I used to be the Queen of coupons. I’ve never seen the TV show about couponing, and I certainly wasn’t that extreme, but I had a knack for saving $15-20-25 dollars at a time with just using coupons and double coupons and in-store deals. I’d get so excited, too, when I got a great deal on something.
Not only did I love saving money and getting that self-satisfied rush by making a normally $5 item only a $1, but I loved trying NEW products! Many people hate grocery shopping but I loved it. Well that has changed drastically in the last few years.
In the past two years or so my couponing habits have changed drastically. Because I am trying to get away from eating processed foods, I find that most of those coupons I see each Sunday are worthless to me. I don’t want a box of crackers or 100 calorie cookies. I don’t eat frozen meals for lunches anymore (and haven’t in nearly a year!). Those items used to be a staple in my house and I always had things like that.
Now when I clip coupons they are for things like cleaning supplies, beauty supplies (tampons, hair dye, shampoo, etc) and condiments (I’m a mustard addict as well as a salad dressing addict). I wish I could say that cutting out the processed foods has made a big dent in my grocery bill but the cost really hasn’t changed much. Produce is much more expensive these days and because we’re eating more “real food” we have to shop for it more often.
That is in no way a complaint. My body has never felt better since we changed to a caveman type diet. For example, my dinner last night was a boneless pork chop, a spinach salad and steamed broccoli. It was filling and satisfying in every way and I didn’t miss rice or pasta or bread as a side. Meat and seafood + veggies = simple meals and a happier body. I feel better. I feel healthier.
But it feels like these two lifestyles are incompatible. Is it impossible? No, but it’s not easy. The coupons I have been able to use on the healthier foods I eat are things like Greek yogurt, organic soups, frozen vegetables and Foster Farms chicken. Unfortunately, that is just a small portion of the stuff I buy.
You know what I wish? I wish that the Sunday coupon section had coupons for fresh produce. I want to see a coupon for 50cents off fresh broccoli from any store, or 10% of a watermelon at any store. Why isn’t this available? I really wish it was!
QUESTION: What are your spending and couponing habits? Have they changed with your diet?
Jane at Keepingthepoundsoff.com
There are no sponsors for the 50 cents of broccoli coupons or the free lettuce with a purchase on tomato offers. If a health group would sponsor the cost of the coupon it would be there. Big Sugar, National Flavoring Inc, etc – they sponsor coupons.
Lisa Eirene
I know. It’s frustrating, isn’t it?
Roz@weightingfor50
Hi Lisa, I LOVE the feeling of getting a great deal, either with or without a coupon. But you’re right, most non processed foods aren’t “coupon’d” but the cleaning supplies etc are. And I use them frequently. Hope you have a wonderful week!!
Lisa Eirene
I love that feeling too!
Deb
I thought about going out, buying Sunday papers, getting the coupons. I planned on it. Then I started looking at the coupons you can print online. There’s like nothing we actually use. And I’m not going to buy a bunch of stuff just because I had a coupon for it.
Like you, we have steered away from most of the processed foods. We sometimes eat a hamburger helper meal or something like that, but for the most part, we’re eating “real” food. Maybe I’ll start clipping them when I see coupons for fresh produce, or chicken breasts. We eat tons of chicken breasts. Yesterday I went to Walmart to get the $7 3lb bag of them and they were out. Completely out of all chicken breasts. I went to Food4Less and it was $9 for 4 little ones! We’re eating thighs this week.
Lisa Eirene
That’s a good deal on chicken.
I sometimes clip rice and pasta coupons because we do use those once in awhile. But for the most part it’s been years since I’ve bought a helper type meal and too long to remember when I bought a frozen meal!
Lauren @ Sassy Molassy
Yes, I always go through the coupons and find maybe one that will work with my lifestyle. No, I do not need three bags of Reeses just to save $1.
Lisa Eirene
Definitely not! I saw the Easter candy coupons in yesterday’s paper. I used to buy bags and bags of holiday candy with coupons.
Deb
I just realized you changed your theme- I used to use Suffusion a few few years ago. Its nice and clean. I ended up going with Atahualpa though eventually because almost every aspect is customizable via CSS.
Lisa Eirene
I did! I changed it on THursday and am still tweaking so haven’t put out a post about it yet. I like how clean and simple it is.
Beth
I try to save money by only going to the grocery store once a week – I tend to buy heartier fruits and veggies that have a little more of a shelf life like apples and cauliflower. It is definitely more expensive to eat healthy!
Lisa Eirene
That’s a good idea, Beth. Too often we buy food that goes bad quickly-like avocados or bananas and then I’m rushing to eat them before they are bad.
Simply Life
I love saving money with coupons but agree that most of them are for packaged foods- I love this idea of looking for other products!
Jess
We don’t have coupons in NZ. The market is too small and there is nearly no competition, so our food prices are really high. I try and shop at fruit and veggie store for my produce, because it is a little cheaper than the supermarket and the food is fresher. Other than that I just buy store brand whenever I can, because it is cheaper.
Clothing is another story. I went to the mall with a friend the other day and walked out with 5 pairs of underwear, 1 bra and a pair of running pants for $57 ($52 once I used a $5 off voucher I earned from store points). Original prices would have made it $158
Lisa Eirene
Great steal on the clothes discounts!
I try to go to produce stands and farmer’s markets for the fruits and veggies. I’d much rather support a local or small business for that stuff. And maybe it’s not “creep” manufactured food like some of the stuff out there.