Thursday, February 2, 2012

Coupons Vs. Budgeting

There is no question that I saved A LOT of money last year couponing, but I also bought items my family did not like, items full of preservatives, items full of sodium, and products I was not happy with.  Some people love couponing and it works really well for them, but for me it did not.  I looked back to see more "convenience" food than fresh food.  I disliked cooking because it was no longer fun.  I was just dumping boxes into a pan, bowl, or dish.

I will admit I am not 100% free of preservatives or processed food, but we are doing a million times better than when I was shopping sales and coupons.  At least once per week we have a meatless meal which was unheard of in the past.  We are exposed to such great ingredients and have found new ones we love.

Since I feel better about my shopping technique and cooking again I decided to do a comparison to see where I am at now compared to where I was at last year at this time.  I was pleasantly surprised that I have spent quite a bit less and I have laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, and cleaning supplies (all recipes found HERE) that will last most of the year!

Here is a screen shot of my spreadsheets:


Spent $827.59 for groceries through February in 2011.


Spent $656.83 for groceries through the end of February so far!  That is $170.76 difference so far!  I look forward to see the difference at the end of year.

You will notice I no longer track my savings for percent saved.  The reason for this is because I buy "frugally" I do not "deal" shop.  This means I buy products based on the best bang for my buck.  I do not buy a product because it is on sale or I have a coupon.  This may seem confusing, but it is actually simple.  For example, I buy a lot of  store brand products because they are equivalent to the name brand, but are cheaper.  Another example would be today when I bought syrup.  I bought Mrs. Butterworth's for 90 cents more than the store brand because it came with 50% more syrup.  I know we will use it and it cuts my overall spending.  I will spend $2 on a 5lb bag of potatoes because that is what I need instead of spending $2.99 on 15 lbs.  If we will not use it then it is waste and I would be throwing away money.

Just keep in mind being frugal does not mean being cheap.  I purchase quality over quantity and only buy the quantity I need instead of buying extra of something I will not use.  Because this is my new mind set I will not track percentage saved or amount saved because it does not apply.  My goal is to spend a certain amount of money.  It keeps me on track and I am not pressured to reach a certain percentage.  The coupon world focuses on the percent saved, but to me that promotes wasteful and reckless spending.  That is my experience and that is exactly what I did to try and reach my goals couponing.

Now that we have compared the two years I do want you to know I will spend a little bit more this month because I do have to pick up fresh produce for my meals through the month.  To refresh what I need to buy yet here is my list:


I don't expect to spend too much more on these items so I can easily say that I will be saving around $150 on groceries from last year at this time.  Not to mention all the time saved by not hunting down deals and coupons plus the cost of ink or buying Sunday papers (which I didn't do too often, but still did occasionally).  I am thrilled to see this system working for me.  The most important thing is to find what works for your family and the best system for you to achieve your budget goals.

I think I will do a side by side comparison at the end of each month to help keep me on track and see how I am doing with planning.  It will be interesting to see where I am at the end of the year.

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8 comments:

  1. I love your honesty and your willingness to share your experiences and knowledge! Thank you for your wonderful post!
    Jan @ tipgarden@blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you so much! I am definitely in the learning process yet. There are still some "hiccups" to overcome, but I want people to know you can overcome those "hiccups". No one is perfect and the most important thing is to find what system works for you. :)And I LOVE your site with all the tips and recipes. I have "pinned" quite a few to try in the future. I especially want to try your stuffing mix!

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  2. I love couponing, but you are right boxed foods are just well not the best sometimes, that is why I have decided to do Crockpot Sundays. All the ingredience are fresh and I usually have 2 or 3 days worth of left overs afterword. So we eat better and still save! :)

    Heather From and Mommy Only Has 2 Hands!

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    1. I gave up on coupons mainly because I am cutting out processed foods. When I looked back on what I bought last year I was disappointed in what I saw. We still have a long way to go, but my goal is to keep processed foods to a minimum. Everyone needs to find the best solution for their family and I found the time and effort of using coupons did not suit my family's needs. It makes me happy to see my family eat better, enjoy their food more, and I was surprised at how much more I have saved just by meal planning than I did couponing. Not to mention I thoroughly enjoy cooking again. Tons of fresh ingredients and whole foods bring so much flavor and beauty to the table.

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  3. Erika, I rarely use coupons- they are usually for processed foods and I cook from scratch most of the time. That is not to say that I do buy some canned goods to use for combined food meals- ie: crock pot meals, chile, casseroles- but I prefer fresh or frozen foods. I have to laugh when I see or read about couponers who only pay just a few bucks for $600 worth of groceries and household products. They must have a grocery store of their own stored in their basements and most everything is processed food! Not exactly healthy, IMHO. I buy store brands, as well, but like you- I look for the best deal. Sometimes the national brand IS the best for the money. It just takes a little time and effort to determine what works for us. Good post!
    Glad you came by via the LF blog hop. Am following you, as well. :-) Sue

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    1. Thank you :) It is nice to see someone who understands where I am coming from. Couponing is definitely the popular thing to do right now, but it does not work for my needs. I want fresh, healthy meals without all the sodium and crazy ingredients that I have no idea how to pronounce let alone what they are. I am not 100% "whole" foods, but my goal is to get as close as possible. Next I am going to start baking! That will be interesting because me and baking do not get along...lol I have a blogger I follow and she assured me that with practice I will get it ;)

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  4. Hi again Erika: Just wanted to weigh in on this. We're a family of four and that's right about at what we spend on groceries too (not including diapers). We have similar mindsets. We're not a whole foods or organic family but we buy local produce April-October and limit processed foods and restaurants from our diet. I've saved money using coupons but like you I avoid the coupons for processed foods like cookie dough and high-sugar cereals. Unfortunately, that's a lot of what's in the Sunday circulars.

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    1. You are right. It is sad that it seems to be that way. I do find some of my favorite product websites occasionally have coupons. But because the paper is jam packed with "junk" coupons I don't even waste my money or time. A couple weeks ago I found out we have a year round farmer's market not too far from our house so I now use that as much as possible!

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What do you think? I'd love to hear from you!