Do you think that using coupons can sometimes cost you money? They very well can, and we have saved quite a bit the last few years.
We post coupons regularly on our blog, and while not everyone uses them, they can save when used correctly – waiting for the item to go ON sale, so you can pair the coupon with the item at JUST the right time to score that deeper savings.
But I’m going to be openly honest and say they don’t always save you money – sometimes they can make you spend MORE than you need to…
The last few weeks we mentioned that we don’t use coupons (SHOCKER – right? – we have our reasons!) and guess what? Our grocery bill didn’t go up MUCH at all. WHY is that?
Before, we used to make frequent trips to the store to use coupons – while there, we would buy items we may not have needed, weren’t the best for us in general, and in the cart also went things we didn’t need. Fast forward, I can’t remember the last time I went to Fry’s – granted we DO show you pictures of the Mega Sale, it’s contributed to us from a reader who is reimbursed for her time to go there and take pictures FOR us.
It has been over 6 weeks since we have stepped foot in Fry’s and guess what? NOT going has saved me more than any coupon could have done for me.
- We get our Milk direct from the Farmer
- We get our Produce direct from the Farm
- We make ONE main trip to Costco a month and perhaps run in at some point a week or two after that for anything we run out of. And although some people really go crazy at Costco, am going to be honest and say I don’t have that problem – I have shopper focus so I can walk in and walk out in a matter of 10 minutes with only what I need. Maybe carrying cash does that because I know I can’t spend more than what I walk in with.
So how does using coupons make you spend more?
Buying things you Don’t Need
Companies create manufacturer coupons to get you to spend money – if Manufacturers didn’t make money then you probably wouldn’t be finding coupons in the Sunday paper.
It’s really easy to grab the inserts and feel compelled to buy items you may not have normally purchased… or perhaps would not have bought otherwise, because you had that coupon.
Just recently we witnessed a woman buying 102 Pillsbury Refrigerated Cookie Dough at the store because they were on clearance – thinking about that in general, was it something she needed? Or did she feel compelled to toss in the cart because she had many coupons for it?
Often times we forget that we have to pay taxes on certain items that you may not necessarily need – so although you are saving a little, you might not be saving as much as you think when taxes are factored in.
Coupons for Items that aren’t Really a Deal
One of the BEST ways to save money on your groceries is knowing where to buy specific items ~ anyone can go into ANY store with ANY coupon and save $.25 – $1.00 on the package, but most couponers know that Toilet Paper is best purchased on Amazon or, at the grocery store on a good sale and not at the drugstore on a daily basis.
Clipping a coupon for $.20 OFF Heinz Ketchup won’t be a good deal, unless your store of course quadruples coupons, and even then, the Heinz might just be higher than buying in bulk at your supermarket. The same goes for Hunt’s Tomatoes Coupons – we often times get a coupon for Buy 4 Get 1 FREE or $.50 off 3 cans – which can be great, but Costco sells Organic Canned Tomatoes for $.60 – $.80/can regularly without using ANY coupons (while Hunt’s Tomatoes are $1.20 at Walmart).
Gas Involved
When you factor in the coupon you will also want to take into account your time, and your fuel required to drive to the store. Although many of you go to the store several times a week, that can add up considerably fast when you are driving 10-15 minutes. You might be saving $1.00 on ice cream, but if that’s the ONLY thing you need, then you are spending more in the gas to get there than you are on the ice cream.
Making Trips to the Store
I hate to say this but making ANY trip to the store is going to cost you SOMETHING.
Even if you have a coupon. True? It’s SO hard to just walk in and avoid buying items in general.. so avoiding the store altogether is the BEST way to save. Am I right? I know I am, because it happens to me and that is one reason I’m thankful we NEVER go to the grocery store! Some people might be able to walk in and buy exactly what they need and walk out – but grocers are smart, and they have placed items in the store strategically to get you TO open your wallet.
Losing Sight of the BIG Picture
It’s REALLY easy to do this.. especially when grocers like Fry’s & Safeway offer $3 off your $20 purchase; or mailers for $5 off your $40 purchase.
It’s exciting – you had planned to shop there anyways, right?
But then after a while you may find that you feel pressured to USE that $5 off $40 … especially if it came the day AFTER you just made your trip. So you find yourself working up a “trip” to use that coupon, on items you may not necessarily need, just to reap that $5 savings.
The moment you feel like you have to use that coupon is a warning sign that a deeper psychological tactic is at pull.
Anything that Involves Credit
Although this isn’t so much grocery related, it’s something we are including because we see it SO much… Kohl’s is great at doing this – and we often have comments on the blog that “you can score a better discount if you use your Kohl’s card”. We have posted in the past why we don’t post deals that involve a higher discount by using a credit card or store card – simply because we don’t feel that is savings so much as it is unnecessary spending.
If a store gives you a deal for you to use your card (higher % off perhaps), BEWARE. Because they KNOW they are going to make more money in interest than they are giving out in coupons – and in most cases, you will end up buying more. Everyone says they aren’t “one of those people” but someone IS – and you need to be honest about that habit if it resonates with you.
Not spending anything is saving you more than the 30% you are earning if you use a charge card and buy those things you think you need.
While coupons can help you reduce your budget, they can also have drawbacks – we never mentioned the cost of the paper — some people may buy 6-7 papers, and unless you are getting them free, you NEED to make those coupons work for you in order to offset the cost. Being self sufficient can save you more money than using coupons in the long run – and by self sufficient we mean learning how to eat and cook without having to run to the store for convenience food. Sure, we may spend $55 a week on Milk and Produce, but it helps us avoid a trip TO the store in general – and that’s money saved for us (plus, we are picking up from the Farm what we KNOW we will use).
Do you think coupons can lead you to spend more?