As you know, I’ve been posting, whining, ranting, lamenting, complaining…a combination of all of the above, about the state of couponing today. I just *miss* the old days. I miss routinely walking into a store and walking out with a bag of stuff, having only paid for it with coupons. I miss having so many freebies and hot deals in one week that I just couldn’t even get to them all.  So as I am adjusting my lifestyle and my stockpile to my new way of couponing, I asked around–Are you couponing any differently than you were 2, 3 or 5 years ago? What are you doing differently and how are you saving money for your household? I asked some long time couponers and moderators at HotCouponWorld as well as some of my fellow DealPros from Savings.com. Here are some of the responses:

• Well I’ve been couponing for just over the 3 year mark now, so maybe my answer won’t count, but the deals aren’t as good for sure. No more free TP, and the prices I’m paying for other things is slowly creeping up. Recently, I’ve switched to eating more produce and organic food, so I’m not stockpiling anything other than HBA stuff for the most part.~Julie, moderator at HotCouponWorld.
•  I am absolutely couponing differently. I used to get excited for 10 free toothbrushes and juggled multiple extra care cards to maximize drug store deals. Now I barely shop the drugstores. I used to read ads, clip coupons and spend a lot of time driving to stores. My time has a value, and the money spent on gas to chase deals that I already have a supply of is better spent on organic produce & high quality meats. If once a year a pay a little for toothbrushes, so be it. My stockpile “room” is less full, but my fridge & freezers stay full of quality items. I load up on produce that can be chopped & frozen now when there is a good deal or ask for the wholesale price at a local produce market. I also use a local food warehouse for some seafood, meats & cheeses. The prices are the same as what I pay with a sale and coupon combo. I even recently turned to groupon for an amazing deal on local produce, eggs and bread. I hope to do more of that in the future. The one thing that has not changed is that when there is a good sale on the basic staples my family uses year round like pasta for example I trade for as many coupons as possible on www.hotcouponworld.com to make the most of the sale. Overall, I am still a hardcore saver & couponer, but I think outside the confines of read, clip. ~Kristen, supermod/admin at hotcouponworld.
• Absolutely. I barely coupon at all any more. The deals are harder to find and not on things I want most of the time. I am eating more locally and seasonally and I am canning and freezing much of what we eat. I bought 1/4 of a grass fed cow for $3/lb finished weight and that will provide beef for at least 9 months if not a year. I can get things like butter and cheese and some produce at BJs for less than I would pay with coupons elsewhere. With gas near $4/gallon, it’s just not worth driving all over hell and back to get .50 off something. I can get free range eggs from a guy at church for $1.50/doz.~Larissa, supermod at HotCouponWorld.
• Two of my stores have discountinued overages. It doesn’t make it nearly as fun. Also, it’s a lot more competitive. I remember when rebate pads sat full in the stores for weeks. Now, they are emptied in the first 30 minutes.~Michelle, moderator at HotCouponWorld.
• It is very different from 3 years ago. there are more rules and more restrictions on coupons, but stores are also more understanding about using coupons. I have changed alot in how I shop. I shop using more produce sales, farmers markets, ect. I also find that food co-ops are popping up more and more.~Melissa from LivingAFrugalLife.
• Yes, I am using store sales more when shopping on produce and looking to save on groceries when on sale, combine with coupons rather then getting items for free I will not use. I used to just go for the freebies! Now I use coupons on items I will actually will use. ~Shannon from CouponPrincess.
• Couponing has changed for me by the number of internet coupons I use. There are times that I almost complete my shopping list before even looking to my newspaper coupon inserts. That being said, the newspaper coupons are still my favorite. I like the guarantee that they’re there when I need them. The best internet coupons tend to disappear quickly. ~Lynette from CleverlySimple.
• When I started couponing five years ago, I rarely saw anyone else using coupons. Now I see people everywhere I turn thumbing through their stack of coupons or lugging their coupon binders. I’ve noticed that coupon values have decreased in general. We still see random high value coupons and promotional offers but it used to be more consistent. I’ve also noticed that the really hot drug store deals have all but disappeared. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I stepped foot inside Walgreens or CVS because it just isn’t worth my time anymore. I can usually do just as well as my local grocery store when they run a sale. As for how I do things differently? I feel like I’m more balanced now. I used to run myself into the ground calculating deal scenarios and running from store to store. I’m much more streamlined now in my shopping and I place high value on my time. ~Amanda from www.simplesavingsavvy.net
• Couponing has changed for myself as local stores are changing their rules. I am no longer able to use printable free coupons at most of my stores due to the photocopying of coupons. A local store use to take coupons 3-5 months expired and they have changed that to using coupons just a month expired. I have start to really stock up on a good deal as the coupons and the sales don’t always go together and I have to get their earlier in the week or the shelves are cleared off. ~Karen from www.CreativeCouponing.com
• Couponing has definitely changed for me. I never used to save coupons. I would use them, and maybe find some on the internet, but I never thought of saving coupon inserts from week to week. I also would have never printed a coupon that I was not going to use right away. Now, I look forward and think, “is there going to be a need for this product in the near future?” and if so, I will file and save that coupon. So I guess I have begun to be more of a forward thinker when it comes to coupons. ~Zack from http://lookbeforespending.com/

So, at the very least, I’m not al0ne in having to adapt. The deals are harder to find, companies and stores have gotten stricter. But, we can still do this and still save money. Looking at the matchups I did for Walgreens this week, I’m hopeful. I also really like ReclipIt, for deals. Mind you, I love the other social media sites, but I love that on ReclipIt I can focus on deals and only coupons and deals.

What about you? Are you couponing differently than you were a few years ago?

Are you couponing differently?