The Cheapskate Mom

As I'm getting a reputation for being a relatively crazy coupon lady, I've been starting to learn about the other side of the fence- NOT being so crazy about coupons. To me, this idea is ridiculous, but after spending some good quality time with my mom friends I learned a lot of reasons why some people just AREN'T so crazy about coupons. There really IS a way to take advantage of grocery savings without spending as much time on it or being too aggressive. But WHY are some people not such a big fan of coupons?

• They are brand faithful to certain products.
• They don't have time for all that clipping.
• They can't find coupons for products they want.
• They buy all generics.
• They buy the myth that you can't save much with coupons.
• They believe using coupons means you don't have money.
• The area they live has limited competition and therefore a limited amount of coupons available.

These are some of the most common reasons people don't use coupons. It may seem easier to just admit defeat and toss the idea of coupons out the window, but I have come up with a system that can take a lot of the stress and legwork out of coupons and help you to save $.

What if you don't "need" to use coupons? The reason I started couponing was because the money didn't exist to pay full price. If it does exist, ask yourself this: What if I saved $20 each week using coupons?

$20 x 52 weeks= $1,040

What could you use that money for?

• Annually paid expenses such as insurance
• Vacation
• College fund for kids
• Investments
• Extra mortgage payments
• Debt Payoff
• Savings
• Car Down Payment
• Christmas

Imagine eliminating some of these items from your budget altogether just by clipping a few coupons! And it's a fair trade for about 30 minutes of your time each week.

So how do you coupon without being CRAZY?

1) Shop from the sales ad. Circle any items you are going to purchase this week, and any brands you are willing to try. You can view store deals at MoneySavingMom.com for most regions and the best deals are going to be listed, along with where to find coupons for those items. Most store websites have a shopping list tool that you can print, which lists each item by the aisle, and will automatically print any printable coupons available for the items you add to your list.

If you're willing to pay a monthly fee, though, you can try sites like TheGroceryGame.com. They do offer a free 4-week trial. It basically does everything for you, but it does cost you about $5 each month. I have heard good and bad reviews on this. I can say that I feel more accomplished doing the work myself, however, if you just want to save without having to do the work, this may be a good option for you.

2) Search coupon sites like CouponDeDe.com and TheCouponClippers.com for coupons you know you can use. You do have to pay a handling fee, but it is usually only pennies per coupon, such as $.07 for a $.75 coupon that will double and yield you a $1.50 savings.

3) Stock up on regularly used items at the lowest price you can find. There are some items that don't have a shelf life and can't be frozen, but those that can, such as soups, sauces, seasonings, pasta, meats, cereal, snacks, and so on, are worth buying in bulk. If you find block cheese at a low price (usually cheaper than sliced or shredded) you can shred it and put it in freezer bags. But don't try to freeze block cheese, because it crumbles when it thaws.

4) Take advantage of OYNO (On Your Next Order) Catalina deals and try to match it with coupons. For example, my store was offering a deal where if you bought 3 Pillsbury products in one order, you would receive $1 off your next shopping order. I used 2 $.30/2 coupon to buy the smallest cans(5) Grands! Junior bisuits ($.86 each) totalling $2.24, less the $1 OYNO (you can consider this cash back) and I paid $.31 per can. But don't buy something you won't use just to get the $$ back, because that's not a savings. Just pay close attention for deals you can take advantage of.

5) Make a Menu Plan. If you base it around what's on sale and what you have on hand, you only need to buy additional items to fill in the blanks. After your list is made, search the coupon database @ Money Saving mom for any coupons for those items. It takes a little bit of practice, but I was $3 under weekly budget the first time I did this and only use 4 coupons!

Couponing does train you to think outside the box, and you can easily save time and money by just using these tips. You don't have to be obsessive, or aggressive, have a huge coupon box or binder, or buy all kinds of things you don't want. But with a small amount of effort, and setting goals for yourself, you will have that extra $1,040 in no time!

I have been told recently by friend that I am good at complaining to companies when I'm unhappy with a product. Not long ago, I was in need of a new mop and opted to buy a $5 Mr Clean mop that I was sorely disappointed with. We rent, and my kitchen has these horrible old-school tile floors that seem to be magnets for dirt, and I have small kids that don't help the matter. This mop just seemed to push the dirt around, and required extra (unnecessary!) maneuvers in order to get the majority of the dirt up, and a ridiculous amount of waiting time for the semi-clean floor to dry. Granted, it was a cheap mop, but with a big name like Mr Clean, it should at minimum do the job, even if its not outstanding results. So I requested nothing more than a $5 coupon towards their Magic Eraser mop, and lo and behold, two weeks later I had a free full sized mop at my door.

