Coupons are simple way to save on your survival stockpile
It’s safe to assume that we are all looking for ways to save money when stockpiling and while the preconceived image of a survivalist isn’t one of clipping coupons, if you stop by my place on a Monday evening that is exactly what you will see.
Using coupons offers an opportunity for huge saving on your preps that you should take advantage of.
According to Wikipedia a coupon is “a ticket or document that can be exchanged for a financial discount or rebate when purchasing a product”. Coupons first saw widespread use in the United States in 1909 when Post conceived the idea to help sell their breakfast cereals. So the concept is nothing new.
When I was in my early teens, I remember my mother clipping coupons from the sunday paper, she would organize them in a small purse that she kept just for the purpose. She would wait for double or triple coupon deals to be advertised, then she would go shopping.
I remember one time she managed to get over $260 worth of stuff for less than $10 – I was impressed.
I’ve used coupons to save money and stock up on survival supplies for several years and the saving can be great. I’ve used coupons to save when buying everything from canned foods, tissue paper and toothpaste to dog food.
Now you can find discounts for virtually any product or business, even Office Max coupons at MyPoints.
No, using coupons doesn’t emit the typical image of a survivalist, but it sure makes a lot of sense from a financial stand point.
I think the main reason a lot of people avoid using coupons is that they are afraid of looking poor (even if they are). This is nonsense, and really, who gives a rat’s behind what the person waiting in line behind you thinks. I don’t. If they don’t like it they’re free to move over to the next checkout.
Stop worrying about what other people think – trust me your life will be better when you do.
Before you can start using coupons to save on your survival supplies, you’ll obviously need coupons. Coupons are all over the place you just have know where to look.
The bulk of mine are clipped from the Sunday newspaper. I’ve worked out a deal with a local store owner, where I get the papers they don’t sell for free. I often get ten or more all loaded with coupon inserts.
The vendor only has to send the header of the papers that didn’t sell to the publisher to get credit for unsold papers because the newspaper doesn’t want the old papers back and could care less what the vendor does with them.
If you don’t want to buy the paper and getting and a local vendor to give you the leftovers isn’t an option, you can often get the paper and the coupons for free by asking friends, neighbours and relatives that buy the paper to pass it you when they’re done reading it.
Other places to find coupons are print magazines, coupon mailers, food packaging, grocery store receipts and the internet. If you know of other sources, please let us know in the comments below.
Once you get you start clipping coupons you’ll need to a way to stay organized. You need to be able to find what you’re looking for and to avoid letting your coupons expire.
I use a recipe box with dividers and sort by date and type. For example, canned foods, deserts, over the counter meds, staples such as beans, rice and oats, dog food, kitchen supplies such as dish soap, bath supplies such as soap and toothpaste etc.
Working out a system to stay organized isn’t difficult, but it will go a long way toward maximizing savings and lessening frustration. You can buy ready-made coupon organizers but I prefer my box because it was free. I go through my coupons once a month and weed out coupons that have expired or that I no longer want to use.
When using coupons you’ll be temped to buy stuff that you don’t need or never intended to buy. Don’t do it. Unless of course, you can get it free or at a deep enough discount that you can resell it for a profit. If you start buying stuff you don’t need just because you have a coupon for it, you’ll end up losing money.
I never pass up an opportunity for a free item, even if I never intend to use it. I store this free stuff in plastic totes and when I have enough, I rent a booth at the local flea market where I sell it for a 100% profit. I usually make a few hundred bucks a year doing this.
Be sure to check prices before you buy – keep in mind that even with coupons, brand name products can cost more than generics with coupons. Never buy a more expensive product because it has a brand name on it, many of these are the same thing as their generic counterparts.
Watch for sells and stock up on items that you use that are on sale, especially when you have coupons for those items. Some stores offer “Double Coupon Sales” or even “Triple Coupon Sales” that actually doubles the value of the coupons you have, such offers can lead to huge savings on the items you need.
And don’t overlook rebates and refund opportunities that are sometimes offered by-product manufactures – most manufactures require you buy the product then mail in the cash register receipt along with the UPC bar code from the product. Keep these organized and send for the rebate or refund asap so you don’t forget and possibly let the offer date pass.
How about you? Are you using coupons to build your survival supplies or do you toss them into the trash?
Let us know in the comments.
Image by Dmdonahoo
{ 82 comments }
I love the BOGO (Buy One Get One) days at our local Walgreen’s. I recently had a coupon for my Move Free which retails at $28.50….I picked up two,scanned my AARP card for an additional $5.00 off and ended up paying $23.50…TWO for the price of less than one. I use coupons with sale items in conjuction w/ “double” coupons that the stores issue. Today,it was 2 cans of soup for $1.00. I had a 30 cent coupon which the store doubled…. 60 cents off. That made it 40 cents total. I like that. Campbell’s chicken noodle soup for 20 cents a can. YAHOO!!!
