Is couponing making you fat?

[couponcool]

Please nobody take this personally, I'm a newbie and just had a few observations. I think that saving money is expensive if it takes years off your life. I saw a news report recently of a woman who is fantastic at couponing. I found it interesting that she was also a good 50-75 lbs overweight. It was not surprising then that a lot of her free (or almost free) items are cake mixes, sugary cereals, fake peanut butter and cheaply made cookie mixes. Being a good couponer, she had tonnes of these items in her stockpile.

I notice on this forum too that a lot of people who spend like $1.50 OOP for $100's worth of groceries have a lot of junk in their loot. Or coffee mate (which I got for free actually, but only got two because I can't stand the hydrogenated oils). So my savings are usually only 50-70%. I could save more if I stocked up on the free items, but they are just too fattening so I end up with less savings. I justify the less savings because I think of the trade off. I would rather eat healthier, even if it costs more.

Does anyone have any ideas how to reconcile couponing well and saving a lot with a healthy lifestyle

[LaToya Johnson]

not me, but my husband! He often mocks me for couponing, but snacks on all of my "deals". I would say to just stockpile all of the "goodies" for holidays and special occassions. (it can't be eaten if it is not cooked)

[CherryPicker]

I would agree that everything should be in moderation, and don't worry, I'm not going to flame you as it is incredibly important to eat healthy. Yet here are some of my local observations, for those fortunate enough to be able to even grocery shop in this economy, what we may perceive as unhealthy or junk, could very possibly be donation items/and or actual meals for those who might not otherwise have a way to grocery shop right now. Just a thought....

[CherryPicker]

Just wanted to add that peanut butter/pastas/pasta sauces/tomato sauces/rice/ and canned meats and vegetables are just a few of the most asked for items at food banks/holiday drives. So are cereals.

[gastonclipper]

if you are set on using every coupon that crosses your path you may end up with a stockpile of overly hydrogenated items. it's all about choices.

HOWEVER here's what the couponmom philosophy is really all about - you look at your own average weekly/monthly food spending and you measure what you are spending on your staples - let's say chicken, cereal, salad dressing, vegetables etc. Then you look at what you generally pay for those items - the weeks they are not on sale, the weeks they are on sale, and the weeks they are on sale AND you have a coupon.
then using a time frame that works for you, for me that's about 4weeks, you you stock enough items until the next sale considering the shelf life.

so you want to start to buy more meat when it's on sale, fruit & vegetables you look at what you can buy this week - maybe you might freeze some of the extra or make a soup or casserole in advance you can freeze. for fruit you may eat more oranges one week than apples because the oranges are on sale. certain veggies are as good frozen - things like peas or corn, or mixed vegetable work great in healthy soups
there are healthier options for cereals or salad dressings and when those go on sale maybe you might even find you have a coupon.

coupons are great tools, but really you can save money whether you use them or not by just being more conscious of what ends up in your cart. i know what your are saying a lot of the coupons are for unhealthier options; sometimes you just have to discard or pass on coupons that don't fit into your lifestyle choice.
there was a rather heavy set couple in front of me at the grocery store yesterday with a cart fairly full of groceries and i don't think i saw them use a single coupon ...

[scifree]

I am extremely aware of what my family consumes. There are coupons around for organic items as well as milk, produce etc. Frozen vegetables. I skip many. There is alot of sugary/processed items but you should look at in moderation. I personally don't buy the box mashed potatoes for my family however buy them when they are free for my local food pantry. Same goes for peanut butter or certain cereals. Something is better than nothing for these families, don't judge because you have a choice.

Couponing is a way of thought as well. I am the bargain shopper however ensure that my family have fresh fruits and veggies on hand all the time. It just changes depending on what's on sale that week or what is in season. If you are still saving 50-70%, that's awesome. Remember you don't have to buy it just because it is a good deal, buy in your budget and personal convictions.

[Jenng]

I also have TONS of free cake mixes, cookie mixes, icing, brownie mixes, crackers, and even muffin mixes. These are not items I typically had on stock before I started couponing. I use them for when I get invited to a potluck, church function, friends house, party, etc. That way when someone asks me to bring something I just whip up a batch of FREE brownies, cookies, etc. This saves me even more money because not only did I get the item FREE, but I didn't have to run by the store to pick up something last minute and drop $10. People are also more impressed when you make something instead of just picking it up from the store.

I also use the cakes for special occasions such as birthdays. It's much cheaper than a store bought cake. Plus everyone seems to like it better. I agree with Cherrypicker. If it's in moderation and you're able to share your sweets than why not.

[lucid]

I see your point, but in my view poor choices are usually what make people overweight (barring extreme genetics and other factors). And anyone can make good choices or bad ones as they wish, whether or not they are using coupons.

[CherryPicker]

Originally Posted by couponcool

Does anyone have any ideas how to reconcile couponing well and saving a lot with a healthy lifestyle

1. Some of the highest markups in a grocery store tend to occur in the produce dept. How to save money here? Go to local farmers markets/produce stands instead. I save 70% minimum because of this.

2. Some of the BEST coupon deals EVER happen in the frozen foods dept. Frozen Vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh, and the beauty of it, is that quite often it is free with a coupon!! Like Corn on the Cob? Last week at Publix, Green Giant Nibblers were $3.79 BOGO (these ring up 1/2 off so it would be $1.74 and $1.75 now. I have (4) .40/1 coupons that will double. In addition to this there is a Publix coupon in the ad for $4 off of 4 General Mills products which I can combine with my manufacturer coupons. (Green Giant is a subsidy of General Mills!!) So not only did I promptly buy 4 of these, but because of combining coupons to store sales.....I got ALL four for FREE !! Frozen Vegetables are a wonderful item to stock up on and to keep in the freezer, esp during the winter months.

3. It should also be noted that CouponMom isn't only teaching us to use a stack of coupons only, but to use the concept of strategic shopping for all of the things we need.

4. For those who are on the strictest of diets, what they like to do is to use coupons for their Health and Beauty Aids/Cleaning Supplies etc, and the money saved from those deals tends to be added to their grocery budget.

Hope I said something insightful!!

[vagabond2]

first, I think obesity is a problem in a America in general and it is becoming a global problem as the fast food trend continues. My personal observation is that people who shop strategically as we do are very aware of what is in their cupboard....yes we have do have some convenience items like cake/brownie/cookie mix which we might make up once a month.....I have a few canned goods tomato sauce/beans/soup which once again I use occassionally but the majority of my food is chicken/seafood/beef purchased on sale as well as fresh veggies and fruits. My cpns really come in handy for paper goods/ cleaning supplies/ H&B supplies.

Our family is one of 3 that run a food pantry, the families that come to us want the potatoes/Knorr sides/pb/and other items I personally don't care to eat but to them its manna from heaven. They are calories that fill them for the lean days. I generally focus on purchasing the items I do for my home and leave those foods to others. Therefore in our food pantry we carry detergent & fabric softener/soap/make up/hair supplies/dental supplies/cold remedies/paper products etc etc all which are very much needed and welcomed.

I think if you look at Stephanie aka Couponmom you'll see that she's not overweight. Many of us ....and I say that because I know there are people here struggling to have something on their tables....eat very healthy thanks to the coupons we use that allow us to use more of our budget for more fresh products. Thankfully we have that option and obviously so do you.

Thank heaven for coupons!