Kind of slow for the new year, isn't it?

[princessgina00]

Originally Posted by Daimere

One of the current books I'm reading (thin commandments) says do not clip coupons because of this.

Yeah, I'm sad that I can no longer clip coupons either because I usually buy tons of (generic) frozen vegetables, so of course there are not going to be any deals on them. And I no longer buy crackers or cookies or cereal and other processed foods, so I no longer even try to find coupons. I think this is the reason I hate all of those couponing shows. The people on there are always saying how little they spend to feed their families. And, I'm always like, "But, where are the veggies? Where are the fruits? Where is the (lean) beef?" One can live on processed foods alone, but it doesn't mean one should or force their kids to.

[MARLA26]

princessgina00, you're right. I stopped clipping coupons a few years ago because most of the coupons were for processed foods and junk snacks.
I could never find any for fresh produce or fresh meats.

So why bother? I stopped buying processed foods. All they gave me was acid indigestion or a bloated feeling. And the calories were understated on those awful TV dinners and pot pies. And look how many chemicals are listed in the ingredients.

I have a friend that swears by her couponing. She was raised on junk food and hot dogs. And she is WAAAY overweight. And she is constantly running to the doctor because she doesn't feel well.
All the chemicals in those processed foods and fattening sausages can make you very ill over the long run.

[thistoo]

I'm not new, but I am back to lurking around here after a year and a half of steadily regaining nearly everything I lost the first time around. It's not a resolution, I have just finally found the motivation to take control again after switching jobs and letting stress take me down.

So I'm back, because this place really is a major help, and avoiding it only landed me back at 218 pounds. I'm disappointed in myself, but I know I can do it, since I've already done it.

Anyway, I just thought I'd pop back in here to say hello. I still recognize a few names!

[omgzitsmiranda]

I get coupons for frozen vegetables all the time lol. :/
I don't usually buy them because I prefer fresh, but they're out there.

[Daimere]

Originally Posted by princessgina00

Yeah, I'm sad that I can no longer clip coupons either because I usually buy tons of (generic) frozen vegetables, so of course there are not going to be any deals on them. And I no longer buy crackers or cookies or cereal and other processed foods, so I no longer even try to find coupons. I think this is the reason I hate all of those couponing shows. The people on there are always saying how little they spend to feed their families. And, I'm always like, "But, where are the veggies? Where are the fruits? Where is the (lean) beef?" One can live on processed foods alone, but it doesn't mean one should or force their kids to.

One of the couponing classes says the key is to use the coupon overages to pay for the healthier stuff. But I know right now about 60% of my cart is usually veggies and stuff, meat, and dairy/dairy-substitutes.

[princessgina00]

Originally Posted by Daimere

One of the couponing classes says the key is to use the coupon overages to pay for the healthier stuff. But I know right now about 60% of my cart is usually veggies and stuff, meat, and dairy/dairy-substitutes.

Yeah, but that doesn't solve the problem of the mounds of junk one just bought simply because they had coupons for it. Someone's going to have to consume all of those processed foods. If not, then that seems very wasteful and not worth the time or effort that was put forth.

[mandalinn82]

Yeah, but that doesn't solve the problem of the mounds of junk one just bought simply because they had coupons for it. Someone's going to have to consume all of those processed foods. If not, then that seems very wasteful and not worth the time or effort that was put forth.

This is why my strategy is "save on health and beauty, spend (within reason) on food". If I'm paying 75% less for toothpaste, mouthwash, dog food, shampoo, soaps, laundry detergent, and cleaning supplies, that frees up a little more farmer's market money in my budget.

[runningfromfat]

Originally Posted by mandalinn82

This is why my strategy is "save on health and beauty, spend (within reason) on food". If I'm paying 75% less for toothpaste, mouthwash, dog food, shampoo, soaps, laundry detergent, and cleaning supplies, that frees up a little more farmer's market money in my budget.

We do something similar. We don't have coupons locally but we go to the absolutely cheapest store around for basics like toilet paper, soap, cleaning supplies etc. We also end up picking the very few things we buy packaged there (canned mushrooms, tomatoes, yogurt, hot dogs etc).

[Jiggles81]

I'm here I joined a long time ago, lost weight, gained weight, lost weight, gained (You get the point.) But I'm back! I've been lurking since the 1st of the year. I really should do a better job of posting!

[thistoo]

Originally Posted by mandalinn82

This is why my strategy is "save on health and beauty, spend (within reason) on food". If I'm paying 75% less for toothpaste, mouthwash, dog food, shampoo, soaps, laundry detergent, and cleaning supplies, that frees up a little more farmer's market money in my budget.

Does anyone here belong to a CSA*? We finally have something in my area with pickup hours I can actually make, so I'm considering this for next season. It's $20-30 a week for a box of locally grown fruits and vegetables, depending on the size of your share. It seems expensive when I look at the total cost ($500 a year for a small share, which is suitable for 1-2 people) but they include grains and fresh herbs, and if I supplement that with grocery store protein it's within my regular grocery budget and I'll be eating a lot more fresh, whole foods.

Of course there aren't any coupons for CSA membership either.

* Community Sustained Agriculture

[Arctic Mama]

I used to belong to a CSA but dropped it due to the cost. The produce was delicious, but it was NOT economical for our family to go organic on fruits and veggies. That's a luxury we can't really afford and it's a bummer, as I really loved getting my weekly box.

I should add, our CSA is a bit different than the one it sounds like you are doing, as I live in a fairly remote state and the box was shipped up from Oregon. It was less expensive than the local organic produce, especially in the winter, but it wasn't nearly as cheap as, say, the Farmer's Market.

[berryblondeboys]

Originally Posted by thistoo

Does anyone here belong to a CSA*? We finally have something in my area with pickup hours I can actually make, so I'm considering this for next season. It's $20-30 a week for a box of locally grown fruits and vegetables, depending on the size of your share. It seems expensive when I look at the total cost ($500 a year for a small share, which is suitable for 1-2 people) but they include grains and fresh herbs, and if I supplement that with grocery store protein it's within my regular grocery budget and I'll be eating a lot more fresh, whole foods.

Of course there aren't any coupons for CSA membership either.

* Community Sustained Agriculture

We arre joining one this year and yours sounds way cheap compared to prices around here. For sure!


Where we used to live they had really good farmers markets, but not here's, so I need an alternative. Grocery store produce pales in comparison to local grown fresh produce.

[thistoo]

Originally Posted by Arctic Mama

I used to belong to a CSA but dropped it due to the cost. The produce was delicious, but it was NOT economical for our family to go organic on fruits and veggies.

If I had a family to feed it might not be as cost-effective, but it's just me. My sister feeds her kids all organic, and she can afford it, but I know how much she spends on groceries, and it really is a huge expense.

Originally Posted by berryblondeboys

Where we used to live they had really good farmer's markets, but not here's, so I need an alternative. Grocery store produce pales in comparison to local grown fresh produce.

We have a lot of farmers markets here, but they're all pretty small and don't offer a lot of variety. Plus, I could easily spend $20 a week at a farmer's market for probably less than what comes in a CSA share. The prices tend to be higher at our farmer's markets because they're catering to a certain audience.

I am hopeful that it's a good investment, because once I decide to do it, I'm locked in for the season. They don't start up again until May, so we'll see.