segments on other shows/channels about the same subject.
I get the Sunday paper with all of the coupon inserts, but honestly, the coupons are for stuff I never use or processed junk that I would never buy. I have tried looking at coupon websites and its the same. They suggested using coupons and combining them with store sales...etc.
Anyone have ideas or thoughts?

[dave_satx]

I've always been skeptical about such claims - "bill was $167 and she only paid 42 cents" I saw the same thing here where a coupon lady pro went to HEB-plus on the southside and only paid about 5% (or less) of the original total after the coupons were applied. What i would like to see: the items she purchased, the coupons that she used, where she obtained them, and if multiple coupons were applied (it seems like they would in order to get such a big chunk removed form your total). If that is the case, i can do the same thing and go to my HEB and use mulitple coupons for one item.

[crittergal]

Originally Posted by dave_satx

I've always been skeptical about such claims - "bill was $167 and she only paid 42 cents" I saw the same thing here where a coupon lady pro went to HEB-plus on the southside and only paid about 5% (or less) of the original total after the coupons were applied. What i would like to see: the items she purchased, the coupons that she used, where she obtained them, and if multiple coupons were applied (it seems like they would in order to get such a big chunk removed form your total). If that is the case, i can do the same thing and go to my HEB and use mulitple coupons for one item.

Hummmmm..never thought of using multiple coupons for one item. Sounds like a good idea to try. I just assumed that they would only allow one coupon for each product. I would love to know how these professional coupon shoppers do it.

[budjb]

You can do this, and those circulars are only part of the equation. There are many sites on the internet that offer some pretty amazing coupons straight from manufacturers if you take the initiative. A lot of times though, people have inside connections at various places, and that really helps.

I've gone to the grocery store and spent like $30 on a $120 bill before. I'm lucky my wife gets a kick out of saving money; I don't have the patience to do this!

[texasgirl1]

Even just a little bit helps! I clip every Sunday (only the products I use). I mainly use ones for diapers, laundry detergent, cleaners, yogurt, cereals, granola bars, soap, etc....

I usually have about $8-12 per week in coupons at the checkout...about 10% of my grocery bill....that amounts to about a savings of almost $600 per year...just for taking about 5 minutes a week to clip them!

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by cakmke

Last week on NBC nightly news, they had a story about a lady who has learned how to save a ton of money clipping coupons: bill was $167 and she only paid 42 cents. I have seen other segments on other shows/channels about the same subject.
I get the Sunday paper with all of the coupon inserts, but honestly, the coupons are for stuff I never use or processed junk that I would never buy. I have tried looking at coupon websites and its the same. They suggested using coupons and combining them with store sales...etc.
Anyone have ideas or thoughts?

Ppl that save that much money probably live in areas where they offer double or triple coupons. On the west coast, most major grocery stores offer double coupons. many years ago, some even offered triple. The grocery store prices however are usually much higher than here, so the savings is an illusion.

[hadleyzoo]

Originally Posted by crittergal

[/b]

Hummmmm..never thought of using multiple coupons for one item. Sounds like a good idea to try. I just assumed that they would only allow one coupon for each product. I would love to know how these professional coupon shoppers do it.

Unless you go to a grocery store that has to physically key in each coupon (do they even exist anymore?) you won't be able to utilize. I have had a manufacturer's coupon and then HEB will have their own coupon on an item and the cashiers have refused to give me both---they tell me it's one or the other. I know others who have been able to successfully win that battle, but I never have.

I did pick up an item the other day that had a coupon making the item half price. Well the coupon wasn't for the item I picked up although I swear it was attached with tape to the item I grabbed---the cashier gave it to me anyway which was very nice.

[skeet09]

HEB is taking it one step further: if the coupon does not scan, they will not honor it. In the past, the cashiers would manually enter the coupon but according to the cashiers I have checked out with these past few weeks, this policy is taking shape because of the rampant fraud going on with coupons. When I questioned one cashier (I was able to talk to her a little bit more in length about this because there was no line behind me), she said its because folks are creating their own internet coupons for beer, cigs, wine, etc.

My response to that is I'm just trying to save 50 cents on a loaf of Sara Lee bread! I doubt I want to go through the trouble of making a counterfeit bread coupon! I brought 4 coupons with me that day from the internet, straight from the manufacturer's website! One was for Sara Lee bread, another for Con Agra foods, another for Rimmel makeup and another for clorox. From the four I brought with me, only one was able to be scanned.

[joelaldo]

Originally Posted by texasgirl1

Even just a little bit helps! I clip every Sunday (only the products I use). I mainly use ones for diapers, laundry detergent, cleaners, yogurt, cereals, granola bars, soap, etc....

I usually have about $8-12 per week in coupons at the checkout...about 10% of my grocery bill....that amounts to about a savings of almost $600 per year...just for taking about 5 minutes a week to clip them!

That's probably a more reasonable situation. It also depends on what you buy and brand names... if you have a 1.00 off coupon for a brand name product but the same brand name item costs 1.00 more than the generic.. there really only is an 'imagined' savings. You have to carefully gauge the totaly savings.

The 160 bucks to 45 cents story is bunk. There was several produce items in that lady's cart... and produce almost NEVER has coupons. Yes... you can save money if you shop smart... but if her story is true... smart shoppers everywhere would be breaking the grocery stores' banks. I buy stuff on sale only if know what the true original price is. For example, if I'm buying a box of cereal, and HEB's SALE price is on par with Wal-Mart, it's not a real savings... since I could have gone to wal-mart for the same amount.

There's a difference between 'thrifty' shoppers and 'smart' shoppers.

[hadleyzoo]

Originally Posted by skeet09

HEB is taking it one step further: if the coupon does not scan, they will not honor it. In the past, the cashiers would manually enter the coupon but according to the cashiers I have checked out with these past few weeks, this policy is taking shape because of the rampant fraud going on with coupons. When I questioned one cashier (I was able to talk to her a little bit more in length about this because there was no line behind me), she said its because folks are creating their own internet coupons for beer, cigs, wine, etc.

My response to that is I'm just trying to save 50 cents on a loaf of Sara Lee bread! I doubt I want to go through the trouble of making a counterfeit bread coupon! I brought 4 coupons with me that day from the internet, straight from the manufacturer's website! One was for Sara Lee bread, another for Con Agra foods, another for Rimmel makeup and another for clorox. From the four I brought with me, only one was able to be scanned.

And that system of scanning coupons is flawed. For example, the last time I was at HEB the bagger was working on bagging my groceries and the cashier started scanning the coupons. A coupon for a particular item would not scan. The cashier asked me if I was sure I bought it...pulled the item out of the pile of stuff being bagged and was exactly what was on the coupon. This happens at least 2-3 times everytime I go to the store. I know people behind me get ticked, but that's not my problem. I spend about $200-$250 per week on groceries and consistently have $30-$40 in coupons.

Maybe I'll have to bring a roll of scotch tape with me and tape every single coupon to every item I purchase so they can verify as the stuff goes through.