You will get a kick out of this post by Ryan whose wife recently become a die-hard coupon aficionado. Ryan’s analysis of the "strange products" he gets to try as a result of this couponing thing was right on.
My poor husband has been subjected to countless "lunchbox surprises" thanks to coupons. The good news? I’m married to a man who loves trying new things so he gets a thrill out of it, even if the product turns out to be a real dud.
What does your family think of the interesting things you pick up with coupons? Found any real winners or losers as a result?
Hello`
I have never mastered the couponing thing. I wish I could, but it just eludes me. I am currently subscribed to the Grocery Game, but even having someone else to make the list of the best sales hasn’t really helped. sigh
In other news, while I have been totally inspired by your ability to shop for your family with only $40 a week, I found your family picture to be helpful in seeing just HOW that can be accomplished. I have four children, three of them boys who do not know when they have had enough to eat (teen/preteens… they can out-eat my husband and myself).
I still find your blog post inspiring. And I am thankful for the community of gals who post their deals here. Without you all, I would be paying full price for everything….
My older kids love the opportunity to get the sugary cereals and snack foods that we have never purchased before!
I hide the good shampoos, however, because they all have very short hair and I am not going to waste that on them. 😉
My husband was just warning another man last night about his wife starting couponing. He said, “The first few trips will be really hard on you. She come home really excited and expect you to care how much she spent for each item.” I had to laugh because it was true. Before I cut coupons I would ask him, “Guess how much I saved?!” Now that I cut coupons I changed my question to, “Guess how much I spent for THIS?!”
No husband here but my son who is my 3 year old grandson’s “nanny” (his nephew) threatened my life 🙂 if I brought home any more cereal. He was stuffing them into cabinets all over the kitchen even the high ones we never used. Then he tried the Smart Start and he said it was great and he felt better. Made me laugh. The baby loves the Strawberry shredded wheat oat bite ones that were just free recently. Calls them cookies. I started calling all the yogurts “Tubbie Custard” and he loved them even more.
Kashi Vive is another story.
I’m always afraid to actually use the good stuff I was never able to afford before. 🙂 I like knowing it’s there and haven’t gotten used to the idea I can get more of it.
My sister is a single mom still in college with a five-year-old, and since she’s lactose intolerant and I’m not, I use all my soy coupons on her. She’s THRILLED when I say, “Oh, hey, I have milk for you” followed by “it didn’t cost me anything, so no need to reimburse”. If I can get it for free (like last week’s Elmer’s Glue), I’ll pick it up and find someone to pass it on to, if I can’t myself use it.
I like soyjoy bars! Send them to me!!! Really. I can’t wait for another Soyjoy sale moneymaker!
This made me laugh.
My husband is pretty flexible, but my kids aren’t always cooperative. I have to be careful about a good deal on snacks for them b/c they may refuse to eat it. But then I make my husband eat it, so I guess it all works out in the end (at least for me).
BTW, I love your new template!
This was great. I can totally relate. My husband has taken an “I’m not sure how you are doing it, but you are doing it and if you say they paid you to take it, I guess even if we don’t like it we didn’t waste money” attitude. He tried the Alavert this week, he’s not convinced that it is helping, but for the $1 they paid us, he’ll give it a shot.
I agree with the other readers that you do get sort of spoiled. I have also found that I like some things better than others, but as I work through my stockpile, I use up both. In my shower, I have two bottles of shampoo and conditioner…the “good” one that I use on workdays and the “okay” one that I use on the weekends.
Love your blog!
My check for Bundinos came today and they are still in the frieezer. I thought they would be a good snack but nobody seems to want to try them. Has anyone else tried them? Are they good?
I thought we were the only ones who havn’t been eating the sayjoy. Everything else flies away!
When I see that commercial for the soyjoy, I think I have a cubbord full of then and don’t know who to pawn them off on. Is the postal service union having that food drive anytime soon again? So I can put then out by my mailbox. Too bad the deal/coupon did not come out before the last food drive!
Hubby just thinks that its funny how many free items I have been able to find. Most of them he has really enjoyed….sometimes to the point that he depletes the stockpile and then begs for me to buy more. I try to explain to him that the point of buying so many was to have them LAST for a while…not 2 weeks lol. Since we have acquired quite a few things that will take a while to use up as they are intended to be used, I created a mini series on my blog called “stockpile double agents.” I try to find different ways to use up all those items. So far its been really fun!
Well the one thing I’ve learned is that Soy Joy bars are really gross. Whenever CVS runs these they are a big moneymaker so I pretty much have to take them in order to get stuff I do want.
No offense to the one person that might like Soy Joy bars, but to me they taste like burnt toast. Twice I left a bag of them on the breakroom table with a “Free” sign. The were all gone in one day. The next time nobody even touched them. You know what that means, don’t you?