I’ve used coupons all my life and use it frequently for food and other necessary items that I can stock and store. TP,shampoo,soap,canned goods,rice,beans,paper towels etc.I also weed-n-sort frequently. Back in the day, the exp. dates were for 6 months to a year out. Now,it seems like it’s maybe a month to 3 months. And, I only buy what we will use and consume…I won’t get it just because I have a coupon if it’s an item I wouldn’t use otherwise.
And, here’s something I’ve been doing for a couple of years now…the $$$ I save from using coupons goes into our emergency fund. For example if I saved $3.00 using coupons, I place that amount into our EF. From 01/01/11 until today, we’ve saved $64.90. This visual of money saved is a mighty motivator!
Excellent post Mr. Creekmore and an excellent example of thinking outside the box.
A family member “spent” $500 on groceries, granted, mostly diapers, and only paid “$100.” So far, so good. My other family member drove 60 miles round-trip to a city and “spent” $50-60 only to pay about $37. I have two cautions: we live in a global deflationary environment.
What happens when the two for one become three for one and then four four one? How much money have YOU lost? Second question: you do not want to help big box stores move their inventory into your inventory space. In some small towns, couponing looks like just another expensive form of entertainment. I understand getting “free” to stockpile, just be careful you don’t get sucked into every week. On family member has junk piled up 3/4s of the way up one wall. It’s unsightly.
What in the world are you talking about or do you even know yourself?
Teevee cable program about someone who has 300 years worth of toilet paper or deodorant. Another family who has a stockpile they insured for $75,000. In India, the government does not allow Citigroup bank or Walmart into the country, so what does India know that the US doesn’t? I’m just saying don’t let couponing be a backdoor way of supporting any big box store or any company that trades publicly on wall street. The best cleaning products are still water, ammonia, bleach, salt. The best mouth wash is peppermint and its variations, not some green liquid in a plastic bottle that contributes to the trash called the Pacific gyre.
I’m pretty sure that any trash I generate here in Ohio doesn’t end up as a constituent of the Pacific gyre.
I think that the cable (or in my case satellite) program you’re talking about is called “Hoarders”. It’s a show about people with psychological issues of one sort or the other, & I don’t think coupons are the cause.
Also, if I can acquire an item I would normally use or store for future use at a discount, I’ll buy it, sometimes with a coupon, and sometimes just when on sale. I’ve purchased some strings of LED lights and some candles at the after holiday sales, and it was from a publicly traded company.
Finally, if you’re going to avoid any publicly traded companies, then I hope you enjoy living naked in your cave with no utilities.
You’re pretty sure? That means you must not use the local landfill. I have hauled junk material from construction sites to landfills for years. Big gusts of wind often take all sorts of things up and out of sight. Storms can take some very large items into the atmosphere so how do you avoid this happening? In Texas, landfills are limited in the part that is open to dumping just because of this. At the end of each day a roll of material is pulled over the open part that’s being used so as little as possible of the trash ends up in the ocean and everywhere else. Nobody is foolish enough to think that plenty of landfill trash doesn’t end up all over the globe.
Yes, I’m “pretty sure”. My local landfills are well managed, and all of our paper, plastic, and most metals are recycled. Is it possible that one tiny piece of something makes its way more than 3000 miles to the west, over several mountain ranges and against the jet stream and prevailing winds? I would say the answer is yes, and that will most likely be the same day I win the lottery. If you’re openly dumping construction debris (instead of recycling it), then I’m pretty sure your chances of contributing are orders of magnitude larger than mine.
Keep in mind also, that per a recent National Science Foundation study, the Pacific Gyre is about 200 times smaller than once touted by those with an agenda (you know who you are).
M.D. did you see the post on another blog taking you to task for using the word prepper? How ridicules. Why are other bloggers looking to attack you? And for stupid stuff like the use of the word prepper. They only make themselves look stupid.
Tim,
I don’t know. But one thing is for sure it does no one any good and shows the true mind set of those writing such nonsense. Email me the link and I’ll take a look.
Sheesh, I refer to myself as a prepper much more often than I do as a survivalist. I don’t do it to be politically correct, I do it because there are some events that would probably be so horrible that I wouldn’t want to live through them. So it is much more accurate for me to be labeled as a prepper than as a survivalist. If anybody has a problem with that, I couldn’t care less – I have better things to worry about. They should, too. Obviously their priorities are screwed up.
Whomever ridiculed MD Creekmore for his use of the term “prepper” is unworthy of a reply, IMHO. Ignore him, that’s usually the worst thing you can do to such an ignorant person – just ignore him.
