Editor’s Notebook: This Englishman is cheap – and proud of it

Published 4:00 pm Thursday, December 1, 2011

Call me odd – many people do anyway – but I am an unashamed coupon clipper. 

For years I have been entrusted with the family grocery shopping. It has become a challenge to see how much money I can save with coupons and special offers.

I love to unload my trolley at the checkout and watch a cashier ring up my shopping then reduce the total by $10 or $20 or more by scanning in a bunch of coupons. I see it as a point of personal pride. My goal one day, if I ever get really serious about clipping coupons, is for a cashier to ring up $100 worth of groceries, then scan a bunch of my coupons which will cover the entire cost.

It may never happen, or even get close, but it’s a dream.

Safeway’s red discount card is a great starting point. Always look for discounts. (I like shopping at the Astoria Safeway because the staff are so nice, especially the deli crew). It’s great because the card also works at Safeway stores when I travel out of town. And The Daily Astorian’s Safeway coupons are a must, of course.

Here are my tips for coupon clippers and sensible shoppers:

1. Only buy what you would ordinarily buy. It’s no use saying, “Aha! I have a coupon, I’m going to save money,” because you actually have to spend money, too. Duh!

2. Change brands if all things are equal and one is cheaper. Generic and store-brand labels will save you money. But beware. For example, off-brand tomato ketchup and canned baked beans are often watery and not as good as brand-name stuff. Pay the extra for quality in these instances.

3. If there is no limit, load up. Canned corn lasts a long time. If you eat a lot, buy a lot when it is cheap. But don’t go nuts – like I did with canned green beans. Some years back, when Safeway was practically giving them away, I?bought them by the caseload. I still have enough to feed the town. I once gave some away at a garage sale (one free can with every purchase over $11)?and I am still awash in green beans. So, pay attention to your stocks and watch out for overbuying. A year’s supply, even of nonperishables, may be too much. I messed up recently in this regard. Costco mails out coupons for all sorts of stuff, including those compacted dishwasher pellets that work so well. I now have enough to run my dishwasher daily until February 2014.

4. Keep the coupons with you. That means in your wallet if you are a two-car family. There is nothing worse than paying full price when you don’t have to because you popped out in the “wrong” car and didn’t take the coupons with you.

5. Plan ahead. “Gang” your shopping trips. With petrol costing so much these days, it may not be worthwhile to drive clear across town just to “save money” with one coupon.

6. Read the fine print. Watch for expiration dates to avoid missing out. Be alert to quantity limitations. And don’t argue with the cashier. They didn’t set the rules, but they must enforce them.

The Coupon Queen, whose column appeared in The Daily Astorian a while back, was discontinued for various reasons. I thought it was a good idea, but was always puzzled by some of her comments. The author has written often about “overage” and various odd tips to beat the system. Baloney! I have been shopping for 30 years in five U.S. states and have never been allowed to apply a coupon to a different product.

What are your coupon clipping and shopping tips? Email me at pwebb@dailyastorian.com and we’ll post the best suggestions online at www.dailyastorian.com

English-born Patrick Webb is managing editor of The Daily Astorian. He is proud of being very cheap!