03 June 2009

Coupon World

Just went on my first real couponing grocery trip. Had a minor throwdown with the cashier, but otherwise I found the whole experience very satisfying (actually that throwdown was kind of fun!). Here's the loot:

Total I paid: $25 (although I am going back because they overcharged me by $2.50)
Total value: $77
Total savings: $52

I will be taking my bows all day.

Update:
Because some of you (Rachel) are not convinced of the food-worthiness of the items purchased, I will give you a breakdown:

2 5-packs Mac and Cheese
2 packages Capri Sun
2 bags Bear Naked granola
1 tube Banana Boat sunblock
3 boxes Kellogg's Mini-Wheats
1 box Raisin Bran
2 dozen Organic Valley organic eggs
2 half gallon Newman's Own Lemonade
1 box Butoni fresh linguine

Please feel free to throwdown with me regarding the integrity of these foodstuffs; if you know me, you know I'm always up for a good fight!!

15 comments:

denebug said...

I would argue that most of what you bought is not actual food, and therefore of questionable value. Have not not embraced "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto" yet?

Jen Mo said...

you are a stinker! the only things there that are not real food are the mac and cheese and capri suns. Since they were practically free, we're using them as food storage. At least I don't live in Texas!!

Jen Mo said...

And obviously the sunblock is not food either. Thanks all the geniuses for pointing that out.

denebug said...

I got no problem with the sunblock. I, however, would not call miniwheats or raisin bran "food". And while I have no beef with Newman, how is his lemonade necessary or beneficial to a healthy human body?
Don't mess with Texas.

denebug said...

The worst part is, that staying with family in Texas, borrowing someone else's fridges space and kitchen, I too have purchased mac and cheese and capri suns. Oh, the shame. But it was on clearance at Target, so I got just as good a deal, but without the hassel of cutting coupons!

Jen Mo said...

Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Clearance at Target? Sure. I will call Michael Pollan right now. And I won't mess with Texas -- I'll leave you to all of that fun!

ludwigaslinen said...

If it didn't grow or didn't have a mother it's not food....

Gina said...

Rachel, thanks for fighting that fight ;) I'd say more, but I fed my kids radioactive orange "fun sports!" mac and cheese for lunch just today... But my experience has also been that stuff I can get cheap with coupons I'd usually just as well not have at all. But more power to you, Jen. And if there really were some sort of terrible emergency and people were living off their food storage, my kids will desparately wish I had more Capri Suns and fewer kidney beans in our food storage...

Jen Mo said...

Man, you guys need to look for the right coupons! So far I've used coupons for some awesome (and yes, some toxic) stuff! I went to our local co-op the other day and brought $23 in coupons with me! I got butter, cheese, veggies, milk and all sorts of delicious stuff! It was awesome!

Littleshortstacks said...

Way to go with the coupons. The day may come when we can't afford to be food snobs. At that point, I couldn't care less if the mac n cheese is organic or if what's hydrating my baby has corn syrup or loads of sugar in it. Cheap is good. And for the record, raisin bran goes a long way with the digestive tract...it's REAL enough for my body!

denebug said...

**I went to our local co-op the other day and brought $23 in coupons with me! I got butter, cheese, veggies, milk and all sorts of delicious stuff! It was awesome!**
That sounds like useful coupon shopping.

In general, I dislike coupon-based shopping because it just an advertising gimmic. Most of the products are overpriced brand names or new offerings by large agribusiness/chemical corporations. By thinking they're getting away with some sort of a deal, people are manipulated in purchasing things that they neither need nor want, usually things that are so processed that they have incredibly high profit margins (companies are NOT losing money on these things) and, if eating in quantities that they suggest, would cause detrimental health effects.

The other beef I have with coupons is that they promote waste. People who have a large stockpile of personal and home cleaning products tend to use them more liberally than necessary, and throw containers out before the product is completely used up. Or, worse, they open new things when the first is only partially used and clutter up bathroom and cupboards with never-finished, half-used plastic bottles of junk.

I do concede that some coupons are useful, and some coupon shoppers use them wisely. If everyone who used coupons were so prudent, they would cease to exist because they would no longer be a viable money-making strategy.

End rant.

Jen Mo said...

Geez -- next you're going to tell me that total immersion in pop culture is bad for my brain! ;-)
How does Texas like having such a crazy tree-hugging mama? Have they tried to ban you from the state yet?

denebug said...

For the most part I'm being very, very quiet. Like during the daily watching of multiple Fox News shows. I still think I could have died a happy and fulfilled life without ever having watched Glenn Beck. I do have the leave the room when some (anonymous) people complain about Obama's fascist policies. Shudder.

Wendy/Chris said...

I LOVE that you are doing this, Jen! -over this past year I have saved (I haven't counted, but just based on my bigger shopping trips) well over $5,000. (-on normal staples.) Keep it up-you'll find that your spare change can buy your dinner. :)
-- Yoda

Unknown said...

Good Work! Is this an Albertsons trip?
Jane
Alltogetherbeautiful.blogspot.com