In my opinion, a category was left off:  nowhere.  I haven't used a coupon in over 11 years, because there aren't coupons for the things I use.  By shopping using price per unit and cost per serving, I save MUCH , MUCH more than with any coupon! 

If you look carefully at the things on coupons, you'll notice that they're usually for the MOST EXPENSIVE version of something, whether it's cleaning your windows (easily done with vinegar and water), doing laundry (easily accomplished with soap at .02/oz. or less), mopping your floor (not everyone needs a Swiffer now, do they?), polishing your furniture (a dab of cooking oil on a rag works just as well), or eating breakfast (cold cereal?  Puleeease!)--the list goes on. 

Coupons are enticements ro get you to buy stuff you don't really need--this means MARKETING TOOLS, and we all hate marketing, right?  So why subject yourself to the most obvious form of it?  I know why--convenience.

My price book (which I have recently brought out of the closet and reactivated) is my best "coupon" as far as discounts go. Just yesterday, I managed to save a hair over $24 on store-discounted berries (@4/$5) and broccoli (@2/$4).  A week before that, I managed to save $6 on store-sale toilet paper($2 off their regular price).  Watching the flyers, going to store websites, and closely watching (and recording) register receipts, I manage to save more money than any old coupon could save me, plus I have a record of where to go next time I need more.

I get my coupons from the paper from the coupon train on this site and from the manufactors themselves , my DH works out out of town he brings me papers from where he is I get alot of coupons ...  

i buy 7 papers a week, use what my family will use, the rest get traded, my friends will save thier coupons for me(well only one of my friends gets a newspaper at her dads house, so she salvages whatever they dont use for me)  i go threw about an ink cartridge every 3 or 4 weeks by printing coupons online, i have dumpster dove for coupons, i call companies, i email companies, i get coupons from companies websites, and i belong to a few coupon trading places as well

I don't use coupons - very little of what I buy has coupons except cereal, and I buy that at Costco.  I've been trying very hard to buy only unprocessed foods except for the cereal (if I had to cook breakfast before work, I would end up not eating) and there aren't enough coupons for things I buy to be worth the effort.  That may not sound frugal - but I never have time to read the paper except at work, and rather than carry it with me, I read the paper online during lunch (free), and one of the reasons I quit buying a paper was that I hadn't gotten enough coupons to off-set the cost of the paper for years, and it was at least 4 or 5 years ago that I quit getting the paper delivered.

blondie29697:

Hi: Instead of buying extra papers, why not ask your friends for their Sunday paper coupon inserts. I do that and get many each week. So, when an item is on a great sale, I have many coupons. This summer, I got many bottles of mustard free. It was on sale for $1, first the small bottle of French's, then the big bottle. I had $.50 coupons. One store doubles them up to $.60 and another store doubles them up to $.50. I sure stocked up have 20+ in my pantry now.

Blondie29697, welcome to the forums!  Many people have discontinued the paper, so that avenue is not open to some of us.  I will sometimes buy a few papers, as well, if I like the products offerred that particular Sunday.  However, I am also on the Coupon Train here and have a couple of people at work with whom I trade coupons -- they get cat coups and I get their dog ones.  Works well! 

Good score on the mustard!  It's hard to beat free!  It's also nice to be able to say you could bring condiments to an outing, trade for something else needed, or even donate to a food bank!