Fact or Fiction: Coupons Are Only For Processed Junk

What do you think? Is that true?

I hear this all of the time: "I would use coupons if they had them for things that I actually eat and use." Wow, that is a statement that will make any couponer get their undies in a bunch. Let me tell you why. It's because there are coupons for things that everybody needs. I concede that there are a lot of coupons out there for processed junk, but I don't buy much of that stuff and I still use a ton of coupons. I find coupons for organic products. I find coupons for staples like flour, sugar, eggs, and even produce sometimes. And I especially find coupons for things that everybody uses (or should use if they don't already) like toothpaste, deodorant, toilet paper, and shampoo.

Let me show you a few pictures of some of my shopping trip highlights from the past six months. (I know, who takes pictures of their groceries, huh?) I don't post these in an effort to boast or brag, but only to illustrate my point that I believe everybody can benefit from using coupons.

This was a combination of my transactions at 3 different stores one week (Fry's, Walgreens, and Food City). I paid a total of $9.07 for the following: 3 gallons of milk, 24 cans of Campbell's Condensed Soup, 6 boxes of pasta, 2 boxes of stuffing, 1 box of pancake mix, 2 loaves of bread, 1 bag of tortilla chips, 6 boxes of Jell-O, 1 package of yogurt, 2 containers of baking powder, 3 packages of Carmex, 1 package of razors, 1 head of lettuce, 8 pounds of apples, and 2 pounds of honey. If that doesn't convince you to start couponing, I don't know what will!

This is one of my favorite transactions ever because it shows how cheap nice toiletries can be. I spent $4.40 on all of this, which includes $2.17 in sales tax (our sales tax in AZ is pretty ridiculous sometimes). I bought 3 bath poufs, 1 bag of tortilla chips, 2 bottles of VitaminWater, 2 Secret deodorant, 2 Old Spice deodorant, 2 Herbal Essence conditioner, 1 Herbal Essence shampoo, 2 Old Spice body wash, and 3 Herbal Essence styling products. Most of the time name brand products end up being cheaper than store brand products once you use coupons.

This is a pretty basic transaction. I think I wanted to use some coupons before they expired. I bought 1 bag of tortilla chips, 3 packages of paper towels, 1 bottle of dish soap, 2 bottles of coffee creamer (delicious in hot chocolate), and 2 boxes of pasta. I don't think I have paid for pasta since I started couponing.

Some would say that I actually made money on this transaction since I paid $0.51, but got a coupon back for $1 off my next shopping order (which I used, of course). I bought 4 jars of Ragu, 3 cans of refried beans, and 5 packages of tortillas. Awesome.Here I spent $9.16 for the following: 2 boxes of Ritz, 3 bottles of Sunny-D, 1 gallon of milk, 2 bags of tortilla chips, 1 bag of salad, 2 packages of tortillas, 3 pounds of chicken, 3 cans of tomato sauce, 1 package of hamburger buns, 1 package of hot dog buns, a dozen eggs, 4 packages of guacamole, 4 1/2 pounds of cheese, 1 package of Kraft Singles, and 4 toothbrushes.

As you can see, some shopping trips are big and some are very small and simple. It just depends on the sales and what coupons I have. Have I convinced you of the awesomeness of using coupons yet? Let me know in the comments.

To read more about why everyone should use coupons, read these two well written articles by Money Saving Mom here and here.