But this was not my first time complaining about a product that did not meet my expectations. However, complaining isn't something I do just to get free products. Most of the time, we tend to give a little too much grace, and have a "beggers can't be choosers" or "you get what you pay for" attitude. My take on this is simply this: If you didn't get what you were expecting from the product, tell them so! Imagine if every person who was less than satisfied with a product never told the company so--they could lose a ton of $ over a flaw they never knew about. Companies want to put out a product people will buy and tell their friends about, and it's a big part of their advertising. It may not seem like this matters, but it really does. Many companies have won me over and I continue to purchase their products when they send me coupons, which is precisely what they want.

What makes the most difference, though, is how you complain. Here are some tips of how to complain effectively.

1. Explain why you bought the product. If you've purchased other products from their company and like them, be sure to lead with that information.

Example: "I usually buy your fresh chicken and have been happy with quality, so I decided to purchase your frozen precooked chicken tenders."

2. Let them know what disappointed you.

Example: "The size of the chicken tenders was much smaller than what the package implied, and for me, did not justify the cost."

3. Tell them what you would like them to do to compensate for your dissatisfaction.

Example: "I would be willing to give your company a chance to restore my faith in your products by sending me a few high value coupons."

4. Let them know you will be sharing your experience with family and friends. This is key, as there is no way for them to know how many people you will share your experience with.

What if you had a good experience, though, and you want to let that company know how much you love their products? Sometimes, you can send them a letter of praise, tossing in the fact that if more coupons were available, you would purchase their product more often. A lot of companies will happily send a few coupons along, but of course, they are rarely very high in value since they already know they don't have to win you over.

Just remember if you do decide to complain, try to do it without ranting or raving. It really doesn't benefit anyone to trash talk directly to a company!

Many people I've met have insisted that they buy the same thing every time, and since the coupons don't match up, they are pretty set in their ways. It may seem sometimes that you can't both save and eat what you want, but, to me it seems that you get to eat a variety of foods and it isn't always the same old same old. And, sometimes, it takes making big changes to realize what you don't want to waste your cash on anymore!

I've been thinking lately about things I don't buy that others do. Even if you refuse to coupon, you can save huge just by cutting out items that you just plain don't need! So here's my list of the top items to avoid at the grocery store.


The WORST of 'Em!

#1--Baked Goods. I'm sure I don't have to say it, but I'll say it anyway. Why pay $6 for a dozen cookies you can make yourself for less than half that amount? Why pay $10 for a cake you can bake for $2? It just doesn't make any sense. I fell victim to this this week, and this is the reason why they say to shop on a full stomach!

#2--Lunch Meats. Meats at the deli counter MAY be fresher, but if you MUST, the prepackaged version is much less expensive. We only buy lunch meat when it's on major sale or we have a craving, and it DOES NOT make the weekly grocery list. Instead, we eat PB&J, tuna sandwiches, or leftover meat sandwiches.

#3--Red Meat. It's not very good for you to start with, but if you're buying steaks every week, try making it a monthly purchase instead. Or, try cube steak which is extremely inexpensive. Our local stores don't do this, but most discount meats a day or two before their sell by date. Ask your butcher if they do. If they don't, try finding a local meat supplier. I've significantly reduced the red meat from our diets around here, however, I do know that you'll be paying much less and get much better cuts of meat this way. You can also try substituting Hamburger with ground turkey, which usually runs cheaper to start with.

The Ones that Suck a Little Less Cash

#1 Cookie Mixes, side dish packets and Premade Doughs. These can be cheap if you match coupons and sales, in which case they're great, but making them from scratch will always cost less.

#2 Sodas and other bottled drinks. Even though we've caved lately, we used to have a strict rule of brewed iced tea, milk, juice, and water ONLY in our house. This was good for both our health and our wallets. It really helps to scale back on these, and we really need to tighten up on that.

#3 Snacks, Cookies and Chips. Potato Chips are REALLY expensive and prepackaged cookies and granola bars even more so. Usually, I will buy pretzels and tortilla chips in the generic brand, which are the cheapest and healthiest snacks. Also, a tip a friend of mine told me is to make a triple batch of cookie dough and freeze it in balls. Then, whenever you're in the mood for cookies, all you have to do is drop a dozen on a cookie sheet and bake.

I wish I knew exact calculations of how much money you can save by avoiding these items, and I actually might do some research and update this entry later. But my best advice is to look at how often you purchase these items and what changes you can make in these areas.