Is it even worth it anymore?

[idonovan]

Is it even worth it anymore?

Using coupons seems to be getting harder and harder each day. Price’s increase, coupon values decrease and stores are getting pickier on what they want to take. I have a bunch of the save 3 off zantac and in using them at Wal-Mart for a few of the ones that cost 2.22 I had nothing but a headache and resistant managers and cashiers. It’s not even worth talking about as so many forums on here talk about similar stories about cashiers and managers refusing coupons for reasons that are agents the coupon policy and ending up leaving with nothing but anger. So really are the few dollars that are saved worth all the problems that keep happening. I can barely find things for free anymore and I barley have a stock pile. Stacking is hard now so I don’t bother with London drugs and the other stores don’t seem to put out good deals anymore. Things I one day got for free like deodorant, shampoo, feminine products, dog food and so on, I now have to pay up to a buck for. There are no longer any deals worth it on laundry soap and I end up paying up to 3 bucks for it. So I am asking is it worth it? I feel like giving up… not to mention all the people around you who judge and automatically thing the worst of you without realizing the real reason why we coupon.

[K8's Fate]

It's worth it for me still! I've never been able to stack, so I always expect to pay something for items. I usually save between $50 to $100 per shopping trip when using coupons. Using coupons is still better than paying full price IMO

[BC Gal]

Couponing ease seems to come and go. Some weeks, it certainly seems like an uphill battle. Some of the cashiers at my LD act like they are doing me a favor allowing me to use coupons. However, I have been shopping in my area for a lot of years and have found some great cashiers at various stores that make it an awesome experience. So I would say find a store & cashier you like and do most of your shopping there. Oh and nearly free may not be as good as free, but it is still better than full price

[jessep13]

its still worth it for me. But there are alot of ppl who try to get a great deal and take advantage of the system. sometimes its even harder to coupon or get coupons from companies because there are just so darn many people who coupon now, so its just harder to do certain things.

[Tweetybird999]

It is only worth it for items that I actually want, as always. I can get things for free, such as Nestea, but keep an eye out for other freebies (clearance, sale, etc.) I don't have a lot of time for couponing so it's not my part-time job. A lot of things are cheaper at Costco at their regular or even better, sale prices. So if I will use the item, then a big package at Costco may be worth it. As always, I keep my eye on the flyers and just buy what we actually need/want. I don't buy simply to stock pile.

Some of you might have some my brags now and then. For me, if I spend $80 instead of $208, that's pretty darn good. It may not always be free, but why would I pay full price?

[walkonby]

idonovan, I do actually agree with you, but for a different reason. Since April, I have changed my eating habits, and since most of the coupons are for processed foods, or ones containing salt/sugar/fat/dairy or wheat...means I do not buy them.

So the savings that way has been amazing because I am only buying mostly fresh fruits/veg and lean meats. However for the other shopping like cleaning, or personal hygiene products, etc the coupons are very restrictive and yes lower in face value than they were a while ago, so the aggravation to bicker to use a coupon is not on my to do list these days.

Hang in there, maybe things will flip around for the better again as companies do want us to try their products so it will always be a cat and mouse game.

[Shwa Girl]

OP, August is usually not a good time for coupons. After back to school, we tend to see more coupons. At least I hope it will be the same way again.

And I am hoping that Target will put coupons on their website, like they do at the Target USA website.

idonovan, I do actually agree with you, but for a different reason. Since April, I have changed my eating habits, and since most of the coupons are for processed foods, or ones containing salt/sugar/fat/dairy or wheat...means I do not buy them.

I remember the $0.88 Europe's Best Fruit Essentials (Reg. $4.99), the free POM juice with coupon, and the free pomergranates, with coupon. These were from December 2011 to about April 2012.

[walkonby]

^^ Oh I know there have been some coupons useful to the rest of the gang here, even if I don't consume the stuff, but for the most part I find coupons rare for the stuff I can eat. Also I do not like pomegranates, too much work and they taste sour to me.

[idonovan]

it is true saving at least something is better then nothing but the stores have gotten hard on coupners its like we are bad for doing it. Also being in school I seem to miss a lot. I was wanting to re stock up this summer but not able to, last summer was better for coupons this time not so much.

[Chantel]

Like every relationship, there are good times and not so good ones with coupons. I have a half decent stock and when I find deals now and again, I jump on them. I barely stack anymore, I don't have the time for a lot of it really.

This week I've picked up over two dozen deodorants in 4 trips for nary a penny. Not even tax. Those small victories keep me going when it's hard.


But regardless, it's always better to save than not to. If you can save yourself a dollar, that's still a dollar you didn't have to spend and that's good enough for me.

