Why?

 There are always the same questions that come up when people talk about couponing. Why would you bother? Is it really worth the effort? Doesn't that mean you have to eat whatever is on sale that week?

I'll address these one at a time so that you know why I do this, and you can decide if it's worth your time too.

Why do you bother? In my case I do enjoy getting a great deal and I want to get more for my money. I am not in the category of shopper that would starve without couponing, but it certainly allows for extra items such as vacations and gifts that we could not otherwise afford. It also allows us to be generous in a way that we would not otherwise be able to. Our donation budget for food drives now goes much further and that is something I am very happy about.

Fact: Most people who fit the "heavy coupon user" category are actually in a household with an income of $70,000+. Coupons are not just for those trying to make ends meet.

Is it really worth the effort? The average grocery bill for a family varies a lot based on many factors. For my family of 2 we eat only poultry (no red meat or fish), we eat a lot of produce, we tend to buy the more expensive "milk alternatives", and we both pack our lunches on a daily basis. Even considering all of those factors we have managed to build a stockpile and fund our regualr weekly groceries wih an average weekly bill of $50 or less.

Doesn't that mean you have to eat whatever is on sale that week? Well, not really. When it comes to fruit and vegetables we like almost everything so I do tend to buy whatever is on sale in those categories. For the rest of our groceries we eat what we like, because that is the importance of a stockpile. Let me explain how you begin.

Week 1: I have no stock pile

• I buy my regular groceries
• I also notice that Hy-vee has Progresso for $.98 and I have 12 coupons for $.50/2. I buy 24 cans
• Target has applesauce cups for my son's lunch on sale for $1.49 With Cartwheel and a coupon I can get them for $.90. I buy 4.

Week 2 : I have soup and applesauce

• I buy my regular groceries-except I don't need soup or applesauce for lunches
• I see that wheat thins are on sale and I have a coupon, making them $.99. I buy 8
• Frozen pizza is on sale with a gift card back and a coupon, making them $3, I buy 6

Week 3: I have soup, applesauce, crackers, and pizza

Every week your "regular grocery" list gets a little smaller until you're only buying perishables and the items that are at stock up prices that week. You're never surviving on fruit snacks and applesauce because that's what was on sale, you have plenty of things in the stock pile to choose from.
This does mean that the first several weeks you may need to allot an extra $10-$15 a week for those "stock up" items. This won't last long, and you will quickly see your bill diminish when you stop buying non-perishables at full price.