Wow! Great Couponing Video...

Barneso

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Parenting/mom-feeds-family-week/story?id=8463295

New Wife

thats awesome that she does that but i dont know if i could live off only processed foods and no veggies. i didnt see one "healthy" food item in her pantry. I dont think oreos and poptarts and lipton noodles could be the staples of our diets........anyone have any thoughts on this?

babypuplove

New Wife:

thats awesome that she does that but i dont know if i could live off only processed foods and no veggies. i didnt see one "healthy" food item in her pantry. I dont think oreos and poptarts and lipton noodles could be the staples of our diets........anyone have any thoughts on this?

I agree.  If she only buys things that are free or close to free, than almost everything she buys has to be processed.  I thought the video was interesting, and I'm always fascinated by those news segments, but why didn't they show us what she purchased on that $0.01 shopping trip?  Probably because it was all boxed and processed food.  And the "free" candle she got at CVS was probably not free.  If that took place only a few weeks ago, she got the amount that the candle was worth back in Extra Care Bucks, which isn't really free.  She still spent the money.  (I could be wrong, but I saw the ad in the paper two or three weeks ago for the "free" candle, and I almost bought one, then decided I didn't need it.) 

Anyway, I agree that the video is really exciting, but it would have been better if we could have seen into her cart and there was actual real food in it, and not just ketchup, canned soup, and bathroom cleaner.

Barneso

True, true.

She did get fresh seafood though.  I got a free carton of eggs last week... maybe she just has really good sources for coupons for fresh foods, too?  Also, it sounds like she takes good advantage of catalinas which could help to cover the cost of her fresh items.

As far as the candle thing - I thought the same thing but she said that it didn't come from the CVS circular, but rather from her newspaper, so... not sure.

MainelyFoolish

I didn't watch the video but I know there was a coupon for a free soy candle in the Sunday newspaper a couple of months ago.  I traded mine away on the Swap Spot board for an Old Navy Weekly coupon. 

JAM2000

I agree with you guys about her only buying processed foods, etc. I like using coupons and saving money but not for nothing, there is just so much I can do. No one seems to mention the money she spends driving around to these different stores, using ink to print coupons online, and newspaper subscriptions. Does all that savings really out weigh the cost of those things?  Also, stockpiling stuff for the future- just for the thrill of getting it free with a coupon can boarder on excessive (hoarding) trust me I've seen it with my ILs- their basement has enough food to feed an army.

babypuplove

JAM2000:

I agree with you guys about her only buying processed foods, etc. I like using coupons and saving money but not for nothing, there is just so much I can do. No one seems to mention the money she spends driving around to these different stores, using ink to print coupons online, and newspaper subscriptions. Does all that savings really out weigh the cost of those things?  Also, stockpiling stuff for the future- just for the thrill of getting it free with a coupon can boarder on excessive (hoarding) trust me I've seen it with my ILs- their basement has enough food to feed an army.

Exactly.  I seriously doubt she only spend a few hours a week couponing as she said.  I love clipping coupons, but I don't drive out of my way multiple times per week and buy things I don't need just to be able to use the coupons.  My time (and the gas in my car) is more valuable than that.  The two-ish hours I spend a week are sufficient.  :-)