[Shwa Girl]

idonovan, I guess I would answer, yes, it is worth it.
After reading posts like vincent17, a teen, this is inspiring and shows that even in August, it can be done.
http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/312754-...arkham-canada/

[FallenPixels]

Like walkonby, I have been couponing less because we have changed the way we eat. That being said, I can still get a $2 coupon for All Bran cereal, buy the Flakes which we eat and get FPC strawberries up to $3 and I still get items cheap or free for the foodbank.

Personally I have used Zantac maybe 2-3 times in my life so I don't feel the need to go and build a stockpile of it just for the small overage at Walmart, and whenever I am there couponing, the cashiers mention how its nice to see someone being reasonable with coupons and I often get some leeway with one per customer etc (I will ask for separate transactions bc of the coupon and they will just do it or say oh no one will notice and put them through in one).

As someone else mentioned, June-Sept is always slow for freebies and coupons, stores tend to push sales on fresh produce as more people are eating it in the summer so its a worthwhile lossleader and coupon companies know most ppl are on vacation so they get less coverage for the advertising value of the coupon.

[scottie54]

Times Change, but I can still Save $100.00 plus in a Month (decided to count this year) I don't mind paying $1 for a deoterant, heck still beats paying $4-$5 for each one. Close to being a Senior so We don't get to Save on alot of things that would have been for Kids & teenagers, But Ant Saving is Better than None. LOL, what little I Save I can Spend on the GrandKids & I LOVE it ! P.S. I don't waste my time Arguing over Coupons, Unless it is Total BS. Can't remember ever having to call for a Manager. Go with the Flow & Enjoy the Saving

[PurpleBunny89]

After every shopping trip I count up the amount of coupons I used. Then I write it on the top right corner of the receipt and file it in that months folder. At the end of the month I pull them all out, add them up by store and look at my savings. By doing this it will immensly help you answer this question.

I like to argue (most of the time) and I have this thing where I HAVE to stand up for what I think is right, luckily the cashiers now know that when I shop at WM so most of them don't cause unnecessary fake trouble. I echo what someone else said in finding the store and cashier that work for you. I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't know the names of my favorite cashiers but I really should since they bring so much joy to me when I get in their line.

[Chantel]

(This will be rambling, sorry. Hopefully it inspires you to look around more, though. That's what I'm going for.)

Pink stickers are another thing that have kept me going when times get slow. They're something I discovered many moons ago and have only loved more and more since.

Somebody mentioned bran flakes, my mom likes them and my sister eats them sometimes. We found the big boxes with the $3 coupon for strawberries on clearance. $5 this week, so $2.50 x 3 = $7.50, then there was a $3 CZ coupon WUB 3 boxes of Kellogg's and they let us use it! So $4.50 for 3 large boxes, plus $9 back in strawberries. We basically 'made' money on this one because we needed the strawberries and paid 88c each for the containers and would have had to pay full price because we need them.

With discount stickers, we also get our bread for $1.25 or less, brands like Wonder and the good stuff, too! Pies, buns, pastries and everything else in the bread department eventually goes on half-off, we have three freezers full of cheap food because of that. I'm buying my birthday cake half price.

We've found ICE CREAM on clearance for $2.50 a tub, yogurt cheap, havarti and monterey jack cheese from black diamond for half price ($4 a bar is UNHEARD OF), all sorts of dips and spreads and packaged precut meats and cheeses for half price (great for lunches).

Kashi crackers, a dozen cans of tuna for 60c apiece (gold seal I believe, the expensive stuff. Never falls below $1/can), makeup, lotions like olay and olay face wipes for 90c with 1/2 and coupon...Also very yummy caramel pecan bars for less than $2 a tray. They make it really easy and cheap to make bars for a luncheon or something.

And omg, PISTACHIOS. I found a bag that was marked half off because it'd been cut open a little by whoever opened the box. They're regular $18! but were on sale for $13 that week, so they cost me SEVEN DOLLARS for the gigantic bag. My mom gave me the money and that's one of my dad's christmas presents. He loves them, but they're so expensive. Pink Stickers made it affordable!

We also find almost all of our meats discounted at safeway, occasionally superstore but we check all the meat really well. Into the freezer it goes and we have quite the variety now. One time we found sausage stuffing on unadvertised not-technically-clearance for 74c a tube. It's usually $4, up to $6! We snatched a bunch and have enough stuffing for a couple years for our holidays! Even that, really, I'd count as 'saving'. My mom makes 4 turkeys or so a year, it would cost us $20 to buy that stuffing. Instead we paid under $4. Yes please!