Coupons

Okay, I've jumped on the coupon bandwagon. Here is what I think- You can save money, but it will cost you in time. I have this elaborate notebook with baseball card pages and am getting the newspaper every week with double coupons. My coupons are not filed often enough so I still spend time standing in the aisles looking through the stack of clipped coupons. I signed up with The Grocery Game but have used it only once. I plan to cancel it soon. The Coupon Mom site was interesting and probably gave me the most help out of all the websites. A friend came over and helped me navigate the Southern Savers site and that's where I will probably print off my lists, if I ever get time to actually do that before I run out the door to buy groceries.
The idea that I can use coupons to get the best deals on the items that I buy is the most appealing to me. I like stock piling items that we need often; no one wants to run to the store at the very moment of certain needs. I have to be careful not to buy things we don't eat or want just because it's only 20 cents a box. There are items that can be gotten for free if you work the system right. I hear stories of people who buy their groceries for 50-80% off of the retail prices. One person even told me that it pays her to use coupons but she has to go to many different stores and doesn't have children at home to school or ferry around.
The biggest problem I see is that we don't eat like that. We eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies and I don't see how you can save 50% on those things because there is almost no coupons for that stuff. Another issue is how the cashiers react. My goal at the grocery store is to be a witness as well as feed my family at the best price possible. But if it means I have to wrangle with a clerk over a 45 cents coupon I plan to choose not. Also, there is a price you pay for spending time with your children. If it comes in the price of groceries, that's where I have to spend it. If I can spend that time with the girls I will, that's why I won't abandon the system completely.