Yes, a lot of the coupons are for food I would never buy because it's processed junk. BUT.....I am NOT brand loyal for hair products, toothpaste, razors, soap, toothbrushes, mouth wash, make-up, toliet paper, femine products, cleaning products, etc. That's where I cut my bill tremendously. I have done the CVS thing -
www.hotcouponworld.com as a forum on CVS and I have a years worth of shampoo, razors, soap, conditioner, hair products, tylenol, children's vitamins, toliet paper for about $30 oop ( out of pocket)
I also DO eat a lot of stuff like frozen veggies, yogurt, milk, bisquick, pancake mixes, syrup, peanut butter, jam, frozen waffles, cereal, marinades, bbq sauce, salsa, sour cream, bread, pasta, pasta sauces, and more that I get for close to free by couponing the right way. I then use my savings to buy lots of yummy produce, meats, and other whole foods. Most grocery stores have "deals" where you can earn "Catalinas" which are store coupons for whatever you want. This month at Vons/Safeway/Randalls they are doing a buy $30 of certain products and you get $10. And lucky me...this month's deal is about "healthy living" so all of the organics are on sale. I bought $160 worth of stuff last week for $80 and I'm set for the week right now with spending just $22 for my family of 4. I'll probably go back to stockpile some free or close to free items ( popcorn, cereal, Tava ) though. I am just learning, but I am seeing that there is free or close to free things to be had...and it's not all junk.