~bucks~

MarylandWed

were you the one asking about couponing? i don't know if you saw, but there's a new show starting on TLC called "Extreme Couponing". it's starting soon, although i didn't see when.

i wanted to write to let you know about the show but since we're on the subject... in the commercial she said she has spent as much as 4-6 hour preparing for a shopping trip. which is something that i think about when i'm searching high and low for coupons for a shopping trip. when is your time more valuable than the money you save? maybe that lady saves enough to make up for it, but sometimes i feel like man, i could probably be making more right now than the $10 i'm going to save! LOL. although i must say, it does feel great not paying full price.

xDanniellex

:butting in:

I know I could save more, but I'm not willing to spend the time comparing prices at multiple stores to make sure I get the best deal.  

Most stuff we buy at Meijer (supercenter), some stuff we get from Walmart.  And other stuff we get at Costco, because it is such a better deal.  Especially with the coupons they send out.  I think we're going to start buying some of our meat from Costco because of how much cheaper it is.  

Other than those 3 stores, I don't care.  I don't even bother looking at other store ads, because it isn't worth it.  

I know where everything is in Meijer.  I used to work there so I organize my shopping list by aisle, and it cuts down on the time I have to spend there.  That to me is worth more, than saving a few extra dollars.  

nola Steph

Ditto basically what Danni said. I tend to only shop at WalMart and Sam's lately. I visit Target only for specific items or if there is more than one or two things I KNOW I can get a realllllly good deal on. We are currently on a "let's not spend money and pay down debt" budget and in the end (with or without coupons) WalMart and Sam's are much cheaper for us right now. I miss shopping at specialty stores, buying only organic, fresh meat etc but you do what you have to do huh? It's not worth the gas money (especially lately!!!) for me to go to several stores to save a $1. And like Danni said, buying frozen meat at a club store (Sam's for us since there is no Costco here) is way cheaper and works better for us re: only using what we need and never wasting any. I do follow several couponning blogs but I've had zero luck lately. In fact I even armed myself with coupons for specific items when J and I went to the WalMart market the other day (it's a WalMart grocery/food only, no housewares/garden/etc etc) for a big shopping trip and none of the sales the blog talked about were valid here. Things like that piss me off and in the end I feel like I wasted my time getting prepped and my printer ink printing some of those damn coupons.

MarylandWed

my thing with the extreme couponing people is okay, you just bought $600 worth of groceries for $1.50, but how much of that is actually stuff you want? They probably end up with stuf they'll never use like dog food if they don't have a dog or diapers when they don't have a kid. i also think if you are serioua about couponing, like in an extreme way, then it becomes a full time job in which case, they are saving money in lieue of earning money, but are still working, kwim?

buckswife08

yeah, they've aired one of those shows and i've seen it. those people freak me out a little bit! i mean, i do NOT have the time to prep for 4-6 hours for a shopping trip. i just want to make sure i'm making the most out of what is available for the "average" person. i typically shop at Kroger lately...mostly bc everytime i try to get food at walmart, i have to make another trip to kroger anyway for something that walmart didn't have. ugh! i need to try miejer..but there just isn't a convenient one near me. we use it for catering...but not my everyday shopping.

thanks for thinking of me!

buckeyethor

Kroger doubles coupons every day though so that is great. I like Kroger meats and their milk. I am funny about that stuff.

buckeyethor

We just stopped getting the paper too. It is not worth the hassle to get the paper for coupons when we barely use a few of them. Most of what I buy isn't in the coupons either.

buckswife08

yeah, we don't get the paper. my dad does and gives us the adds. i only cut coupons for things that i use or know i will use and things i want to try. like that new kraft mac and cheese that you bake...it's great! but i never would have bought it if i didn't almost get it for free with coupons and sale.

i've slacked a little lately on our budget and grocery shopping...i should go to day but i have so much work to do. trying to take bennett is nearly impossible lately. ugh.

MarylandWed

i still get the paper. i get a lot of coupons that way. i combine them with sales and do okay. where i don't do well is the print your own coupons online. i never seem to find any. we don't have kroger or meier. i only shop at one place, too. i wouldn't waste the gas (and time) to go all over town.