In my experience, the most oft-heard reason for not using coupons is "I never see any coupons for the brands I use". I used to feel that way, until the day when I got shampoo almost for free and realized that my hair would not fall out if I didn't use Pantene.
But there are some items on which I will not negotiate...no matter how good the deal, I'm not changing my preferred brand.
Coffee: It has to be either the Espresso Blend or the Fair Trade Ethiopian Blend from Trader Joe's first thing in the morning. I'll drink other stuff when I am away from home, but after about 3 days without my favorite coffee, my left eye starts to twitch. I do occasionally pick up other brands when I can get them incredibly cheap, but those cans are saved for parties or on the occasions when I make a 2nd pot of coffee in the afternoon.
Skin Care: I will only use Purity Cleanser by Philosophy and Hope In a Jar (as well as When Hope Is Not Enough), also by Philosophy. I'm 39 years old and have even skin tone, very few wrinkles and zero blemishes. It might be the skin care I've been using for years, it might be genetics....but I'm not taking any chances!
Makeup: I use Bare Escentuals for everything but my mascara (which is a good ol' tube of Maybelline Great Lash - the same pink tube my grandmother uses!). Once again, it works for me and when it comes to my skin, especially the skin on my face, I don't like to take chances and am willing to pay more for it!
Diapers: I am a complete "diaper snob" and will only use Pampers. After diapering kids for 7 years, I found that they are the only ones that don't leak on me, especially at night. Although with the $5 coupon coming from Luvs and often seeing them on sale for about $6, I may end up buying a pack in a larger size than my 2-year old needs and seeing how they work out for her
Underwear: I am in love with Victoria's Secret Angel Collection and have been for years. Every time they come out with a new style, I like it even better than the last. And now that I FINALLY stopped putting my bras in the dryer, I don't have a problem with them only lasting a year or so because the underwire poked through!
Fabric Softener: Anything but Downey (and it has to be the April Fresh/original scent) makes my 5-year old break out in sneezing fits. I've tried store-brand versions of it (including Costco's version) and his eyes still start watering. The worst part? There are NEVER really good coupons/sales for Downey.
What are your "non-negotiables" and why?
Gingertre
Peanut butter - it must be Crazy Richards Natural Creamy. I'll go with another natural brand if absolutely necessary, but I can't stomach the "traditional" brands of peanut butter any more.
Milk - we drink so much of it that it has to be organic, with no hormones or antibiotics. Giant has Nature's Promise, but often you can get coupons for Stoney Field Farms or Horizon, and if you get the coupon along with a sale, it's often cheaper than Nature's Promise.
Bread - again, we eat so much of it that I want it to be as healthful as possible, so I make sure that the brands we use are 100% whole wheat and don't have high fructose corn syrup or preservatives in it. We like Vermont Bakeries and especially Costco's Organic 100% Whole Wheat bread.
Darla
Hair Spray ~ Aquage or Kenra only (I get it at wholesale but it's still more expensive than store brands).
Mascara - Estee Lauder (I buy 2 at once when they have a great giveaway ~ usually in November)
Facial cleanser - Dr Perricone w/salicylic acid (I buy it on ebay to save $5 or so)
Facial Moisturizer - DHC Q10 and night time DHC ceramide
Eye Cream - DHC ~ with DCH I wait for their sale and then stock up + get the loyalty discount by ordering every 6 mos + free ship.
Diet Coke. I stock up when on sale but I know if I could give up that 1-2 cans a day, we'd SAVE.
Daisy
Bounty paper towels - and I used to be a Pampers diaper snob as well, Min - buy the cheaper ones - regret it almost instantly. Just not worth it. I used to ge a lot of really good coupons though.
Daisys last blog post..This week
Stacey
Jiff Peanut Butter - I just don't like any others.
Milk - We either get it from MerryMead or Trader Joes since they have no antibiotics. Luckily Tony works near Trader Joes so it's not out of the way.
I used to only like Huggies with Sarah, but since Sams Club came out with their brand they work just fine with Joshua. However, we use Huggies Overnights at nighttime.
Mindi - Have you tried All free and clear laundry detergent? It has no scent and I LOVE it. I can't stand the smell of other detergents. My mom washes the sheets in All before we visit so the smell of her detergent doesn't bother me.