Eating healthy while couponing?

[too-old-now]

The way I've been able to keep my family well stocked with fresh fruit, meats, and other products that don't have coupons, is to use the moneymaker OYNO catalinas.

For example, a short while ago SR had buy 3 Exedrine, get $5 OYNO. They were on sale for $3.99 each (100 ct). Using the $3 MFR coupons, I bought 3 per transaction, and made $$ each transaction. The catalina coupons were able to be rolled into giftcards, so after several dozen transactions I was way ahead of the game into overage.

[bigsweetie]

Hi Ladies!!

I'm new here and have a question. I'm just getting started couponing but i'm finding it almost impossible to get good deals on healthy food. I'm finding alot of deals on snacks, or frozen foods that I typically try not to eat (although i'm guilty of it occassionally). It's SOOOO hard to pass up a deal for free junk food, but i'm trying LOL!

I've been doing fairly well couponing for cleaning supplies and things like shampoo,etc.

Has anyone been able to find good deals on some of the healthier options? Like healthy cereals, etc?

I sooo wish stores ran deals on fresh fruits and vegetables and that there were coupons for those things, but *sigh*, there isn't.

[Wolfie1991]

I'm finding that I am allowing us to be able to afford those things. I do however find it hard not to get the free "junk"! If I am getting everything cheap, I can afford the fruits and vegies better than before. Does that make sense?

Some people use winetags. You may want to research that. They are not "legal" in my state.

[TheWoman]

Has anyone been able to find good deals on some of the healthier options? Like healthy cereals, etc?

It depends on what you consider healthy. Is lightly sugared cereal okay? Recently I was getting post frosted shredded wheat free--and free milk as a bonus. It is sugared, but not nearly as bad as kids cereals, and most people consider milk healthy. Quaker oats (the plain, regular, non-sugared kind) were on sale for $1 and with $.50 coupons they were $.50, less if your store doubles. That is healthy.

With proper couponing techniques, you can get most of your health and beauty stuff free or dirt cheap. If you take that money and add it to your grocery budget you will have more money to spend on fruits and vegetables.

Yes, it is true that it is far easier to get junk food cheap or free, but if you get everything you can for rock bottom prices you will be able to aford to eat better than you ever have before.

[Q_ponQ]

I didn't read all of the other posts....but I do buy some of the deals....
but mostly get huge deals on cleaning products, paper products, cat food and litter...

which leaves more $$ for the produce that I like...

occasionally (and I love it when) I get wine tags for fresh meat, fish or poultry.

[bigsweetie]

Do any of you have any tips on how to eat healthy using coupons? I've found some good deals on cleaning supplies and health care items, but i'm not having much luck on things like healthy cereals, etc.

The best deals seem to be on the "junk foods". It's sooooo tempting to buy the stuff when it's free or next to free, but i'm trying to resist LOL!

Has anyone had any luck with it?

Why oh why don't you ever see good deals on fresh fruits and veggies LOL! Or coupons for them!! Even the coupons for milk usually make you buy 2 or 3 boxes of sugarey cereal

Oh well!

[jujubee]

Hello! Welcome to HCW!

Yes, healthy eating and couponing can go hand in hand. Lot's of us do it! You just have to dig a little deeper, and resist all the free cookie mix deals that come along.

If you still have questions, let us know!


BTW, I stocked up on frozen veggies last week for .50 a bag! Some frozen veggies are better quality than the "fresh" veggies you buy in the produce dept - they're frozen at their peak freshness. Sometimes you just have to think outside the box to get good deals on healthy stuff.

[rmtrivas21]

I'm dealing with the same problem. I'm stocked up on personnal and cleanning products, but struggling with the food items. It is so tempting to buy junk food since I can get it for free or next to nothing, and I've given into temptation a little bit. Dh and I actually had a talk about it last night, and we agreed no more junk food. I'm just going to try my best to do what I can with the good coupons that I find, and try to keep an eye out on good sales. Have you checked out Target coupons? They actually have some decent coupons. This week they have coupons for apples, deli meat, juice, ground turkey, coffee and tea. I'm going to check out the link jujubee posted, and see what tips they have. Good luck!

[derketchup]

I like to think "worst case scenario". My worst case scenario for couponing and food? Even if I can't find a good deal on the healthy foods, at least I have cheap/free HBA and cleaning supplies!

[coupondink]

oh I agree wholeheartedly. It is definitely hard for me.

My personal goal for 2007 is to spend absolutely nada on groceries, etc. I am 10 months in, but it is getting harder and harder. It is so easy now for me to get free stuff....but it is usually garbage processed foods.

When starkist tuna was free, and the tuna creations were free with triples, I was ecstatic!! Once I got 30 free frozen veggies, and one time I got tons of canned veggies...it was fantastic!! But the bulk of the stuff that I get free is Hamburger Helper, cookies, snacks, Lipton Side heartattack-in-a-bag, Mac and cheese, cake mixes, cookie mixes, pudding....yikes! All of this stuff if fine in moderation, but when you get hundreds of each, and your stockpile is based on processed garbage....it makes it challenging to stay fit.

I try to use the "profit" and "overage" and "coupon sales" every week to apply toward my budget..and that goes straight for milk, oJ, eggs, meat, and produce. I am lucky to have a produce store near me that sells everything very cheaply....and the meat I wait until I see a slamming deal and stockpile dozens of pounds of the stuff. I got ground beef for $1.25? once and bought 20 pounds of it. LOL.

It is definitely a challenge and requires very very creative thinking. I feel your pain though.