Spring into Savings - April Frugal Chatter

[thriftygranny]

I hear you on jumping form store to store Blueteeya! I was at Walmart last night and noticed the Greenworks dish soap was $2.17, I had planned on going t Canadian Tire this morning to get it on sale for $2.00 and use the 1.50 coupons. The lady behind me at the cash looked like an avid couponer and she commented that the soap would be cheaper at CT tomorrow. while I think she meant well I just couldn't see the point of going back out tomorrow to save 17 cents.

[SassyAshley]

I think this is a big one, you need to way out the savings. I personally go to way too many stores but it has actually become mine and my mom's entertainment for the weekend. Let's face it no matter what we are probably going to go shopping on the weekend, it is our thing we do together and have since I was kid. Probably should not admit this but when I was in school when my mom was working full time, if she had been putting in a ton of overtime and we were not really seeing each other, other than in passing (her kissing me good night when she got home but I was already in bed and me kissing her good bye when I left in the morning as she was still in bed) we would take a day (usually one of her days off) and she would take me out of school and we would spend the day shopping, it was our thing. So the way I see it yes we go to more stores than we need too and maybe spend a little bit more in gas than we need to going from store to store but it is A LOT cheaper than going shopping shopping (shopping shopping definition clothing, shoes, stuff for the house, the mall). As long as we come in on budget in the end for groceries I am happy and it keeps us both out of trouble.

I hear you on jumping form store to store Blueteeya! I was at Walmart last night and noticed the Greenworks dish soap was $2.17, I had planned on going t Canadian Tire this morning to get it on sale for $2.00 and use the 1.50 coupons. The lady behind me at the cash looked like an avid couponer and she commented that the soap would be cheaper at CT tomorrow. while I think she meant well I just couldn't see the point of going back out tomorrow to save 17 cents.

[SassyAshley]

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

What does your immediate or extended family think of your couponing? Do they think it is great? Do they think your insane? Do they care?

[SassyAshley]

My mom is cool with it she thinks it is great but I do annoy her on occasion with
Is that on sale????
Do I have a coupon?????
That isn't in the budget?????

My extended family on the other hand knows I do it, some find it impressive but for the most part they do not get it or cannot believe how much time I spend on coupons (in all honesty, I do not spend as much time as I could). Some refer to it as "your coupon thing" or do make fun of my coupons. I always get made fun of for my clearance purchases, meat, produce anything clearance they do not see why I would buy clearance (ummmm hello, it is still good and clearance or not I am taking it home to freeze it so why not pay less) In a lot of my ways my family is about working hard to provide for yourself so I think some of our family view wanting something and being able to go out and just buy it as a good thing or showing they have made it (hopefully that makes sense). For the most part the older people in my family (Dad, Step mom) will comment but most of the joking and comments comes from those more my age (my sibs, cousins).

For me at the end of the day whether I have the money to go out and just buy it or not, I would prefer to have the saving in my pocket. I have a serious fear of the what ifs, I have been there and do not want to be there again.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

What does your immediate or extended family think of your couponing? Do they think it is great? Do they think your insane? Do they care?

[amandabananda]

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

What does your immediate or extended family think of your couponing? Do they think it is great? Do they think your insane? Do they care?

Oh, they think I'm nuts. I asked my Mom to give me her inserts because I know she won't use them, and she still just chucks them. I grew up in a world of buying whatever you needed at whatever store, no need to check prices. I'll be laughing when I'm on mat leave and won't have to buy shampoo, conditioner, dish soap, dishwasher soap TP, tissue (I could go on) for a year because I got such great prices! Will make living on half an income that much easier

I don't think my extended family really know the extent to which I coupon and buy reduced price stuff. I agree with SassyAshley, why pay full price for meat when I'm just going to freeze it until I need it anyways?

[momof5boys]

I know that some of my family jokes about my using coupons and saving but that doesn't bother me a wit. I know that we are going to be ok even if my hubby loses his job tomorrow and has to go into early retirement. This is all due to the fact that hubby and I have always been careful spenders (although we are generous givers with our focus on Third World Poverty).

[thriftygranny]

My husband tolerates it but I have heard him brag to friends on occasion!! One of my daughters has a blog and she is always posting about my couponing and stockpiling things.I have had a ton of her blog friends ask me to do a class for them.My older two daughters are married and lead busy lives and are pinching pennies so they don't dare make fun of me because they reap the benefits!!! My fifteen year old son loves it, I let him buy his lunch on Fridays,he took a Dairy Queen free Orange Julius from the Cheerios box this morning so he wouldn't have to buy a drink. Not many of my friends know, my best friend does and she has a very tight budget and she is the worst one to roll her eyes if I talk about it. Isn't it funny that sometimes it's the ones who should be couponing that have the most disdain for it!!

[Natalka]

What does your immediate or extended family think of your couponing? Do they think it is great? Do they think your insane? Do they care?

Husband is fine with it, though I don't send him with coupons - he shops very rarely anyway.

My son is awesome - he does grocery shopping regularly, doesn't mind using them when I give him a few at a time. He's seen major benefits for us - and for treats, lol!

