Saturday, September 3, 2011

Extreme Couponing

So I think the idea of getting paid to shop or getting items for free is awesome...who doesn't? And I would love to be better about using coupons and such, especially now that we are back in school.

However...

I don't get why you are buying 218 boxes of pasta in the first place! I know, I know...they are free and so you are stockpiling. Food storage and all that...great. But it just completely overwhelms me when the couponing is done at that level.

And another thing...where are these people getting the coupons for fresh produce and meat and such? I mean I rarely see a coupon to combine with the store offer which makes my grapes free. In fact, this whole issue is addressed in one of my favorite books, Food Politics by Marian Nestle. (Yes, her name is ironic...especially if you read the book!)

With that being said, I would welcome any advice on how to coupon...I'm sure Nick would appreciate a reduced grocery bill! :)

2 comments:

Life, Love, and Lathams said...

I have some friends that are really into coupons. I've tried to get into it, but the bulk of the foods that I buy are fresh, so I don't save too much. But I can give you my friends name if you want to talk to her about it :)

kellebelle said...

I know. I've decided it's not worth my time to go to great lengths to coupon because I spend so much of my money in the produce department (or at Costco or the health food store... no help with either of those). With the Smith's reward program I do get quarterly coupons generated based on what I have been buying, so that's nice.

Anyhow, I have heard friends say that they can save a lot on the non-food items with coupons. I think the general idea is to use websites where people post the daily/weekly deals for the stores in your area and then your order multiple Sunday papers to get multiples of the coupons, and you only buy what's on sale. Walgreens has some kind of in-store cash program, and out here Walmart doubles coupons on Tuesdays and offers free classes on couponing. Maybe you already know all that, but I do have some friends I can ask for more info if you want.