Buying Coupons: Worth the Cost?

Now that I’m actively learning to coupon, I met with a fellow mom yesterday to discuss her methods, which includes purchasing high-value coupons.  She made a case for this, as per her example, that she can buy a coupon for a free DiGiorno pizza for $2, and thus making the pizza cost $2.  What happens, though, when it’s not a coupon for a free item, just 'x' number of dollars or cents off?  Is it still worth purchasing the coupon?  I chose to investigate. 

I'm just not a fan of drugstore shopping.  The CVS isn't all that convenient, and our nearest Walgreens only opened up about three months ago.  I also think their prices are significantly higher.  This week Walgreens has a deal for B1G1 Kleenex.  Typically we buy Meijer brand tissues when they’re part of the 10 for 10 (making them $1 each).  My fellow couponing mom had coupons for 60 cents off a single box of Kleenex (brand name), and offered 10 to me at no cost, even though she paid 10 cents apiece for them.  She suggested that I do this deal – her math said that each box would be 40 cents apiece using the coupon with the B1G1.  The problem wasn't in her math.  The problem was that the boxes are $2.49 apiece, not $1.99!  Since it was still cheaper than my usual $1 threshold, I bought four boxes using four 60-cent off coupons for a total of $2.93 with tax. 

This got me to roughly 74 cents per box.  That’s not shabby, but more than I expected.  Furthermore, if I had bought the coupons, they would have technically been 84 cents per box.  At this point, with the cost of stamps ballooning, is the 16-cent savings worth it?  As a SAHM, I’m not sure it really is.  Fortunately I ran into Walgreens while the kiddo was at school, so it’s not like I dragged her in and out of a store I only spent five minutes in.  Likewise, it was on my way home from the chiropractor, so I didn't waste any gas with the stop.  My final point in this scenario:  My fellow mom picks up the coupons from a lady that lives nearby, so she isn't using postage, but she’s still using gas.  And the difference between buying a Meijer brand box on sale at $1 versus this sale is only 16 cents per box. 

Personally, I've never considered buying coupons.  To me, it defeats the purpose.  My husband is even skeptical of trading, due to the now-high cost of stamps.  While I will keep an open mind, I don’t think I’d ever purchase coupons for items that aren't already free.  The effort seems to outweigh the savings in this case.  In fact, she gave me ten coupons, and I only used four, so I’d like to return the rest to her.  I think she wants them more than I do.