This series is for all those comments many of us couponers get from the non-coupon users out there. If you missed the first post of this series you can read it still.
- Confronting the Myth’s of Couponing: Myth #1: Couponing is a Waste of Time.
Coupon Myth #2:“I Wouldn’t Benefit from using Coupons, Because I like to Cook from Scratch.”
— Guest post by Bonnie H.
The other day, after dinner, my kids and I made banana bread. From (gasp!) scratch. The next morning I made my kids whole wheat waffles for breakfast. From scratch. The syrup I put on top of the waffles was some that I had made. From scratch. And that night with dinner, we had bread that I had made. From scratch.
It irritates me to no end that people associate couponers with lousy, heavy-on-the-carbs, high-in-fat diets. I grew up in a home where my mother took great care to see that we all had completely balanced diets, and yet she was a savvy, frugal, couponing woman. I have tried to do the same. Many, many times as we are sitting down to an entirely homemade or even almost-entirely-homemade meal, I’ll go through each food and tell my husband which ingredients were bought with coupons. The list is usually pretty long.
There are a lot of things that I have used coupons on that may or may not surprise you. Such items include (but are not limited to) Canned beans, underwear for my son, Pam or Crisco, Flour, cooking oil, Chocolate Chips, Taco Seasoning, Tomato Soup, canned chicken, ketchup, Toilet bowl cleaner, canned fruits and vegetables, Vanilla extract, protein bars and sports drinks (as a runner and coach, these have helped a lot!).
Couponers — do you agree?
What kinds of foods do you cook from scratch?
About Karrie
Food is my love language. But so is saving money. So I like to combine the two a lot and make thrifty make ahead and freeze meals to save time. Because life is busy, and freezer meals can come to the rescue for all of us. And yes, they actually CAN taste good. Read more...
Comments & Reviews
Melissa says
I too think couponing is great – but I think the author actually gives fuel to the myth of “people associate couponers with lousy, heavy-on-the-carbs, high-in-fat diets when she uses examples such as “bananna bread”, “waffles”, “syrup” and home-made bread. Those are all Carb-loaded, diabetic nightmares.
I would not use those examples to refute her “myths of couponing”. Maybe use a vegatable soup – or meat dish to show how you can use coupons to cook things that contain fewer carbs.
I appreciate the intent & believe in your mission. But, I’m just sayin…..
Nicki Davis says
I have a hard time “couponing” healthy items or especially produce. But I do love following Karrie’s site so that I can find good deals and sales…which will always save you more money than buying them regular price…so even though you aren’t using coupons, it is always great to find sales.
I have to say that we eat a lot healther in our house, and the many couponed items that I have bought over that last year and stock piled, are going to waste because couponing the “really” great food items that are usually free or close to it, aren’t really that healthy for you.
The whole “scratch” comments crack me up! Some of them have a pretty valid point. I am a huge advocate for homemade canning and gardening.
Jenny says
It’s interesting how everyone is starting to break down what from scratch really is. From scratch really is just making something from natural ingredients. yes, the best way to make from scratch is fresh but that doesnt’ mean that a can of beans or tomatoes is not from scratch. Read the labels! If the label says, just tomatoes and nothing else, that is not too shabby. Some things like that aren’t available all the time.
Since I have been forced to read labels because of food restrictions I have found that there are times that canned foods are bad, so you have to read. Canned fruit is not great at all if it coated in corn syrup but if it is in its natural juices it is already healthier. Again, for many in our country fresh produce may not be available all the time at an affordable cost. So lets not discredit canned items. Just read the labels, If it is only a couple of ingredients and no sugar, low sodium it is not too bad.
It is true that americans idea of scratch is a box mix most of the time and a healthy snack is a package of fruit snacks (don’t get me started on that) but the more natural you go the better you will eat and you don’t have to do everything fresh all the time, again, it may not always be available.
If you have an issue with canned frozen is also an option. Frozen veggies are actually healthier than canned, where as fresh veggies are better than frozen. So you do what you can.
And FYI, you can make ANYTHING at home, but depending on your time and your convicitions depends entirely on you. I make my own taco seasoning and it is super stinking easy, takes a few minutes and I only do it because I store seasoning has extra ingredients I can eat. Just google anything you want and you’ll be shocked how many simple recipes you can find for things.
Like homemade chicken stock in a crockpot. Easy and so stinking good.
and for the author, I think we all have our guilty pleasures we need, so don’t let anyone make you feel bad for that. Those things actually save us money because we have them on hand to help us resist going out. Our house it is hotdogs and for the kids frozen pizza. We seldom eat them but when things are hectic or we, the adults are sick, those meals are a great go too. Plus they make great fun dinners. In the end it is a better example for the kids to have these kinds of meals in moderation to teach them how to eat them in moderation.
Amy says
When I make soup “from scratch” I use canned beans, diced tomatoes, pasta, and sausage, all with coupons. I could make the beans and not buy them in the can, but with coupons it’s cheaper and tons easier. It’s a shortcut making my “homemade” soup taste 10 times better than any can of soup and a shortcut I am willing to do.
