Coups

I don't understand, esp in these sour economic times, why more people don't use coupons when purchasing their groceries (and other items). I watched most people today at the grocery store just pull out their money, rather their check books or debit/credit cards, and pay full price.

Granted, I had a few bottles and cans to return (a few bagsful, but not a whole lot), but I saved almost $45 dollars this afternoon! My payment (check) was about $53--and $23 of that was in beer and deposits on beer/soda cans ($3.60 of which I will recover).

Now, clipping coups takes some time, maybe about 10-15 mins a week. I do it at the dining room table on Sun AM. I imagine people could clip while watching the boob tube (which I rarely watch) or while engaged in other passive activities. I subscribe to two Sunday newspapers to get coups, get some online, and other people (e.g., at Karen's work, neighbors, even my mother-in-law) send them to me.

It can be fun, a game of sorts. Watching expiration dates, we can wait for sales to multiply the effects/savings. For instance, this week Gatorade G2 went on sale at Krogers for $1--a couple weeks ago there were 50-cent coups in the paper. With double coups, I got a couple of bottles for free. A ramen noodle-type package was on sale for $1.05 and I had 50-cent coups for those, too--doubled and I received a couple of quick lunches (that I enjoy!) for a nickel each. Diapers? Wait for the $10 ones to go on sale for $7 and then use the ubiquitous $2 coup from the newspaper inserts--half off. My glucosamine/chondroitin capsules that are $21 a bottle? Wait for buy one get one and then use two $5 coups.

Even buying just a Sun newspaper for the inserts can be considered an investment--and a pretty good one at that.