Extended family - two older sisters living in same city, both really well-off, I don't think they would ever use coupons.

[jasperandchar]

Excellent question SassyAshley!

My parents are super impressed as well as my in-laws. However, I find that certain people not naming names think that because I got multiples of a product for free that I should share AND I DON'T because if my kids and dh and I can use the stuff or eat the stuff why give it away. I also adopted a family last year at Christmas time and all the freebies and extras went towards that family.

Most people are impressed or atleast seem to be but I don't think they really care either way BUT I admit I do like to Brag once in a while.

My brother in law laughs when I tell him I get paid to by things with coupons from time to time.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

What does your immediate or extended family think of your couponing? Do they think it is great? Do they think your insane? Do they care?

[sweet sparrow]

My family is quite proud and supportive and ask me to pick up items for them when I have extra coupons. I'm quite happy to do so, but it's from DH and DH's family that I get the most negative comments from. DH called me "cheap" the other day for paying $15 less for brand name lightbulbs (at least that's what I think it was) that we would have had to pay full price for otherwise. I replied that if I was cheap, I would only put in one bulb in every fixture instead of filling all the sockets.

While my in-laws were watching a movie that they own and had seen for the 16th time, I decided to take the time to catch up on my coupon clipping. FIL made the comment that it was a waste of time. Admittedly, the little devil on my shoulder wondered what new revelation he expected to get out of a movie that he'd seen repeatedly. I think I responded with a smile and "well, it saves us a little bit and every little bit helps". Times are not even close to the days when FIL was able to buy two cars, a boat, a house, and raise four children on one salary. MIL will save the occasional coupon for me though, which I do appreciate.

DH has not yet graduated to the level where he is able to price match with coupons though. Maybe when the baby comes, he'll learn or risk sending me out to the shops. Then we'll see how far he gets on breastfeeding....

[Granger]

Husband right on the bandwagon. Extended family look at me like I have four eyes on their head or like my students trying to learn fractions. They just don't get it. Oh well their loss.

[lilo0003]

Husband and kids are totally on board. They understand how much extra they have becuase of couponing. The kids know not to ask for treats, but as soon as they see the movie offer on the fruit roll-ups they are all over that. In fact I am think we may go see Jurassic Park this weekend with these. The DQ one from the cereal is cut and ready to go and the boys will be the 1st to remind me it is May. We can easily go to DQ whenever we want, but why would we when we can go for free and make it a special treat.
I don"t share with many of my friends as they think I don't "need" to save. Since my salary alone is higher than the average Canadian family income they are right. But I "want" to save because I don't want this job forever and we want to travel. I do have one friend that I share my tricks with and often just buy the deals for her when I can get them.
My brother is in a financial crisis right now and he just can't see how saving a bit on groceries can matter. But with PMing and coupons and SC we saved several thousand dollars last year. Imagine putting that on a credit card with a 19.9% interest.

[dreamcatcher1962]

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

What does your immediate or extended family think of your couponing? Do they think it is great? Do they think your insane? Do they care?

Great question.

At first both dh and my father, lovingly teased and laughed at me.
I admit I had a hard time believing that I could use a coupon to get something for free. However, it only took 1 free item to get me hooked on this "coupon thing" lol.

My mom was right on board with me from the start. As soon as she saw the deals I was getting, she wanted in on the action
I've been couponing almost 2 years now and dh and my father have seen the light. lol.
The teasing has pretty much stopped and they are both quite impressed with the money mom & I have been saving.

They pretty much leave the couponing to mom & I, but they both watch for sales, coupons and dad has even asked for rainchecks for things like Water conditioner Salt ( stuff guys would shop for) or restaurants.

Dh's parents both passed away a number of years ago, but I know his mother would definitely approve.
As for my kids, it doesn't bother ds at all and he has even picked up the odd item for me with coupons , dd however is a work in progress.
Hopefully someday, I'll be able to convert her

[matty's mom]

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

What does your immediate or extended family think of your couponing? Do they think it is great? Do they think your insane? Do they care?

DH thought I was crazy, until he saw the benefits. Now he will use them. The turning point was when I was @ the cash and I used about $25.00 in coupons and the men behind us thought it was fantastic. We did not have a lot on money when I was on Mat leave- so SDM for DS prescription/points and coupons really saved us from being worse off. My mom was great- she would order coupons for me to her address when she found one she thought I could use. She never shied away from a coupon herself.

DS now asks if we have a coupon for something he wants. And he loves to hand them over to the cashier. He is almost four in two months... I think it is a great head start .

[dreamcatcher1962]

DH thought I was crazy, until he saw the benefits. Now he will use them. The turning point was when I was @ the cash and I used about $25.00 in coupons and the men behind us thought it was fantastic. We did not have a lot on money when I was on Mat leave- so SDM for DS prescription/points and coupons really saved us from being worse off. My mom was great- she would order coupons for me to her address when she found one she thought I could use. She never shied away from a coupon herself.

DS now asks if we have a coupon for something he wants. And he loves to hand them over to the cashier. He is almost four in two months... I think it is a great head start .

Good for you.
Start him when he's young, they're harder to convince when they are older. lol.