I agree with Lint Picker. Heck, my blog “nom-de-pleur” here is AZ rookie “prepper”…chosen as a somewhat tongue in cheek and with a big grin on my face nickname. If people dont like the term, so what? I know what I am, I know what I like and where I am going, and M.D. provides one of the best means to that end. Keep the chin up, grow eyes in the back of your head, and stay off the skyline.
Completely agree, just ignore him. People who attack are trying to bring you down, by trying to get your attention. You have a great blog, and will be prepared for things that others won’t be.
I think the Boy Scout motto is still “Be Prepared”. That would make all scouts “Preppers” wouldn’t it?
“Be prepared for what?” someone asked Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of scouting.
“For any old thing,” he replied.
lol that is true!
Heck one book I have on my prepper shelf is my fathers old boy scout manual!
This was a link found on another “prepper site” and is worth reading: “Rise of the Preppers: Survivalists Get a Makeover”.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/survival/stories/american-preppers-survival-natural-disasters
Also note it’s from a pretty mainstream publication.
The American Prepper dot Net is Tom Martin’s brainchild- we modeled that after Texas Prepper dot Com- with permission. Tom encouraged the idea and got someone from every state to be a ‘moderator’ for their state prepper dot com site (I’m MNprepper). One thing Tom has never done is denigrate another prepper, or site, except for those who broke away from us and started their own prepper org and copied the logos and slogans. If anything, Tom, and AmPrep, has encouraged people to visit other sites, learn all they can- aka: learn what works for you and discard the chaff.
Hopefully, everyone visiting here has also gone to their own state, as well as other state sites, and given them a reading, too. (I have to admit, the MN site isn’t maintained well at all cuz I got lazy and preoccupied with other stuff, but it does have some useful cold weather related info. Not to mention, the absolute best gun selection article on the web. OK, kidding there, but it is one of my faves.)
Shy III
American Prepper dot net comes up as American Prepper Network dot com & I can’t find Texas Prepper at all. Do they still exist or am I doing something wrong?
God bless,
Bonnie
Opportunity Farm
NE WA
What doing stuff like that does is divides us rather than brings us together, which is kind of ironic because we should all be working together. It also shows how petty and short minded some people can be. Sounds to me like they are selfish and a bit childish. Keep up the good work M.D.
Thank you.
No problem M.D. , We are are part of the same prepper family, anything I can ever do to help just holler.
Problem with the word “prepper”, please ….
There are two base reasons these other moronic bloggers are attacking you:
!. Jealousy
2. You are becoming very popular, more so than them & their audience is taking notice.
I think it is a great sign that shows that you’re on the right path and doing a great job!
Suggestion – change your name to “Dr. Prepper” and eff them if they can’t take a joke!
Jason,
They do a disservice to the preparedness community – makes us all look like a bunch of bickering children.
Here is what he wrote: “Also he has used Prepper a lot, not that the word prepper is a trade name but it is funny that people like this always come up with names being used by others just to get hits. Now I like his blog but it sure is a copycat of survival blog.”
What…Is this guy for real?
I consider myself a lot of …ers. I am a reader, a learner, a teacher, a listener, a talker, a preparer, a gatherer (I like this one.), a prepper, a mother (my favorite one), and a surviv(e)r. As far as I can tell, it’s all good.
I have read your blog for over a year but have simply remained pretty quiet. I’ve tried just a couple others but couldn’t really get into being a regular. I found it difficult to navigate them in search of specific information. I’ve spent ample time in the past cruising your archives for tidbits.
The characteristic that stands out most to me about your blog (ironically titled thesuvivalistblog.net in spite of the current discussion. And I’m not ashamed to admit that I probably found it by googling “survival”) is the community atmosphere. You interact with your readers as if you were one of them, and essentially you are. One gets the sense of interesting, everyday people working together to achieve a goal of being prepared for something that will flip all of our realities topsy turvy when it does arrive. The communal format is favorable to say the least. You do not cast yourself as a celebrity among your readers as many other bloggers seem to do and for that I am thankful. Keep it real. Keep it thoughtful. Keep up the good work.
May the force be with us all.
Actually there is already a Dr. Prepper. His name is James Talmage Stevens, and he’s the author of the book “Making the Best of Basics”, which initially came out in 1974. I have three different copies of it from 1980 (6th Edition), 1996 (9th Edition), 2010 (12th Edition) plus the 2010 (1st Edition) digital version as a pdf. I met him at a Preparedness Expo back in 1996 where he happily signed the 1980 & 1996 copies. We discussed preparedness issues for probably an hour, standing & talking at his booth. I found him to be a very nice, thoughtful, and knowledgeable guy.
My wife and I watched tv show on this very subject. Some if the people where getting several hundred dollars worth of grocerys for just a few bucks. I think we will be getting more serious about coupon clipping. We had no idea about the huge savings. We always thought the savings weren’t worth the effort to collect,save,use,the coupons at sales. No mire! We will give coupon clipping a serious effort from now on.
