by Tricia
CNN has a story about clipping coupons. Big box retailers are showing a 14% rise in their use.
CNN Story
Except for a stray coupon here and there, I really don’t use coupons. I find that it is often cheaper to go with a generic brand versus a name brand with a coupon. Of course, there are exceptions. The coupons I like to use are the ones for cereal. I only use them when a store has the cereal on sale – which brings the price below that of the generic variety. That’s when we stock up on cereal.
There was a finance blogger that did an article that examined the use of coupons and if it was worth it time-wise. I wish I could remember who that was (if someone knows – feel free to mention in the comments!). I thought his/her look at the time factor was very interesting. Right after our son was born, we were spending about $25 a week on groceries for my husband and I. That was a result of a lot of planning and scanning through grocery sale flyers. We could probably drastically reduce our grocery spending if I spent that time again planning.
What about you? Do coupons play a large role in your financial life?
