Couponing

So to get off the heavy stuff. Let's chat about saving money and couponing. I love coupons...I really do. IF they are for what I want/need. I get a big thrill out of seeing the money I save when I use them. Even if I only save $2 a week, that is over $100 a year! But I have a beef with coupons and those who use them. I have seen those who extreme coupon! You know...the people who get $300 worth of groceries for like $10 (ok, a bit over exaggerated, but not much). But here is my question....

How much of that do you need and use? How much of that did you buy because it was a good deal? How much of it was neccessary? How much of that will just sit in your house and ever get used? How much of that food do you actually want your family eating??

Can you see where I am going with this? I was reading up on someone who coupons...bragging about the stash she has of everything in her house. And we are talking like more than 10 of one particular item! She then went on to say that she had to eventually put some of it in a garage sale and something tells me that she didn't get her money back. Do you need 10 bottles of shampoo in your house? Is the shelf life long enough that you can keep it like that?

I see that a lot of my consumer goods coupons are for candles, air fresheners, etc. I have do have air fresheners in the bathroom. It is obviously there will be a point that it will smell. We have had the same can in the bathroom for well over 6 months. At that rate it would take me over 5 years to use 10 bottles!! NO THANKS!

I think the hardest problem I have is with food. Everyone wants to save money on food. But there is also a compromise of the nutrition. I see an overwhelming amount of coupons and sales for pizza, breaded/fried items, etc. Things that I really try to limit in my house. I am not perfect. YOu will find brownies here from time to time. We have chips. We do eat pizza. But not at the rate one would have to eat to dramatically lower my shopping bill at the end of the day.

So I guess what I am trying to say is that I have a hard time saving extreme amounts of money due to the restrictions above. I really have one or two stock of the things I use all the time. I make sure coupons of things that I definitely use (diapers, peanut butter, granola bars, laundry detergent, etc) never expire if I don't have a few back ups. I tend to toss coupons of things that I dont' really care for in my house. If I want chips, I will pay full price (or the store sale price) because that is the price I pay for bringing something unhealthy in my house (and we do get chips). I buy genertic where i have tested and found to be no difference. I buy meat in bulk, divide and freeze, free overstock of anything I can, double up manufactor's coupons with store coupons, etc.

That being said, I saved 41% on my last grocery store purchase :)