Well as of this past year I can say that my "ways" have really changed regarding coupons.
I use to be a coupon nut, (no, really a frantic, maniac all over the place nut) but now I've found a simpler way to save money {that works for me}.
Let me explain....
There was a day when I'd spend lots of time scanning the web for online coupons; sit down with the Sunday paper coupons and clip away. I'd organize these coupons by date so as to make sure I'd use them in time. If there was a coupon and a sale I'd pounce like a happy kitten. Those days are gone.
So what changed?
I know perhaps you may be big into coupons so I must point out first and foremost, I'm not out to toot my own horn or put anyone down. My blog, so my story. To each their own. This year I've learned by trial and error and in talking with friends, each does what's seemingly best for their families. I just wanted to share my story as to why I'm a recovered coupon nut. If you love coupons I'm not calling you a nut, I was one though.
Some time ago I locked in this great rate for the Sunday paper with coupons at $.50 with delivery. Yeah I know a real steal! We get more out of that Sunday paper by reading it than savings from coupons. The thing is, most of the promotional coupons are for things that we no longer buy. I'll illustrate this way...
-$.50 off coupon for 3 pk paper towels { We don't need these coupons b/c we use eco-towels / reuse and rewash. The wash is something like .30 per load for a weeks worth of towel usage & napkins. Just think how many times you use a napkin or rip off a paper towel from the roll with not much thought. Trust me it's a lot, I've been there.}
-$.75 off National Brand 32 oz yogurt { We no longer buy store bought yogurt. I make 32 oz of plain yogurt here at home with the milk we buy from the dairy farm. The milk is better all grass-fed no hormone and local, so the yogurt is better. Yuck plain you say... we'll put farm fresh blueberries, strawberries or applesauce/ maple syrup/ honey you name it, so plain is never an issue. I make 32 oz yogurt in glass reusable jars for $1.99. Grass-fed yogurt I've compared at Whole Foods was 3.99, almost four bucks!} So we don't need the yogurt coupon because I can make yogurt for almost the amount of savings on the coupon. That's a good savings in my mind.
-$.25 off box of baby wipes { We don't buy because we use cloth wipes and it's much cheaper, 10 cents a load b/c I can do a mini load } Only time we buy is for the babysitter :-) but only equals to one 75 wipe tub for 8 months. Sometimes I need to re-wet them lol.
-$.75 off jar of National Brand jelly {I make all our own jam. This year strawberry and blueberry. We're set for the year. Got the berries fresh, by the flat so was less expensive. Add in labor of love and jam I made cost less to make than coupon offered.
Bread coupons are not needed either because I've recently started making our bread for sandwiches. This decision came from me not liking the ingredient listing AND it's much more expensive for conventional store bought breads even on sale with coupons.Who can argue fresh bread, it's just better all around.
The no need for coupons goes for the housewares department as well
-$ .75 off Glade air fresheners. I make my own air freshener for pennies and it works wonderful!
$1.00 off Lysol all purpose cleaner { Don't need because like the rest I don't use and have found it more economical and eco-friendly to make my own cleaners. Like I make almost all of them: furniture polish, window cleaner, bathroom, kitchen, floor cleaner etc.
We have no need for ice cream, make up, food or household coupons for reasons I've mentioned. Especially now that it's summer and we've ditched the box, prepackaged convince foods. We're eating LOTS of veggies from our CSA and hardly spend much at the supermarket these days. I make all our dinners from scratch so I know what we're eating. I've been dipping into food preservation so we can preserve the best of the harvest in each season. Very much a beginner but I hope to grow in knowledge here. So as you can see I spend little time with coupons these days. The Sunday paper has very little in coupons for us. You can imagine how quick I breeze through the coupon section of the paper. I give away what others want so coupons are not wasted. If I'm not using and others will, no harm in that. So this whole less is more, lack of need for coupons... I think you get the point.
I think you're crazy you say? Isn't it really time consuming to make all those things yourself you ask? Nope. I've got two toddlers and still I've got time for fun. To be honest, looking back I can't say how annoyed I am that I spent so much time searching, clipping, cutting, organizing, purging, coupons combined with sale hunting to match coupon(s) I had... was driving myself crazy with that process. Maybe I just wasn't very good at it. Now I know it's not for me. It only takes a few simple ingredients, mixed with love to achieve homemade cleaners, spin a few extra loads of laundry and save a boat-load of cash. I think of it as reverse earnings, no not spending; rather saving what we don't spend. As a stay at home mother of two toddlers, I don't earn money out of the home for take home. I save as much as possible and that is my "share" of monetary contribution. In my mind, in most cases our family is getting a better product for less. It does take a little bit more time to wash cloth-eco (made of cloth) paper towels, than to put in the cart at Target BUT I look at those paper towels as if they are actual currency. In the garbage they will go. A 30 second pleasure, retailing more than I'm willing to spend, even with a coupon.
Now I'm all about saving money, don't get me wrong this girl love a good deal. I'll only budge if it's something we really need at a great deal. I still keep my eye on prices from time to time. We're able to stay on budget and the savings end of year REALLY add up! I figure this new lifestyle of not spending to save is nothing new. I'm quite sure others are doing it too. Personally, I feel more peace in my day not having to be honed in by coupon expiration dates. Still, I have friends who are quite possibly addicted to couponing. One could say it's the modern woman's gold rush! {for some} They love the hunt for a good deal. They love that instant gratification when the cashier hands them money because they were able to get items for free with their coupons.
I like to believe that I'm saving too but in another way. My valuable time is being spent better. Rather than zooming all over town, from store to store with my kids, blowing gas out of my gas tank to match sale with coupons for potential savings; I can find other savings from home. We can spend that gas on a trip to the park instead (while the bread loaf of bread is cooling).
I'm NOT tooting my own horn here. I just figure there might possibly be someone out there who's coupon light is burning out (like mine was, and did). My aim is to share, there is another way. It might not be my way. This might sound like more work than worth it. Like I said earlier, to each their own.
I'm still a work in process and I'm learning all the time. Little by little we're shredding the scales of industrial big business by not having to buy conventional products. I use to get all giddy when I found a coupon for boxed brownies and got the box virtually for free. Now that I've been making my own brownies and have realized how easy and cheep it is I'll never go back to those boxes that contain lots of items in their ingredient list I'd rather do without. No worries I can attest we're still supporting the economy lol.
To coupon or not to coupon, all the best!