The best I’ve done with coupons is about $175 worth of goods for $35. To me, that’s huge. Most of the time I don’t do the coupon thing because I’m always tempted to use the “Buy 3 and get 20 cents off” on things I’d never buy 3 of. They work out to only a few cents off a brand name item that’s already cheaper in the perfectly acceptable store brand.
And I’m not very good at this kind of organization. I have trouble remembering to take my reusable bags, and after spending an hour getting coupons over the week, usually arrive at the store with no bags, no coupons, and no shopping list to boot!
Sometimes I clip coupons, but usually I look for good sales on items and brands I would buy anyhow. Every store I shop at refuses to offer double or triple coupon days and won’t combine a sale item with a coupon – it’s either on sale or it’s discounted with a coupon, but not both.
Today I did some shopping for first aid supplies in a CVS pharmacy. They offer some substantial savings, but only if you have their store card. I refuse to get those things because I am sick and tired of everybody keeping track of what I buy. It’s not their damn business. I would rather pay more than have some cross-eyed yahoo in a windowless office building tracking what I buy, when I buy, and how much I spend – then using that information to send me crap in the mail or report it to the government if the government gets curious.
If I had a family, I would probably feel differently, but since I don’t any longer then I am fine with paying full price if I feel like shopping and don’t have the time or the patience to clip coupons or grab coupons before I go.
Having said all this, if their is a mail-in rebate, you can bet your bottom dollar I will spend the 44 cents in postage to take advantage of the rebate if it exceeds the cost of requesting it.
When shopping online, I wait for sales and free shipping offers. Last December I saved a lot of money that way when buying things online that I couldn’t find in my rural area.
As Ben Franklin said, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” He was absolutely right. I’ve forgotte who said, “Worry about the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.” Also very true.
OH, I got another 10 rolls of nickels today when I went to the bank. For my $20.00 I got $20.32. That’s right, inside some of the rolls were an extra nickel or two, one dime, and 2 cents. Talk about a bargain! LOL
Keep on prepping. The real threat to our money is not deflation, it is inflation. Inflation was evident in everything I bought today – scary.
I won’t go into too much detail about my finances, but I make a pretty good living. It wasn’t always like that though. I had to cut coupons way back and I do it now because it’s just the smart thing to do. Who gives a rat’s behind what people think. I know people who live in 600k homes that still cut coupons. Not because they need to, but because it’s just crazy not to. That coupon is cash!! Great topic to bring to light. Prepping and coupons should go hand in hand. It’s just being smart with your money. I learned a long time ago never to care what other people think of anything I do. It makes me a more independent person. No one else pays my bills but me. If they want to waste their money, it’s their money to waste and my money is mine to keep. That’s just the way it is in my Queendom! : )
I normally use coupons for only non name brand foods because, as it is, the name brand foods already cost an arm and a leg and to go to the cheapest foods, like a store brand or an off-brand from out of state, is usually the cheapest way to go. I shop at Fred Meyer’s for half of all of the things I buy and there is always at least three coupons a month that I find in their free store flyer that I will have a use for. I love coupons and the money I save using them allows me to buy a few extra things that I would not normally be able to buy had I not had the coupons to help me. Coupons, a store’s best friend. They not only attract attention and save customers money, but they also help the store to sell more items in a month, especially those they want to get rid of because they got a heck of a deal on them or things they want to push for business relations and practices such as attracting customers. I am never ashamed to use coupons because they are designed to help the seller (Fred Meyer) as well as the buyer (me). Marketers were creative when they came up with coupons. I have yet to see the tactic not work where I live.
I have learned in life that no matter what you do there will always be someone bad-mouthing the thing your doing or the idea your trying to present. I am glad I never tried to be always please people or I would have been a total wreck and very miserable in my own life. I used coupons when my sons were growing up mostly due to necessity. I did it back when using coupons wasn’t popular at all. That was the way to give my sons the little extra treats they deserved. Keep your head up and your shoulders back MD. Some of us like you trying to help people. That is why we are a diverse world and we like hearing about different ways of surviving. If some people not be prepared because all they want to do is bad- mouthed someone for trying to help others, I say let them keep their head up their own asses and stay unprepared since they think they are so smart about everything.
Jean,
Thank you – I’ll keep doing the best I can to help people in any way I can.
Whoops, forgot to mention that my late wife would often swap coupons with her lady friends. I remember coming home from work and often finding my wife and 3 or 4 friends sitting at the dining room table, exchanging coupons. When she had a coupon that she didn’t need/use, she would offer it one of her friends, and vice versa. They made coupon clipping and exchanging a real social event. I was proud of her for saving some money, and having fun while she did so!