I guess I don’t bake from scratch according to Gaby, because I don’t, and never will, grind my own wheat. But I will never us a box to make anything. I will throw the store bought ingredients together myself.
For me “from scratch” means you didn’t open a can and heat, add water to a powder or remove wrapping and heat.
Thanks for sharing.
Bonnie H. says
This is in response to Gaby’s comment about how many of the items listed were not “from scratch.” This is true. However, I did not mean it to say that I ONLY cook from scratch, or that everything listed were the only things I cook with. Take canned chicken for example. It is what I call my “guilty luxury,” as I use it in a pinch when time is short and there is not time to cook and shred my frozen chicken. However, frozen chicken is my go-to staple. And, while I DO buy a good amount of canned fruits and vegetables, I also devote almost an entire month of my year to canning my own fruits, juices, jams, etc. The beauty of this is that the jars, sugar, pectin, and lids that i use are all purchased using coupons. And, regarding tomato soup and taco seasoning not being from scratch, well…..you are correct. However, I HAVE made my enchilada sauce from scratch, and my mom did everything “from scratch” with tomatoes growing up, and I do confess, I prefer the store-bought ones in that department.
My point? I agree wholeheartedly with all of your comments. We couponers DO make things from scratch, but we also use ‘coupon’ foods when we can/need to as well. Because I’ll be honest. I would rather my kids eat green beans from a can, than no green beans at all.
anon says
Elizabeth…would love to see your recipe for the taco seasoning.
deb says
I am a low carber.. coupons have limited value for me.. but I do find they help with some things… The reason people think that “scratch” cooking includes a can or box, is because in this country, people have no idea what is healthy.. and have totally bought into the FDA, pyramid of nutrition.. More education is needed for people to see what real food is..
Gaby says
I agree with Jenny!
I have dairy and sugar intolerance and my hubby can’t have much gluten…so it is harder to do healthy stuff with coupons. A lot of the stockpiles we see in the pictures and videos are full of junk food. I like to stock up on rice milk, cereal, oatmeal, pasta, etc.
Gaby says
To be fair, a lot of the items this author listed as buying with coupons are not “from scratch” ingredients…… Canned beans, Taco Seasoning, Tomato Soup, canned chicken, canned fruits and vegetables, sports drinks.
All of these things can be made from scratch. Cook beans in the crock pot. Make tomato soup…from tomatoes. Anything from a can is not “from scratch”.
I’m not opposed to cans at all…but you can’t claim to make something homemade if you got it from a can. Period.
I would love more than 3 paragraphs on how to use coupons on food in this way. Anyone else blog about this?
Kelleigh @ Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs says
Love this! Actually, I have found that since I started couponing, I cook from scratch MORE often than I did before! YES, I want to do what is right for my family, but I also decreased my budget when I started couponing, so I buy what I NEED rather than what I WANT. Do I want that soda? Maybe. But I NEED milk, so needs win! Being more aware of what we were buying and not buying made me re-evaluate our food intake, so we are piling on the “whole” foods a lot more these days. AND, I still feed my family of 4 on $200 a month!
Jenny says
I like this article too. I cook from scratch also, and yes, for many of the same reasons above. I want to feed my family meals that are ‘fewer’ ingredients or back to the basics. Not something boxes that has 20 things in it that I can’t even pronounce.
But I also have another reason for doing this, that I think no one has mentioned yet. I have food limitations or food intolerances that do not allow me to buy certain products anyway. Because of this I have to buy many specific items, much of it organic.
I will agree with one of the comments above that it is a lot harder to coupon when you are buying organic and it is hard to coupon when you have dietary limitations. BUT, you can still do it and I average a 50% savings on all my groceries/home/toiletries needs. If I just couponed alone for savings this wouldn’t be possible though. For those who do cook from scratch, like us, but have more restrictions whether by choice or not, food planning, buying food in bulk, even buying some products online can add onto the savings and allow you to still cook the way you want.
I have noticed though that if you don’t have restrictions or want to eat just organic that you can save over 50% on your food bill. Way over. And it has seemed to me that those who are extreme couponers who pay a fraction of the cost, like those we see featured in articles and on tv, do eat a lot of stuff that isn’t good for your and their meals don’t appear to be as balanced or as healthy as they could be. I saw a news clip on a woman who feeds her family of six on a budget of $100 a month for everything, not just food. She showed her pantry, which was stocked piled to the ceiling with food but what struck me is that most of it were boxes meals and high-sodium products. It made me a gag a bit. Her savings were amazing but for overall investment in the future health of her family, she was probably heading towards an increase in her bills in the future from health issues. Something that can be reduced by eating more naturally.
I guess my point is that couponing DOES work even if you want to eat more organically or have food restrictions. But eventually you have to choose how healthy you want to eat and that will determine how much savings you will get. I’m satisfied with my 50% savings. As much as I would love to save more the fact I save that much and feed my family the way I want and also feed me the way I need to makes it worth it. And I continue to research other methods to reduce costs and slowly I am finding them.
