Crazy Coupon Clipping Cutter

Yesterday afternoon I spent some time clipping coupons, looking at the ones I had and writing out a menu for the next 3 weeks. Yes, I went grocery shopping this morning and got 3 weeks worth of meals! Woo hoo! I don’t know if I could have done that when the kids were still living at home or not, but I probably could. After all, my hub eats enough for a family of 4 on his own, although there are some aisles that I can skip nowadays, like the cereal aisle. I eat oatmeal or cream of wheat in the morning and the containers I get last a while. My occasional urge to indulge in Sugar Smacks is not enough for me to clip that cereal coupon out as I would have to buy two boxes of cereal and that would just be a waste.

As I was sweeping through the coupons I already have, I had to toss so many of them that had JUST expired! Didn’t they use to have a longer expiration dates on coupons, or is it just my imagination? I saw a few that were really good deals - $1.00 off that just expired last week. Ugh! I also hate when I come across a good one that I can use until I read the fine print that it is only for the ‘Light’ brand. Drat!

Then there are the coupons that I have painstakingly cut out and folded with my grocery list that just do not make sense to use when I’m standing right in front of the product selection. Although I might save 50 cents on the brand name juice, I can get the store brand of grape juice for 1.00 cheaper. There goes another wasted coupon clip.

And don’t forget the coupons that cannot be used because the store just doesn’t carry that product. I had a $1.00 off coupon for some salad dressing and needed specifically Italian dressing for a recipe, but they did not HAVE that brand in Italian dressing on the shelf…that coupon got shoved back in my purse. That’s okay though because the store brand Italian dressing I found was cheaper. I was particularly proud to have in my possession a $1.00 off coupon for a sleeping aide that my hub uses now and then. Turns out the box itself had a $2.00 coupon right on it! While I was happy with that, I’m sure I will not be using that coupon I cut out before it expires.

I decided to search for a coupon exchanging group and am going to give that a try. So I cut all of the coupons that were in the Sunday paper out so that I would have plenty to offer to anyone that can use them. I have no need for cat items, diapers or baby products, etc.

My husband told me last night I was a coupon clipping crazy lady. He wanted to know why I was cutting out a denture gripping product when I still have my own teeth? I told him about the coupon exchange group I was planning to join. He just shook his head and said “Let me understand you correctly. You are spending hours clipping every coupon you see, and waiting for a bunch of coupon rejects that nobody else wanted to come in the mail, only to add your new ones to that you spent time clipping out so the next person can use them?" Well that’s not exactly how it is suppose to work. I am suppose to get the last person’s new ones that they can’t use. Maybe they don’t have dogs or don’t use my brand of cleaner, etc. Anyway I’m giving it a shot and will see how it goes.

So…is it really worth it all, cutting coupons?...I see posts at different places where one woman saved so much by using coupons, another saved over $100 by using her coupons. I especially like the ones where they get something on sale, get doubled coupons and actually get money BACK at the check out counter. I’m not there yet and probably won’t be. I don’t have enough hours in my day to search all over for coupons. But I’m doing okay. ..my grocery savings today was $20.43 !