There was a time in my life whan I did use coupons, but now, living in the middle of nowhere, there are no real stores and when I do get to town, my budget is so tight, that I only get essentials, like bulk oatmeal and other bulk items that I use that are already a lot cheaper than the packaged items. Today I had to refill two gas cans just in case I cannot afford it next month, plus my truck. Gas is .30/gal cheaper in town than up here. That really cuts into the food budget. Still was able to get a few good bargains for storage, so it all works well for me.
I am a devout coupon user and have used them extensively over the last several years. One word of caution though, only clip the coupons for items that you need or would use. It is tempting to buy unnecessary things because “I have a coupon for that…”.
On the other hand, as Sheri said, its my money to keep. For example, just before Christmas, Kroger’s had Idahoan brand mashed potatoes for 88 cents. I had coupons that the store doubled up to $1, so they actually ended up paying me 12 cents each to buy the products (it actually just came off the total bill), but thats a pretty good deal for a tasty shelf stable product that I put into my pantry.
A web site that offers a pretty good selection of coupons that you can print on your home computer is couponmom.com – they have weekly updates too. Again, only go after the ones that you will actually use, and always comparison shop, occasionally, the store brand regular price is still cheaper than the name brand with a coupon.
I remember the greenstamps that we used to save to get stuff . I remember putting those darn stamps in a book and licking them .Boy those were the days, I wonder what happend to that system?I use a safeway clubcard and That works out well when used strategicaly. For some reason when I give the cashier my phone number it goes to a different persons name. I like that so they can`t track me. Steve
S&H Green stamps. You got 1 stamp per $0.10 you spent and could redeem the books of stamps for merchandise. All other things (like prices) being equal, my mom would go out of her way to shop the stores that offered them. I remember licking stamps until my tongue nearly fell off as a kid and remember going with my mom to the local Green Stamp store where she traded books of stamps for useful things like toasters and blankets. Hey, I was a kid and they also had toys, for which we never seemed to trade the stamps, just boring adult stuff.
The company BTW is still around as greenpoints.com, but I don’t know anything about how their current system works.
I forgot about S&H Green Stamps, until now. I used to go with my mom to the stamp store too. Nice memories. Thank you.
The same Eswing camp ax I got for 2 1/2 books of green stamps my grandmother gave me, now costs $34.98 at Home Depot. Damn I’m getting old!
We use coupons all the time,not just for things I would use either. Our local grocery will double all coupons up to $1. There are a few things on my shelves that I might not use during an event. However they didn’t cost anything, so that is just barter material.
There is definitely a time and organization factor, to ensure that you are getting the best deals, but it’s worth it in the end. I’ve even heard people say that the process of cutting and fileing can be relaxing. Taking time out of a busy schedule to just sit down and focus on something else. There have been times though, where I have fallen out of the groove, but it’s easy to pick right back up.
Go Wings!
After I am done taking the coupons I want from my Sunday inserts, I put them in a manila folder. I have 6 other friends who do the same. We then swap the folders around and let everyone take whatever they want. Works great for us!
My wife and I have always used coupons and only buy when what we is need on sale. We really stock up if it is BOGO. When my son was about 17 he commented that” You and Mama don’t by anything that is not on sale or you have a coupon.” My reply to him was, ” You better be glad we got you for you were not on sale and we didn’t have a coupon. Later when he married one of the first things we heard was ” Mama do you have any coupons you are not going to use?”
Last week canned tuna and canned chicken was BOGO. Did I ever stock up as the dates were Dec. 2013
Added Note:
Other preprations I recently made was that last week I purchased a Henry US Survival .22 rifle. This is the one that can be taken down and the receiver and barrel stored in the stock.
LOL on the son asking for coupons, 1F1! If only we could get a coupon discount for raising those offspring!
On the USS .22- how do you like it so far? Had chance to put any rounds down range?
I’ve no experience with that rifle, have always considered it a ‘niche’ weapon and not very serious for longevity and am really curious to what others think of it, such as how it’d compare to a Ruger 10-22 or Marlin 660, etc. (Nope, ain’t gonna get one, just curious.)
Again, thanks for the chuckle- really brightened the day.
Shy III
Between living in a small town with only one good grocery store & having health issues that keep me from eating name brand foods, I don’t use coupons much. I do watch for sales at the store, but rarely am I able to find coupons for the things I buy.
I buy some health supplements from Puritan. I wait for the “buy 2 get 3 free” sales & then buy a bunch.
I shop the store sales but not coupons. That would entail buying the LA Times and I refuse to support that left wing, illegal alien supporting paper. I used to clip coupons years ago but no longer have the time or energy to mess with them. It takes a disciplined, organized person and alas those are not my strong points.
