Real men coupon? The other day, I posted a question about whether you are embarrassed to be seen with your binder in the store. One of the comments was left by Michael and I think it is really interesting:
I am a husband and I do nearly all the shopping for my family groceries. I spent 3 years working for Kroger in high school and I kind of have the grocery game figured out a little. I am no expert but I know more than my wife. She will not even look at a price half the time. She could care less because milk is milk, eggs are eggs, etc. There is a large stigma for men couponing. I am constantly ribbed by my friends about it and I always respond that they can continue to pay full price but I will not. Recently I attended a coupon class taught by Paul and I was the only male there with about 25 women. It is just not considered manly I guess. I even coupon for makeup for my wife and daughter, especially when CVS runs a clearance and I know their colors etc. It can feel awkward but I keep telling myself I am saving money and I always carry my binder with me everywhere. But I made sure to get a masculine black and silver binder instead of hot pink or purple 🙂
This is my question; Do you think it is NOT manly for Men to coupon?
I am not really sure where the stigma from using coupons has come from for either men or women. Why the very act of saving money was ever looked down on, is completely beyond me. I remember when I had my first baby and was discreetly nursing him in public. My Grandma was so embarrassed for me, not because of the physical part of nursing him, but for the fact that someone might think I was too poor to buy formula. She was raised that only poor people nurse because they could not afford to feed their babies better. Couponing I am sure got a negative reputation when someone at some point looked down on the fact that you HAD to do it to buy food for your family. Which would explain why it would be “worse” for a man to coupon, he should be able to take care of his family without having to use coupons. Plus, it probably seemed like woman’s work because of the transition from the men picking up the pre-ordered groceries, to woman going to the store themselves and shopping once in the store because the men were at work.
Remember the scene in Mr Mom, where Michael Keaton and all the neighborhood women are playing poker with coupons? All his friends look down on him for staying home and using coupons. That is one of the best movie scenes however!
Personally I think it is pretty dang HOT when a man will use coupons. Honestly, because it means that they had the forethought to even think about what we might need ahead of time, and that is pretty cool. It is cool, because they have to have enough self confidence to not care what people think and that is attractive in a man.
I love it when my husband comes home with something from the store and says, ” I saw this and thought you might like it.” WHAT? you were thinking about me in the store?? Wow! I really love you! Plus you used a coupon on it and paid $1 for lip gloss you thought would look good on me!! Let’s go make out! Wait? I am thinking that men who coupon are not only just WAAAYYYYY smarter financially, but are MUCH smarter at figuring out what what will make their wives happy!
It is the responsibility of both the husband and wife, or if you are single, your personal responsibility whether you are a man or woman to make the most of what you have IMO. Coupons are such a HUGE part of this, it just seems absolutely stupid and ignorant to not use them when possible. To look down on someone or think they are not “manly” for couponing is also stupid and ignorant and really needs to change, this is 2012, not 1912.
BRAVO to Michael and all the men out there that coupon and take care of their families, and have the self confidence to coupon no matter what people might say or the looks they might get!
What do you think?
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Michael you rock! I bet your binder rocks too:)
Oh my husband is a coupon man now. And he is very manly. So to the question: yes it is manly because they are being pro-active for the family to vert money where he can save into another area that the family may not have had the funds to do before. You go guys and get those binders. Hot pink or black. Who cares what others think. We think your orgasmic.
You are too funny. “Let’s go make out.” I haven’t ran into a man alone who does couponing, but I’ve seen a couple shopping together with a coupon binder. I don’t mind my husband not wanting to use coupons. At least he let’s me do all the shopping now, because he knows it saves us money. Plus, it’s my alone time away from the kids and him 🙂 Kudos to Michael and Paul for buying make up for their wives and using coupons. I’m super jealous. I don’t think there will be a day my husband buys something for me just because he was thinking of me. There should be no shame when it comes to coupons. IMO, it’s the same thing as negotiating for a car price.
I send my husband to the store w coupons all the time. He’s love’s to save money and he brags of how much he has saved and that he does better couponning then me.
love it!!!
Good for you, Michael!! I’m sure you look very MANLY when your taking the savings to the bank. 🙂
Wow..thanks! Me and my binder are both blushing!
I couldn’t agree more…I love it when my husband comes home with new coupons he found from the blinkie machines or the catalinas at the self-checkouts that someone else was stupid enough to throw away. I have to admit he is better at hunting them when we are shopping…I tend to focus on the coupons I’m using rather than looking for the new ones.
