The Trouble With Couponing

httpI like to save money as much as the next person.  My friend Leann used to say I pinch pennies so hard that ol' abe cries and begs for mercy. I like using coupons for things I need around the house, namely paper goods, shampoo, toothpaste, female supplies, and cereals.  I use store cards, and until recently, I purchased off brands.  I don't do off brands anymore because they cost as much, sometimes even more, than the name brand.

But.  I have a problem with couponing in general. Where are the coupons for actual healthy items?  Sure some of the juice coupons are for things that might be good for you as long as you purchase the 'natural' or low sugar versions. Given the number of obese people around, I very seriously doubt they're even looking at sugar and salt content.  Sometimes you might stumble across a frozen veggie coupon or a canned veggie or fruit. 

I have found coupons for eggs attached to products that you had to buy three of in order to get the free eggs.  Do I really need three boxes of  ready to serve bacon to get the free eggs?  Or the 4 boxes of cereal to get a free gallon of store brand milk?  Better yet, do I need to buy 6 boxes of pastries to get a free pound of bananas? Really?  Are you bargain shopping or on a secret mission to kill yourself and your family with all those cans of biscuits, cinnamon rolls, and crescent rolls?

More than half the coupons I've looked at and or considered have been for heavily processed foods.  Processed means most of the nutrients have been removed and tons of preservatives added. Bacon, egg nog, macaroni and cheese, potato chips, biscuits, rolls, cookies.  I read an entry tonight on one of th couponing blogs I follow where a man purchased $400 worth of groceries and only paid $180.  The drawback, 14 boxes of cereal, 18 boxes of various and sundried potatoes, pizzas, cokes, cookies, 1 turkey, 2 chickens, pasta and pasta sauce, canned veggies (canned isn't the best for you but better than no veggies) and the list went on.  I sat there thinking wow, that's a pretty good haul while at the same time thinking ughh, where are the good things to eat?  Does that make me snobby?

Sure, I indulge in the risky business of purchasing the mentioned items in an effort to make my family happy when it comes to dinner and school or weekend lunches.  Even they will tell you such purchases are few and far between.

I've decided, just tonight, that I'm going to go in search of healthier food choices coupons then list the sites, maybe even links to the coupons themselves for you, my readers, because I want you to have other choices and eat helathier while saving your hard earned money.  It's only fair.

First up is:  Driscoll's Berries  Driscoll Berries to be exact.  Subscribe to their newsletters and get a .50 cent coupon just for signing up to receive their emails.

Horizon Dairy   Organic Milk   Click the coupons icon.

Udi's Gluten Free Bread   Wonderful bread and baked goods.  $1 coupon.

I'll post more as I find them.