My thoughts on it too. I think people that can do it good for them. And I don’t have the energy(or the gas) to run all over the valley for a bargain. If I stumble on one I make use of it. I do shop sales and locally. And I buy stuff I know for sure I can use.
You said it well, Thank You.
In the past, I used coupons often for as many things as possible. In order to get the coupons, however, you have to buy a newspaper or other publication. The cost for newspaper subscriptions have skyrocketed in recent years and the quality of the printed press has declined. I tend to get most of my news from the internet or from cable news and that makes the newspaper less attractive to me – and, as a result,no coupons.
I’ve found that the prices I pay at Sam’s for various things is about the same as using coupons at the grocery store – factoring in the cost of membership. Sam’s doesn’t accept coupons so I have mostly stopped using them. About the only coupons I use now are the ones I get with my receipt at the grocery store. The other benefit of shopping at Sam’s is that it isn’t out of the ordinary to see people buying “survivalist” quantities of things, so, when I buy those quantities, I don’t get the stares I get at the grocery store.
Perhaps this isn’t a normal thing around the country, hut here in my section of rural Ohio we get a plastic bag hung on our mailbox on a rather regular basis. Inside are local advertisements and generally some number of coupons. In the closest small town they also get them, generally as door hangers. Probably not the selection of the Sunday paper, but still useful.
Have you ever had someone point out something so glaringly obvious that you had somehow managed to miss?
Yeah, we’re getting onboard with this right now. I feel dumb as heck for not thinking of this myself. We could be saving all kinds of dough, especially with double coupon days.
Thanks, MD!
elt2jv,
Just glad to help – now if we can keep it going.
Some really big savings can come using multiple coupons. If you want to stock up on chicken soup but have only 1 money saving coupon you can only get one can. If, like M.D. you have 10 Sunday newspapers and therefore 10 coupons, you can get 10 cans. If you want to get 2 cases worth of soup you may want to buy coupons from a coupon clipping service. I have not done this myself but have heard that it is a valid activity. I did do a web search and looked at a couple sites that offer the service.
Bob
Great article MD. Not sure why the other site compared your to the survival blog – completely different format and the content while a similar genre, is different enough. I don’t know if because it’s titled “The Survivalist Blog” they expect you to be more of a hardcore “I-can-survive-in-the-woods-for-90-days-with-a-match-and-a-swiss-army-knife” type of survivalist. But whatever the case it’s not productive. There is so much that can be learned from different sources, so I don’t get the cynicism over something as trivial as “prepper.” Everyone has to prepare in the manner they feel most fits their situation, their perceived threats, their morals and beliefs, and the more we support each other in that, the stronger community we will have.
But I appreciate your approach, and the those on here who frequently comment – you have attracted a great community of people so who cares what someone else thinks (not that you do).
Zack,
Thanks that means a lot.
I suspect it’s a combination of ego and money. If I spend more time here than elsewhere, the likelihood of clicking through to an advertiser (generating revenue of some sort) is higher. On the ego side, I think the format of this site and the way it is run tends to promote community. Enough moderation of content to keep things from getting too offensive or off topic, but in general a laissez-faire attitude that allows everyone to have their say. In short, M.D., don’t change a thing, because if it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it.
I use coupons as much as I can my only problem is I hardly find coupons for the stuff I need to buy. I still keep an eye out for them though.
I AM I AM!!
Just getting the hang of it. The canning2 users group got me into it.
Actually, this is a drive-by, I’ve got to head out. But because I’m such a new prepper I wanted to let you guys know the progress I’ve made in the lat 2-3 weeks.
The last of the canning equip arrived this mornng.
All the books are in – 3 on canning, one on making do with the basics
The waterproof/fireproof (max 1700 F) safe will be delivered Monday.
WOOT!
Thanks so much everyone. I’ll try to find time over the weekend to hang out a bit.
I am not against coupons when used responsibly. Same with alcohol, marijuana, sex, and credit cards.
In light of the financial tone, my comment focuses on the last item. M.D., when you mentioned not to start overusing coupons to the point that you’re stocking up stuff you don’t need, I completely agree. You also mentioned that this post may seem a bit out of the ordinary prepper attitude. Preppers seek to be self-sufficient and independent of big brother. I believe that the credit system in America is one key factor that has delivered us at our current economic state and is completely against American ideals of itegrity.
As evil as money is itself, it works so that people earn and manage it with the goal of attaining things they want and need. Credit allows people instant gratification and thus looking on to the next want on their list as opposed to working and saving until they can buy what they want and then taking a moment to appreciate the payoffs of their labor.
As a student of psychology, I believe that instant gratification is unhealthy as it results in impulsive thinking and acting while the consequences paid are simply put off but not inevitable. Then, as these consequences approach (amassed debt) depression ensues. I’ve seen it in at least a hundred Americans personally.
