[Pat]

I used to coupon several years ago. Honestly, I found it fun. I’ve started trying to do it again. Everything is completely different now. I used to save at least 50% while couponing, now I can’t seem to save $5. Is this just how it is or am I missing something?

I should add that I don’t buy many cleaning products from stores so I don’t buy papers for coupons.

[Rachel]

Paper coupons are a bygone era just like most print newspapers. There are a handful of brands that offer digital coupons, but even those are slim pickings these days. Proctor and Gamble is the only one I bother with and their coupons are only good for one day so you have to print them the day you’re going to use them & hope plans don’t change or you will have to wait until next month.

Rebate apps seem to focus on highly processed foods. Honestly, I switched our way of shopping instead.

Meat from the butcher as 1/4 beef, whole pig etc.

Farmers market for produce…some stuff I get enough for the whole winter.

Make my own 🍞 (25lb of bread flour is just $10).

Eat even more seasonally (no hot dogs purchased between Labor Day and Memorial Day…no turkeys purchased after clearance post-Christmas…no hams after post-Easter clearance). Not buying a bunch of ingredients to try a new recipe etc. HBA and laundry products I looked up how much I should use & realized I could use smaller volumes with the same results. Paper products are still a struggle here as reusable isn’t a journey we’re willing to take.

Useful: How can I effectively use coupons for Dillons, Walmart, and Sam’s Club as a busy mom of five?

Good luck.

[Ellie]

I gave up because I found that it was not worth it too. Now I stick to Walmart generic brand or I shop at Aldi.

[Jackie]

Download fetch and scan receipts you’ll save.

[Sandy]

Check out the flash food app too. It’s a national program for overstocked or about to go out of date things. Your local grocery stores participate.

[Suzanne]

The pandemic and Amazon completely changed people’s buying habits. I miss couponing. It was challenging and I was proud of how good I did.

[Joyce]

I worked in grocery retail in the pricing department for over 20 years. What many people don’t realize is when the store matched the coupon, it came off the bottom line. When extreme couponing became a sport it really ate the profit margins.

Hours got cut and hiring freezes went into place, new policies went into place.

People who only wanted to use one coupon couldn’t because the stock got wiped out everyday.

The couponers were getting as greedy as the CEOs. Unfortunately that show created the perfect storm to ruin things for everybody.

Now it’s smaller coupons, and no matching and other rules. I don’t do many coupons unless they are on my loyalty card app and I don’t have to buy 2 or 3 to get the “savings”.

I just shop ads and get only what I need.

Also, check out: Frugal Cleaning Win: LA’s Totally Awesome Cleaner Saves the Day

[Crissy]

I’ve been couponing for years – it’s 99% digital now and you have to download the apps – I find that it’s difficult to find paper coupons unless you use a fairy to purchase from 🙂 if you’d like, I can send you links to sign up for other rebate/cash back apps. You can research them (I use them, not a scam) and see what you think.

If you use my link you get an extra bonus (as do I) but if you sign up without a referral link, you don’t get a bonus. For instance, when you sign up for Ibotta using someone’s referral, you get an extra $5.00 the first time you make a purchase and utilize the app.

I have saved thousands, I’m not exaggerating and the apps aren’t a scam.

[Lori]

You’re better off using the apps now. You purchase your items and scan your receipts to build up points, to receive gift cards for the stores you normally shop from from. This becomes like free money. And you’re able to buy whatever you need.

[Karen]

It’s changed so much. Proctor and Gamble (Tide detergent) doesn’t even have coupons in the Sunday paper anymore. People ruined it by clearing the shelves every week.

I have Ibotta and Fetch on my phone and those save me money.

[Kristi]

If you have a CVS, I save so much by using extra bucks and their coupons! I’m also a member of the savings club and I think it’s worth the cost.

[Amy]

I was an extreme couponer 12 years ago. I had thousands of dollars worth of free product coupons and would regularly purchase $300 worth of groceries for $10.. then the good coupons seemed to dry up. Now I don’t coupon but instead stick mostly to whole plant foods to save money.

[Danielle]

BJ Warehouse uses,on their app, and accepts paper coupons. You can double and triple stack. It helps me.

[Kathleen]

It’s been a long time since I bought newspapers and did paper coupons. I could save a lot then as our stores did double coupons and you could use more than one. If you had three of the same shampoo coupons, they would double all three of them.

Now I only do digital with an occasional coupon in the mail or on a package. Digital has a lot of them so I look at coupons and the store circular and make a list. You get some good ones but they are often sold out on some good deals like yesterday we wanted Johnsonville sausage, and that whole area was empty! While I like getting a good coupon deal I can’t count on them any more.

Preferred: How can we save money when buying an over-budget house?

[Roni]

I read that a lot of people email companies and ask for coupons. They are paper and arrive by mail

[Henny]

I used to be big into couponing and stocked up on many items. I remember buying Colgate for instance and wouldn’t have to pay a penny for them. They were on sale for $1 the coupon was maybe $0.50 but the store upped it to $1. I don’t even bother anymore now.

The store policies have changed to where they limit this, that or the other and the prices have gone up so much that even coupons won’t help you save money. Off brands at this point is the way to go.

Sad really, what’s happened with the economy.

[Author]

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