Do you think you spend more when using coupon?

[lili]

I found out recently I shop alot, almost every two three days I go shopping .Yes ,I do save some money from using coupon but I also notice that I spend more money to buy the stuff I usually won't buy. For example, I have WUB 2 save $1 coupon for a product but the product about $2 each ,I normally won't buy it but I have coupon so Why not use this coupon ? It's happens quiet often now .hi guys ,what should I do ? stop using coupon ?

[mummyto2]

I would recommend only using the coupons on products you normally buy unless it is a deal were you can get the free to almost free!!! Put the coupons that you don't think you will use in a seperate box/album for trading or coupon trains

[FallenPixels]

Nope, money is tight so we are only buying what we need unless it is something free or something I know we will use (like when TP was on sale $3.97 and I had some expiring soon $1 coupons we bought 4 packs instead of just one)

[puddin57]

it's an easy trap to fall into lili......I always compare the brand name less coupon against what I usually buy...and there are times when buying a brand name is much smarter then a no-name sub-par quality item.....so yes, it's easy to overspend, but the fact that you recognized that fact means that you more aware to where best to spend your money

[daphne010180]

I would recommend only using the coupons on products you normally buy unless it is a deal were you can get the free to almost free!!! Put the coupons that you don't think you will use in a seperate box/album for trading or coupon trains

Agree, but the problem with me is that even buying ONLY the stuff that is almost free or free, taxes still apply. I am going broke just paying taxes!!

[frugal_gal]

I just started shopping the SC-way (as I refer to it) in the last couple weeks and I have to admit that after my amazing shopping trip a week ago when I purchased around $63 worth of items and paid $0.03 (with taxes total was $6.47) I was so excited I found myself going out later to redeem some more coupons to see how much I could save. It was a great feeling to see I too could make some amazing savings! (and I can see how that might be an addictive feeling!!) I quickly had a good look at what I was doing and had to remind myself not to go nuts.
You see I do tend to be one of those ppl who on occasion would buy something just because it was a great deal and figured I'd at some point or another use that item/product. A few years back I started making a conscious effort not to buy like that; I am only to buy the non-essentials if I need it at the moment or near future but otherwise it stays on the store shelf. Amazing how much we really can do without and the savings that brings over time.

As Mommyto2 pointed out I did find that most items I picked up in the past couple weeks, other than my usual staples, were items I will use but could do without (they are items that I would not normally buy at regular price or even on sale but would consider if at a rediculously low clearance price). I picked up those items because I had, thanks to SC members, found coupons at a value very near or more than the cost of the items and essentially got them for free or very small price. So now I'll be able to clean my toilet for over a year and can burn candles all year for no more than $1.50.
Now that I've had my fun so to speak, I will be focusing on PM and using coupons on those items I use regularly; so that means I have to find food coupons!

[angel48]

I shop only once a week - I have found that enveloping my money works for budgeting - I have my lists - and I put the money I can afford to spend on groceries, toiletries, etc. into separate envelopes so when I shop when the envelope is empty I am done - I have actually stopped using my debit card as often because I found that this convienice both cost me more in service charges at the bank and also made it too easy to over spend.
I get really excited when I actually have money left in an envelope - it is like free money -

[mamasaidshop]

I am new at this too, and I have asked myself the same question. But I do try to stick to buying things that are free or almost free. I also do not buy things just because I have the coupon. BUT, if I have a coupon for a certain kind of juice that is a brand I don't normally buy, I will get that instead of the usual brand.

The coupons for things I would not buy, I save for trading. Then I can get the coupons I know I want.

[frugal_gal]

.... I have actually stopped using my debit card as often because I found that this convienice both cost me more in service charges at the bank and also made it too easy to over spend.

I have stopped using my debit card some time ago as well. Shopping cash just makes it easier to keep track of my spending; the cash I have has to last me the week.

[penny_lane]

I shop only once a week - I have found that enveloping my money works for budgeting - I have my lists - and I put the money I can afford to spend on groceries, toiletries, etc. into separate envelopes so when I shop when the envelope is empty I am done - I have actually stopped using my debit card as often because I found that this convienice both cost me more in service charges at the bank and also made it too easy to over spend.
I get really excited when I actually have money left in an envelope - it is like free money -

Sounds like a great plan! I only have 9 debit card transactions before they start charging me. Before x-mas i paid about an extra $15 dollars

[thekaraokechick]

i THINK YOU TEND TO SPEND MORE AS WELL AT FIRST THEN YOU WISE UP AND TRY TO GET EVERYTHING FREE OR NEXT TO NOTHING WHEN YOU REALIZE THE ERROR OF OVERSPENDING.
i DID THAT AT FIRST-SPENT TOO MUCH BUT NOT ANYMORE

[MerryJ]

I was just thinking about coupons the other day, and realized that part of the problem with them is the "coupon trap". My goal is to save money. The advertisers who are printing the coupons have a different goal - to make me buy their products!! I wrote a post about it on my blog:
http://stockingthelarder.blogspot.co...in-canada.html

I try to be really careful to only use coupons to buy things I normally actually use. Sometimes I use coupons to buy things that are normally out of budget, but are a good price with the coupons. For example, this week I bought two packages of the Schneider's deli meat for $0.49 each at Sobey's with the save.ca coupon. I normally don't buy that kind of meat, but it was a treat I can afford at that price.

I also have a weekly budget. I find it is too easy to go crazy and buy 20 bags of frozen fruit because it is a good sale and I have coupons. When I do that, I go over budget, and I don't have enough storage space for everything.

I also find that I save more money by looking at the flyers and stocking up on what is on sale. Coupons save me some money, but sales save me more.

[Natalka]

I used to, but don't any more. Only stock extra when it's something we really truly use. I might use a coupon on something once in a while for a new product, just to see what it's like, even if that's something we normally wouldn't buy.
The vast majority of food coupons are for packaged and pre-prepared foods... and we aren't really into that. The world was fine before there were Kellogg's straws or other such odd items, lol!

[Insane]

I do and I don't. I am very aware that coupons are there to help me save money, not spend it. For example, I've got some olay coupons, the last set expired before I used them. That's because everytime I looked, I couldn't find anything that made the coupons worthwhile. I wouldn't normally buy olay stuff, so unless with a coupon I can get it dirt cheap, then I don't use it. Same goes the Venus razor, I don't need a new razor so if I can get it for free, sure i'll use it, otherwise, not much point.

That being said, I do buy things sometimes. Like I bought Mr. Clean stuff on sale today with the coupon. I don't need any more cleaning products (and I wish there was more selection of "green" stuff but I digress) and probably won't for awhile, but it was a really good price with the sale+coupon so I bought some. But I didn't go nuts and buy tonnes of mr. clean stuff.

I think you have to be conscience of the fact that coupons are for saving money, not spending it.

[Insane]

I have stopped using my debit card some time ago as well. Shopping cash just makes it easier to keep track of my spending; the cash I have has to last me the week.

I would love to do more of that. For me it's figuring out what is appropriate in each category. Our income fluctuates depending on how much hubby worked that month, so it's hard for me to plan and budget. It seems like an overwhelming task.