|
  |
|
|
Clipping Coupons, Not worth the trouble
So you spend $1.75 a week to get the Sunday paper just for the two or three pamphlets of coupons inside it. Then you spend hours carefully clipping each coupon you think you may eventually use, and organizing them in a coupon holder or envelope. You then carefully plan your grocery shopping list around the coupons which you have clipped. You do your shopping and bring your purchases home. You marvel at your savings, which is usually listed at the bottom of your receipt. You bought three boxes of Hamburger Helper because you had a coupon to save thirty cents. However you live with just one other person so now two of those boxes will just sit in the pantry going unused. A few months down the road a boy scout comes to the door looking for donations for the food pantry. You give him those two unused boxes of Hamburger Helper. Where was the savings in that? My mom was an avid coupon clipper. She had a knack for saving coupons until the store ran a special on a particular item, so she would save that much more. She still managed to spend $100 a week feeding three people, and this was twenty years ago. I remember having a closet full of soaps, shampoos, and toothpaste. She would still buy more if she could get it for the right price. Since she often bought more food than was needed, she would give much of it to my older brother who had already moved out of the house. She also would send care packages to friends and family across the country. I have found clipping coupons only ends up raising your grocery bill instead of lowering it. I currently feed a family of seven and haven't used a coupon in years. At one point however, I was very interested in the savings from coupons. I even started a coupon exchange, where I would give my unwanted coupons away and receive another person's to pick and choose from. I found that coupons had a tendency to make me want to buy something I didn't need and would never use just because I had a coupon for it. It pressed my impulse buttons, making me think I wanted it when I really didn't. It also tended to make me purchase things sooner than I normally would have due to the expiration date. I may have a cupboard full of shampoo, but I'd buy another bottle because the coupon was going to expire in a few days.
I also found the coupon made me purchase more than I wanted to. Sure you can store non perishable items, so purchasing more than enough isn't going to hurt in the long run. However, if you're shopping on a budget and buying more than you need at that time, you're not helping yourself any, and you're not saving money.
Personally I have found it cheaper not to use coupons at all. Instead I purchase store brand items as often as possible. Usually store brand is cheaper than the name brand even with a coupon. I also make a list and stick to it, this avoids spending money on unnecessary items. It also helps to shop at the right stores. I have always done the majority of my grocery shopping at Walmart Super Center, as I have found they have the lowest prices. I once tested my theory by shopping at another grocery store on occasion and found I spent almost double on the same items.
I am also saving myself $1.75 a week by not purchasing the Sunday Paper. The only thing we ever used it for was the coupons.
|
|
 |
|
No reactions yet.
Please login or sign up to rate this intel.
Please login or sign up to add a comment.
The copyright for this content entitled "Clipping Coupons, Not worth the trouble" has been specified by the contributor as:
All Rights Reserved
This content may not be copied, distributed or adapted by anyone under any circumstances.
|
|
May, 2012
2008
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2009
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2010
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2011
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2012
January, February, March, April, May
|
|
Not a member yet?
Qondio is a powerful network for making it online. If you have a website to
promote, we can help.
Sign up and get in on the action.
|
|
Welcome to Qondio! Discover the awesome power this network can deliver by going to our About page. Or you could skip straight to the Sign Up form.
|
|