I have a debit card, checking, and savings account. No open credit cards and I’m very happy with it. Perhaps it’s easy to do now as a meager graduate student in my mid-twenties but time will tell. Self-sufficience boosts self-esteem and confidence. Healthy methinks.
Living without credit cards can be done. We cut up our cc 22 years ago – no regrets. We decided it was better to buy only what we could afford, & not borrow for our desires.
By living within our means we were able to raise 2 kids, pay off our mortgage early, & I stayed home with the kids to homeschool. We have no debts at all at the moment. We have had to make payments for emergency medical care. And every once in a while my husband goes nuts at the lumber store & we have to make payments on that.
I forgot to mention – all this was on the meager salary of a church employee. We have never been rich & our income usually hovers around the poverty level. We have learned to be very creative!
God bless,
Bonnie
We have one credit card and use it a lot. Our rule is that we keep track of spending and the card is paid in full every month. We’ve managed to do it this way for the last 7 or 8 years. We have no other debt, homestead and vehicles are paid off a long time ago. Once you realize the difference between need and want and make the resolve not to be in debt, anyone can do this. Even with a credit card, if there’s a large item we need OR want, we save enough money to buy it and then use the credit card for the purchase. It does help us organize our bills in a nice monthly statement, and with the reward points I’m able to get a few Home Depot gift cards every year, which allow us to do some additional improvements and maintenance around the place, on the cheap. This may not work for everyone, but it works for us. Each of you know your own will power and need to do what works for you.
I do use coupons, and I watch the sale flyers for the grocery store. I store up supplies now, especially this year as grocery bills are predicted to skyrocket . Some sites are saying they will double (but don’t know that) but they are predicted to rise.
Having a chest freezer helps to buy large quantities of meats on sale, and I only buy the things I will actually eat like the lean meats. My chest freezer has also been great for our deer and pig we get every year.
I can’t believe so many people are getting their panties in a bunch over the word prepper or because you have these type of articles on a survival site.
Personally I like seeing these kinds of articles…. Getting people to think about there financial survival is always a good thing and coupons are a great way of saving money for us “preppers”
While coupons are a realistic way of saving money and adding to your stores, I tend to agree with (W) about Sam’s.
I continue to buy cases of canned goods there, even tho I don’t have three teenaged sons to feed, without drawing undue attention to myself.
Keep up the good work M.D., those who criticize you only do so out of jealously.
Okay, I went through my grocery reciepts and figure I spent $86.00
a month on storage food stuffs for the last ten months. Some months were good but the last 3 have been kinda lean. Finances were awful. If it is just me depending on eating it all probably enough for 10 years. If my son is here figure it will be about 2 to 3 years worth. And that is maybe about 2000 calories a day.
I have to take inventory again and redo my lists so that I buy stuff I need and not overdo like I have on the beans (love them puppies).
Your next blog question should be what do we have to cook this stuff on. Or what do you have or plan have to make life easier when the SHTF.
One thing to be careful of when looking for deals is to always check out the unit price. (WM uses price/oz with most of their items). If you look carefully and compare the size of the package, the biggest package is not always the better deal…no I’m not giving dating tips! Sorry, got sidetracked there for a minute :) I found this to be true with Jif PB. There are 3 sizes and 3 price/oz signs. The middle size comes out to be the better deal when you break it down. Be CAREFUL when buying in bulk. Always check the unit price. Also be careful of the 2 for $5 deals. If you look carefully, many times the larger package is something like $2.29. Not quite a deal. They will get you if you’re not careful. I’m a big numbers person so it comes natural to look at every number given. Check a few random items out next time and be sure you are getting the best deal….coupons or not. It all adds up.
As for the snide comments from other sites. Never read any since I don’t go to other sites…But who gives a shit anyway. MD – Don’t change anything you do or the way you do it. They could call you every name in the book, but I still BELIEVE in what you share with your readers. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here regardless. I do believe Envy is one of the 7 deadly sins…
Sheri, thankyou for pointing out the often smaller packages are more than adequate. I feel vindicated. ;)
Anytime BC! LOL!! The biggest tool in the toolbox is not always the best tool for the job!
Excellent points Sheri. Just yesterday, I found that the box of 20 ziplock gallon size bags were cheaper per unit than the box of 40..significantly cheaper. Saved about 40 cents buying 2 boxes of 20 versus 1 box of 40. A penny saved…
We used to clip coupons all the time. About a year ago our nearest walmart stopped excepting coupons, thier main reasoning was a lot of them were supposedly fake. That walmart is 30 miles away. I checked in the closest town which is 8 miles away and they do not except coupons as well, nor does the next furthest town of 15 miles away.