So YES, totally agree that couponing is works with cooking from scratch but how much you save, that depends on your definition of ‘from scratch’ really is and what you envision for your family and what you actually can eat!
lacey says
I also cook from scratch. I love to save on cooking oil, sugar, bread, chicken andveggies. My problem is that we mostly eat vegggies, fruits, lentils and rice. I will love to see more deals on prodce as Hannah said.
I save a lot on bathroom cleaning supplies, Toothpaste, body wash, deo, cereal and medicine. It helps a lot. I would love to know how can i save more on my food and thats the reason I Follow this blog and recommend it. Also because of couponing i have tried so many new things which I wouldnt have otherwise.
Happy Savings
Hannah says
This is a good article. I do cook a lot from scratch, and do my cleaning with mostly baking soda and vinegar, and use mostly cloth diapers, so a lot of the coupon deals I see don’t apply to me.
But there are still a lot of good deals I can use like cereal, soup in a can for when I need a quick meal, baking ingredients, etc.
I wish there were more coupons or very excellent sales on things like fresh fruits and veggies. Sometimes you can find a good deal on those things in other ways like buying a box from a local fruit distributor and splitting it with a friend.
Susan says
Oh my goodness I have heard “we eat healthy food so couponing wouldn’t be good for us”. It annoys me that they don’t open their mind to the possibilities. I cook most everything from scratch from soups to casseroles, bread, waffles, etc.. Couponing has helped me buy everything for scratch cooking for really nothing. For example last year I made money on buying yeast then bought flour for .99 or less. I have made lots of bread for pennies without all the preservatives. I also have purchased canning supplies with coupons. Even if you do not buy food, all personal items, household and medicines would bring your budget down significantly. I have a husband and 3 girls from a tween to 4, a dog and cat and we survive on $250/month
Yes there are some nights where life isn’t all together and I have thrown in a frozen pizza, however, I didn’t run out to dinner for $10 plus.
Jen Jen says
I think it is when trying to cook from scratch and use organic products that I really have realized that coupons are not helping my budget all that much. With BPA in cans/packaging, refined products being less healthy choices… If you’re trying to stay away from these, your couponing options are very limited (although, there are more and more available to be printed or through FB, etc). We’re most likely going to transition to local farmers and CSAs this season and I’ll give serious canning at home a shot.
Still, products like light bulbs, batteries, toilet paper – they are still great buys with coupons and for a little stockpiling. But, since I can usually print those out I’m thinking my newspaper delivery will be a thing of the past soon.
elizabeth says
I’ve become a “from scratch” cook because I want healthier meals for myself and my family. I am still a couponer and save my family quite a bit of money from the time I put into finding the best deals. I still buy cereal, though my family doesn’t eat it at the rate we used to, but for the few boxes a month we use, coupons help us save. I buy spices and meat and even produce with coupons. I don’t buy anything used for the house (cleaners, etc.) or personal care without combining coupons and sales. The savings I reap mean I have more to use on fresh fruits, veggies, and whole foods for my family. Couponing rocks and so does scratch cooking 🙂 Oh, and I have a great recipy for homemade taco seasoning that we have found we love even more than the packets….and it has a lot less sodium! Still looking for the perfect fried rice seasoning!
karen says
Yep, I cook from scratch…for a long time I was one who didn’t want to do couponing because I thought it was only for junk foods and convenience foods that I don’t use. I’ve been couponing now for over a year and have found that although I purchase a few convenience foods that I didn’t before (mostly dry cereals and some packaged items) I still cook the same way I always have: from scratch, homemade, etc..
Sarah Wright says
I cook LOTS of things from scratch using coupons!!!
Desserts: chocolate chips, sugar, flour, butter, cocoa powder, baking powder, eggs
Breakfast: eggs, ham, Freshly grated hashbrowns (potatoes), whole wheat pancakes,
Lunch: Homemade soups; and healthy whole grain store bought breads for sandwiches
Dinner: Chili, Hand breaded chicken “nuggets”, homemade spaghetti sauce, homemade alfredo sauce (cheese and milk); homemade cassaroles using Campbells soups as a starter base; Chicken masala and naan (newly tried); Chicken fajitas with often homemade taco seasoning mix, whole wheat egg noodles for my soups and italian foods….the list goes on and on and on….
bUt what couponing really comes in handy for are those nights when I need a quickie meal; such as last night when I had dinner ready in 20 minutes using Foster Farms Turkey Meatballs (on sale last week at freedies); Healthy harvest whole wheat spaghetti pasta (free from albertsons 1 month ago); Can of Hunts Spaghetti Sauce (.50 cents on sale at Freddies 2-3 weeks ago). THen I threw a salad on the side, and we had a healthy dinner (Under 400 calories) for Less than $3.00!
anon says
I do cook from scratch too most of the time. However, I do buy the frozen or prepackaged meals once in awhile because on those days when we need a quick meal it is a lot cheaper than eating out.
Nan says
Totally agree. I cook mostly from scratch, too. Chili made with beans, tomatoes, cheese and sour cream bought with coupons. Baking using sugar, choc chips, nuts, raisins. The list is endless.