My husband uses coupons without shame. I cut out/print the coupons but he will use them in the store. This is fairly new to him so once in awhile he will forget to ask me if I have a coupon before he purchases. I do ask him or just print any coupons he may use. Once I retired two years ago it was fortuitous that printing coupons had really become big. My husband is all over town during the day (contractor) so he goes to two stores that aren’t my usual shopping places. Our CVS is in such a scarey area that even HE doesn’t shop there anymore. Just this week he said the baby carrots that I purchased were too small, he liked the larger baby carrots. I just looked at him and he agreed that was a silly statement. The carrots I purchased were an ad match at $.78 less than the others. Four new organic coupons however will make him very happy for about the next month. 🙂 He won’t be buying any feminine products or makeup for me but heck, what more do you want from an older blue collar worker!
Way to go Michael! I go no where without my binder as well. My husband loves when I come home and show him my receipts on how much I saved. He even coupon shops when he is buying online now.
I coupon for us but as well as my kids. One’s married and the other is on her own, so I coupon so they can come and get what they may need, when money is tight that week. I love being able to go into a store, stock up and pay nearly nothing. Got to love COUPONING!
My husband hunts, fishes, rides a motorcycle, drives a semi-tractor, and uses COUPONS!!! He is VERY manly. Men who coupon are smart and savvy and can take their wives out more, buy the things that they couldn’t afford otherwise, and put away for retirement! I started couponing a year and a half ago so I could stay home with my kids. My husband was amazed that I could save so much money on EVERYTHING we use in our home. When I had my 4 surgeries in the last 3 months he did all the shopping, bought shoes for kids, managed all the meals etc. He has become an amazing shopper of online deals as well! I am such a lucky woman to have such a manly couponing man!
I saw you there, Michael! (Great job, Paul, by the way and sorry you were sick, Tiffany) I think it’s great to see anyone, male or female, doing what they should to save money and take care of their household. Couponing is the smart (and manly!) thing to do!
WOW!! Being a single mom that coupons and uses the sales papers, etc – I am very jealous of you ladies that have such wonderful MANLY men! I want one!! My ex would rather be shot dead than to use a coupon, heck I’d be shocked if he even looked at the prices. But he would gripe at me if something went wrong within our grocery budget. But if there are any single ‘couponing men’ out there – look me up! (heehee) 😉
My husband is a manager at a grocery store. He said he’s starting to see more and more men couponing. They don’t carry around the big coupon binders, they try to be a little more subtle and just take a pouch or an envelope. But little by little I think men are starting to come around to the idea of couponing.
Amen brother!
I’m in the same boat as you. I try to do most of the grocery shopping because my wife is more impulsive when shopping plus doesn’t check the prices or sales. I’m just cheap! I use coupons as often as I can. I have no problem buying my wife’s makeup, deodorant, and other female items especially when I can get them for free.
I amazed sometimes at the other shoppers who stop me and check out my big binder of coupons. Most seem to be pretty impressed I say they wish they could do that. Not that I’m shopping, but the chicks really seem to dig it 🙂
You go boy with your coupons and encourage your buds that couponing is cool.
Hi Tiffany,
I think it’s great that a guy uses coupons. It shows that he does actually plan things out ahead of time and is saving money for his family and himself. Anyone who doesn’t coupon is just throwing money away. I think it’s sweet that he buys makeup for his wife and daughter- how kind! (Hence- “lets make out!) No, you don’t see many that will but it shows he has guts and doesn’t care what other people think, and THATS a real man!
As for the comment about you breastfeeding in public and your granmda being embarrassed, I went through the SAME thing! When I had my daughter and my mother in law came to visit we went out to Legoland one day. The baby got hungry (she was only like 4 or 6 months old) so I told my mother in law I wanted to sit down a feed her. She had a HORRIFED look on her face. I found a quiet place under a tree, threw a blanet over my shoulder and the baby’s head and body. No one could see a thing, but she told me people were staring. I told her “then I gues they better turn around cuz I’m feeding my baby.” There is NOTHING wrong with breastfeeding- thats what breasts are for- suprise! Common, what was God thinking? Anyway, both my kids are so well behaved and well adjusted I think that breastfeeding had alot to do with it. So thanks so much for your cool website and articles. I really enjoy them!
I just ran across your article about Men Couponing!!! I say it’s not just for women anymore. I love it, rush you get when you save alot of money is awesome. I too do the majority of the shopping, and I am by no means an expert but I do my fairshare. I don’t use the Coupon Binder much anymore as I am now doing the Clipless method and only shop for what we are going to be using. I don’t go to extreme like I did when I 1st stared, we still have way too many tooth brushs that we will never us. I think it’s funny when people see me at the check out and then ask if I coupon, I get a little laugh and say this will take a minute. Thanks Tiffany for the artical. (also I have to say that Paul from http://www.Iheartthemart.com is one of my Hero’s)