Comment by SharleneT.:

I don’t, either. Most of the coupons are for items I don’t really use and wouldn’t normally buy — so, it’s not a bargain for me. I use my garden and buy fresh meats. Still trying to show folks that animal fats are far healthier than putting petrol (vegetable — w/no vegetable anything in them) in your bodies, a practice that has increased clogged arteries since the 1980s, but it’s a slow process.

Comment by Philippa:

I’m with Sharlene. We also don’t find a whole lot of use for most coupons. The vast majority of food items in my grocery cart are very basic. There is relatively little markup in most staples, so producers have little to gain from coupons and similar promotions.

Comment by Katarina:

I just read this and then I went and read the label on the HEALTHY soup I give my kids and I couldn’t believe what is in it. It made me feel ill, it really did. This is a real wakeup call for me. I am going to take your advice and start really looking at the ingredients and I can tell you I won’t be buying some of the things I have been. Thank you for this post and for this really really wonderful blog.

Comment by Christa:

Very good and sensible advice. If you use a coupon for something you want to buy anyway, great. If you let a coupon convince you to buy something you wouldn’t normally buy, not so great. I read labels before I buy too. It really cuts down on the amount I buy! Some of the ingredients in our food supply are disgraceful.

I enjoy this blog so much.

Comment by Angela:

Loved this post! In fact, I was just going through a coupon site the other day and had the same thought because there wasn’t a single thing I would actually buy & I had to question myself for a moment if I was just being too picky. I’m definitely trying to save where possible, but my thought is that there is really no bargain that’s worth the price of your health in the long run.

Comment by Dmarie:

Me Neither! and as I edge more toward organics, homemade cleaners and fewer products in plastic packaging, coupons will become even harder to find. wish me luck!

Comment by Michelle:

A big THANK YOU to you for being another advocate of sensible shopping. My husband wonders why it takes me an hour or so to go shopping. Hmmm…propylene glycol…yum! It’s in everything that is soft and is supposed to stay soft! Coconut, dog food, snacks for humans…! I’d rather spend a lot of money for items without the chemicals than save a few bucks. I take the time to make our foods. I buy some cleaners, TP and very few foods that are processed. My husband wanted a good window cleaner for the car windows the other day. I handed him my h/m vinegar cleaner. ‘That’s not XXXXX (brand)’. Nope. That’s better!

Comment by Gina Guillotine:

You’re so right on with this.

My husband is always on me to cut down our grocery bill, but how? We don’t eat things like Bagel Bites, Red Baron Pizza, and whatever else they have coupons for.

We eat mostly whole foods, and if we eat something that’s junk, about 90% of the time, I’ve made it with my own two hands so I can control what goes into it.

There simply aren’t coupons for a lot of the things we buy. They don’t exist. Today, I was able to use a coupon for Earth Balance vegan buttery spread, and that was a VERY rare find!

For other items like shaving razors, many times, even with a coupon, it’s just cheaper to go with the store brand item.

Coupons are complicated, and no stores where I live have coupon doubling days, or other couponing specials.

People on the Extreme Coupon show are setting bad examples for everyone else, and lately, my stores have been hit by extreme couponers who completely clean out a shelf of a single item, leaving none for anyone else. I’m sorry, but if they know they are going to need something in large numbers, they should call ahead and have the items pre-ordered for their use.

I could go on and on all day about this.

Thank you for making this post. I’ve enjoyed finding someone who is a kindred spirit.

Comment by Brenda:

Wow – love your site. I’m from Australia nad couponing is not so big here but all the major store catalogues come our each week with major ‘savings’ on food items. BUT, guess what. It’s always the ‘foods’ I would never buy. There’s never specials or two for the price of one on healthy whole foods, organic items and fresh unprocessed foods. It’s always the junk. I’m with Michelle above, I’d rather pay more for decent food than save a few dollars and eat chemical cocktail filth. It shocks me to see what some people will put into their kids mouths, and saddens me too that the world has got to this stage. I’m just starting to learn about frugal living though have been unhappy with my physical and emotional clutter for years. I grow as much as we can, but gee we eat a lot!!