What a fun post!
Trixie
mmmyes. I think my DH wonders why we too have enough shampoo, toothpaste, Tampax, soap, detergent, razors and nailpolish to gussy up a room full of … uh… college girls. I laughed at Ryan’s post till I cried and scared my poor cat Eddie (he is the orange cat who likes to sit on my CVS hauls in my pics).
A week ago I had the opportunity to be filmed for a tv show, so I finally whipped out all those hair products (shine spray, glistening drops, super hold hairspray, etc.) and makeup (free Cover Girl and Revlon!) I’ve stocked up on, and let me tell you- I cleaned up pretty nice! All that goop actually did me some good!
I’m glad I had it, because I was able to feel confident in my appearance without having to go out and spend a bunch of money. And I may even use it all again, just for the fun of it!
On a side note- the Soy Joy bars do not get my vote. Luckily I pawned them off on my son telling him they’re cookies. I think that the euphemism helps with the flavor…
My husband loves my couponing also, I don’t think I could continue if he didn’t. He so loves trying new products and new foods and always loves new things, so this goes hand in hand with couponing and bargain shopping!! I love my hubbie!
Jenna
http://newlyweds.wordpress.com/
That was so funny! My dh would agree.
We have found so many good things. Nice, really nice, razors – much better than disposables. Shampoo that is heavenly. Oral B cross action toothbrshes are great. We are now used to all of these and it would be difficult to “go back.”
My husband has enjoyed the new and different things we’ve gotten. He has definitely rejected some, but if they are free, I really don’t care (and neither does he). I’ve found some great products for my curly hair that I wouldn’t have tried otherwise. I like variety in my food. I think it has been a lot of fun, and you were such a big help in my learning about it. Thanks!
Jennifer
No one has eaten the Soy Joy bars from last month’s CVS trip,
and my husband prefers the Target brand shaving cream to Nivea for Men. Other than that, things have been surprisingly well-received. “Thank you for buying bar soap instead of that girly body wash!” with the occasional, “Stop buying weird cereal!”
My husband is a steady man who likes what he likes, so it has taken him a while to get used all the different types of products. He seems to be more willing lately to try out new products though and even said he is getting used to a certain product that I got a lot of for very cheap.
I feel it is good training for children though to learn how to like whatever is put before them. Even if they don’t like it they can and should be thankful for it.
My boys love trying new things, but I tell them not to get used to them, because it will likely be a different brand next time. Before shopping, we repeat out mantra several times: “No brand loyalty.” And I’m blessed with what must be the least picky husband on the face of the earth.
I really identify with the excitement that the mail can bring. Will it be coupons–hopefully high value ones? Or free samples? Or rebate checks? I’m really bummed because the mail used to come by noon, but lately it’s not being delivered until 3 pm or so. Oh, the anticipation!
That’s great! My husband also loves trying new things. He has terrible heart burn at times and when the Zantac $5 came out, we were able to try it for free and he thought it was great!
Well, my husband is so thrilled with the savings, he puts up with the “test products” and other new stuff without much fuss. Since he has a job that is pretty time consuming and dirty, he doesn’t like me to get him lunchbox fillers that are not easy to eat . . . like crackers that crumble, snack mixes that spill easily, etc. . . . since he eats on the road and on the go. So, I’ve had to be sensitive to that, but it’s not too hard. He loves having the variety in the cupboards other than that.
I don’t have a product story, but I have a funny coupon story. I am changing over my system, so one day recently I just put everything…my current coupon box, new notebook, baseball card holders, several coupon inserts from Sunday papers, a couple of All You magazines, a bunch of rebate forms and the assorted product stuff, etc, in one big storage box so it was all together until i can sort it.
My son sees the box, and says..”What’s this?”
My coupons, I reply.
“Mom, why can’t you just be a normal mom! Don’t you think that’s too many coupons?
LOL!
LOL! Loved it and sent the link to my husband. My kids love the Johnson’s Buddies soap, although I cringe a bit at the waste. My husband is thrilled he gets to eat Chex Mix fairly regularly. I have also discovered a new shampoo and conditioner that I love. I tried some protein bars I wasn’t too crazy about. I put the extra bars in the “in case of emergency” stockpile.
That is HILARIOUS! LOL! I love it! And my husband will love it…That is EXACTLY the way it is around here. (Except my husband is not quite as good about the joint juice as Ryan seems to be…=) That one is pushing him a little too far, although he is always wonderful about everything new. =)
We have found that name brand shampoos really ARE better. Lol. We’ve also found lots of cereals that we were never able to afford before to be very tasty! The problem comes when there are no coupons available and we’ve become spoiled by all the goodies! 🙂 But there is always something new waiting around the corner, and we’re happy for that!
I can’t wait to read it! Where’s the link? 🙂