So cutting coupons does not work for us. At Christmas time is about the only time we get any extra real savings and that is when the stores print off thier own store bills that when you purchase $25.00 worth of stuff you will get a store buck. Granted the store bucks came in handy for Mothers soda but I had to purchase a lot to get them. When you live in a very rural community you are not givin much choices any more.
Our local Wal-Mart tries to give couponers problems as well. One of the “gurus” (who has her own website about couponing) sent an e-mail to the store’s headquarters. She got a response that clarified the corporate policy on coupons (which doesn’t fit with what your local Wal-Mart is trying to do). She encourages everyone to print that e-mail out and carry it with them, like she does.
Here’s the link to the e-mail she received, which she put on her site:
http://www.couponsavvyincowlitzco.com/2010/09/breaking-news.html
Good luck! Hopefully your store will realize that they are only hurting honest people with this policy.
This is a really interesting post, MD- and really shows how far removed some of us (meaning self) are from the rest of society.
To utilize coupons (my buddy calls them koopons and we argue that term to no avail), one must have some method of recieving them, usually newspapers or such. Some people do get them off line- but that requires a printer, ink and paper- and does cause some stores to wonder about their honesty.
And here’s where I live separate from society: I don’t get newspapers/flyers and don’t shop for koopons on line. Too, living far enough from town that going there is sometimes an ordeal, and then wandering from store to store to purchase an item or two for lesser cost is neither time nor petrol efficient. As I’m always trying to convince my friend, traveling forty miles to a store to save twenty cents on a box of toilet paper (for instance) isn’t cost-efficient. So, when I go to town, I don’t concern myself so much with coupons or saving a few pennies (I know: and I’m poorer because of it so far as money is concerned) as I do with saving time and getting my poor(er) ass out of town and back to the peace and comfort of home.
I realize that for many, going to Sam’s club (after buying membership) is the next best thing to Christmas or a birthday, but to someone as myself who goes to town once a month, or less, it’s not saving anything when I have to travel 84 miles to the nearest Sam’s and then not be able to find what I really need or want- and usually, it’s ‘wants’ that make me go to town.
All of which goes to prove the old axiom: “to each their own”.
Some worry about saving money, others worry about saving time, others just want to get in and get the hell out.
Shy III
Also remember purchasing store brands is cheeper and many times, because they did not sit in warehouse as long, they have experation dates that are further out!
We seldom use coupons because we grow most of our food. The foods we don’t grow (grains, sugar, legumes), we buy in large bulk purchases through our health food store. We don’t use convenience foods or processed foods because I cook from scratch. This makes food storage and stockpiling much simpler, imo. Here, the health food store does provide rebate coupons, though, and I use those. They also sell at a reduced price for 50 lb gags and I pay no shipping because they have delivery already established from the large distributor they use. Works for us!
We do need our TP and food wraps so if a coupon would happen along, I would surely use it. I also shop at Costco and if they send out a flyer with a coupon for something we would use, yes we’ll use it. Mostly, I compare costs and we’re at a point in our food storage system that there is no need to rush out and replenish 6 of this or to buy up a week’s worth of any given food.
There are several reasons that I don’t use coupons for preps. Or coupons in general.
Our local grocery doesn’t double them, and only take one per customer, so it’s sort of moot.
Walmart, here, refuses to take them. And, they also refuse to say why. I live in a rural town.
I’m a celiac and most foods that would have a corresponding coupon are not gluten free. You have to eat what’s on coupons and we typically don’t. We also buy generics if at all possible and they don’t have coupons for those.
I’m envious of the people who can actually accomplish productive couponing, though!
-LJ
WHY NOT USE COUPONS WE USE THEM IF SOMETHING WE NEED LIKE PAPER GOODS, RAZORS ETC OR TO A GOOD RESTAURANT/ MOST OF THE COUPONS IN OUR AREA ARE FOR FOOD ITEMS AND OUR OPINION IS THAT MOST IS FULL OF JUNK SO WE PASS
Simba,
I’m no better than the readers of this blog, this site is as much theirs as it is mine – think about it if there were no readers then there would be no blog. The readers are the blog, we all learn from each other.
I completely agree. Thanks.
And that’s what makes you different – you’re not trying to ‘educate’ us, you’re fostering discussion.
I remember my mom sitting down with coupons much as you described. I was allowed to pick what kind of cereal I wanted from that weeks shopping trip based on what coupons she had – that way she didn’t have to take me with her, and I had a modestly limited selection from which to choose (although still variations on chocolate-frosted sugar bombs, those being the ones companies put coupons out for!). It was always a hard decision – Cap’n Crunch, Trix, or Lucky Charms?
I haven’t seen coupon inserts in years, probably because where I live the daily free paper only has the store flyers, not that I pick up the paper much. I get the same store flyers in the mail too. So I keep an eye out for weekly sales and don’t use coupons unless they’re on the package in the store!
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