8 Reasons Why You SHOULDN'T Use Coupons...

...according to Yahoo Finance. And of course, 8 reasons why you SHOULD, according to Annalisa. Enjoy. :)

Reason #1: You have to buy a newspaper.

Their Reasoning:
"This doesn't apply to any free coupons you happen to get along with products or in the mail, but once you pay for a newspaper, you've lost money. You then have to make up for that loss by using enough coupons to break even. Then, you have to use even more coupons to come out
ahead."

My Reasoning:
When you can get the paper for $0.39 per week, coming out ahead only takes using one coupon per week. Or two coupons every other week. Or three coupons every third week. And, well, you get the idea. Not to mention the fact that most of us use WAY more than that.

Reason #2: Clipping Coupons Takes Time.

Their Reasoning:
"Yes, you can do it while you watch TV and turn "unproductive" time into "productive" time. But there are a lot of things you can do while you watch TV - mop the floor, prepare a week's worth of meals or actually let yourself relax and not do anything for once. Your time might be better spent on another activity."

My Reasoning:
Three words: Clipless Organizing Method. I only clip the coupons I'm actually going to use each week. It takes me about 30 minutes, tops each week.

Reason #3: Getting a newspaper invites lots of additional advertising into your home.

Their Reasoning:
"Advertising is powerful stuff - this is part of the reason why companies offer coupons in the first place. You might actually end up buying more stuff by having all those ads around, negating any savings you get from coupons. The same is true if a coupon compels you to venture into a store you wouldn't otherwise visit."

My Reason:
Is it just me, or are these getting worse? If you're that gullible to every piece of advertising that enters your home...you've got other problems. Learn to love your recycle bin -- it's easy and effective. :)

Reason #4: Many of the coupons will be for things you neither need nor want.

Their Reasoning:
"Unfortunately, coupon circulars aren't customized to your shopping habits. If you are a die-hard bargain hunter, if may be hard for you to turn down a good deal, even if it means buying something you weren't planning on getting anyway. However, from a financial perspective, buying more than you need or want just doesn't make sense."

My Reasoning:
Being able to turn down a good deal on something you don't need is the one aspect of couponing that DOES take some practice. However, from a food-storage perspective, sometimes buying more than you need (to save for the future) is called smart.

Reason #5: Coupons can tempt you to spend your grocery dollars on things you shouldn't.

Their Reasoning:
"Coupons don't always market the healthiest foods. This might mean that they'll lead you to buy things that aren't very good for you. Anyone can see that clipping coupons that tempt you to purchase sugary cereals and fatty or salty snacks isn't the greatest thing for your health. If your idea of a healthy snack is more "I'll have an apple" and less "I'll just have one serving of potato chips," you're unlikely to find much in the coupon circulars at all that will interest you. Plus, if you have a monthly grocery budget that you stick to no matter what, coupons will only get you more food or different food - they won't truly save you any money."

My Reasoning:
Finally! This may be their only valid concern. If plan your weekly grocery shopping based off of the Smartsource coupon insert each week, you'll end up broke and 100 pounds heavier. That's where the Grocery Smarts lists come in! You can shop and eat the same way you always have, just at 50% - 60% less than before. It takes a little bit of self control to not buy every new fandangled product just because you have a coupon for it (see #4). But once you get settled into a routine, you're golden.

Reason #6: The same coupons tend to be offered over and over again.

Their Reasoning:
"After a few months of coupon clipping, you'll realize that you're repeatedly clipping the same coupons. This might work for you if you use the same products repeatedly, but it's not so great if you prefer variety and experimentation. You often won't use all the coupons you clip by their expiration date, so you'll have to toss that yogurt coupon that expired on June 30 only to clip another identical one that doesn't expire until July 31. This is time consuming - not to mention aggravating. The redundancy of coupons is especially annoying if the coupons are for items you don't even want to buy."

My Reasoning:
I don't know about you, but I quite enjoy the fact that there is always a valid Huggies coupon when I need it.

Reason #7: You might become a slave to coupons.

Their Reasoning:
"It can be very difficult to buy something without a coupon once you get used to using coupons. Knowing that you can get ice cream for $2.50 might make it difficult for you to spend $4 on it even though many times, it would be worth it to spend the extra $1.50 rather than pine for ice cream and cast longing glances at your freezer every night for three weeks until your next coupon arrives. You might also find yourself making more trips to the grocery store in order to purchase things only when you have coupons for them."

My Reasoning:
This is why we stockpile! (If you haven't come to a coupon class yet, you should.) When items I need and use go on sale, I buy enough to tide my family over until the next sale. There is always the proverbial ice cream in the freezer at my house! No pining necessary.

Reason #8: Shopping takes longer.

Their Reasoning:
"If you have to hunt up and down the aisles in search of the item you have a coupon for, you'll spend more time at the store. This could also lead you to spend more money, potentially
negating the savings you're working so hard to accrue."

My Reasoning:
In my experience, I save $50-$100 each week and it takes me 30 minutes of planning and 30 minutes of shopping. (And that's with an infant strapped to my chest in the Bjorn!) So you tell me. Is it worth it?