Does anyone use "The Krazy Coupon Lady" at all?

[maslex]

I have used coupons for many years. However, I have never used them to the best of their ability apparently. I recently discovered the videos on youtube of The Krazy Coupon Lady and I'm intrigued. I don't really want to do "extreme" couponing like you see on that TV show. But I do want to get a good stockpile going and hopefully knock my grocery bill down a lot!!! Currently, I spend $200-$250 a WEEK on my family of four (that does include paper goods, HBA stuff, cleaning stuff, etc)

I have watched just about every video they put out, I am in the process of reading up on their website and then I notice they have a book out as well. For those of you who do have the book, will I get anything out of the book that they don't already explain in the videos and on their website?

 

[Marionnette]

I have used coupons for many years. However, I have never used them to the best of their ability apparently. I recently discovered the videos on youtube of The Krazy Coupon Lady and I'm intrigued. I don't really want to do "extreme" couponing like you see on that TV show. But I do want to get a good stockpile going and hopefully knock my grocery bill down a lot!!! Currently, I spend $200-$250 a WEEK on my family of four (that does include paper goods, HBA stuff, cleaning stuff, etc)

I have watched just about every video they put out, I am in the process of reading up on their website and then I notice they have a book out as well. For those of you who do have the book, will I get anything out of the book that they don't already explain in the videos and on their website?

I don't do KCL but I do read other couponing websites. My advice is to start small. Don't try to cut your grocery bill in half at the very beginning. It takes a few months to get a stockpile of coupons and pantry items. Follow the instructions for matching coupons and sales in her videos to get started. If you want to hone your couponing skills and take it to another level, then get the book and give it a try. Or better yet, look for the book at your library or online used-book store.

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

I have used coupons for many years. However, I have never used them to the best of their ability apparently. I recently discovered the videos on youtube of The Krazy Coupon Lady and I'm intrigued. I don't really want to do "extreme" couponing like you see on that TV show. But I do want to get a good stockpile going and hopefully knock my grocery bill down a lot!!! Currently, I spend $200-$250 a WEEK on my family of four (that does include paper goods, HBA stuff, cleaning stuff, etc)

I have watched just about every video they put out, I am in the process of reading up on their website and then I notice they have a book out as well. For those of you who do have the book, will I get anything out of the book that they don't already explain in the videos and on their website?

I literally JUST got her book from the library. Try as I may, I cannot get my bill down to like $40 a month like these crazy people do on Extreme Couponing, but I usually save anywhere between 40% and 60% on my grocery bill and I end up going to multiple stores to do so (I think thats the key a lot of times bc each store has different sales). A lot of the time I spend as much as I used to (like $120-$140 a week for the 3 of us and that includes the usual grocery store stuff, paper products, cleaning, fruits veggies, and meats) but I get A LOT more for the buck. I could go without buying body soap, hand soap, toothpaste, paper towels, toilet paper, aluminum foil, maxi pads, garbage bags, bandaides, ziplocks bags, soups, ketchup, detergent, dish detergent, frozen veggies, cereal, for A LONG time. I personally try to stock up on only things that have a long shelf life (Like I hate when I watch that show and they have 20 bags of chips in the basement...chips only last a month!)
The first thing you want to do is get the circulars for the week with the sale prices, write down all the good deals/things you need. Then, According to her book you really need to get multiple copies of the newspaper with the coupon inserts and basically pair them with the store that has the sale on that product. You may have to keep your coupons though for a few weeks until that store has the sale on that specific product. She also says you cannot be "brand loyal" meaning if you want tide detergent and you have coupons for All and All is on sale, you are going to be using All for a while b/c that is what you will stock up on (granted the price is a good deal and you have no known allergies to that detergent).
Her website also has the printable coupons on it. I only print them out when *I know* I will use it.
Not sure where you are located but trying to go to stores when they double coupons is a huge savings (all the grocery stores here in NJ where i shop do that automatically, but I know some states like FL I think do not do that).
O and another thing is store loyalty cards, a few stores I shop at have a feature on their websites that you can load coupons onto your store loyalty card.
GL!!!

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

I read the book and it didnt help. My state doesn't have double or triple coupon days, and most coupons won't let you use two, like a store and a manufacturer coupon. Plus you have to buy multiple copies of the newspaper. I am call for couponing, but the krazy couponing method does not work for me. I think it's a waste of 5 newspapers to get the few coupons in them for things I actually use.

The other thing to keep in mind is that as people keep trying to imitate the crazy coupon ers they see on TV and in blogs, the more strict stores and manufacturers are going to get. I think double coupon days will be a thing of the past soon.

 

[lisalis]

I don't do the Krazy Coupon Lady, but use the couponmom.com. I don't cut out any coupons right away, but save them in a stack with the date written on the top cover of each one. Each week before grocery shopping, I go to her website and find my local grocer on her coupons by state tab. She lists the deals in order by the best bargain, as well as listing what coupons you cut out to save even more money or the printable coupon. She has a video posted on how to shop this way on her site.

The gist of the website is using your coupons on things that are already on sale to save the most money. Also, stock up on the really good deals. I always stock up on meat, cheese & butter when it is on a good sale & stick it in the freezer. I do the same with pantry items like rice, pasta, canned tomatoes, beans, and broth. I mostly plan my menu around what meats have been on special. I have been able to keep my grocery/household items bill to about $100 a week for a family of 5.

Good luck! Every little bit counts

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

I don't do the Krazy Coupon Lady, but use the couponmom.com. I don't cut out any coupons right away, but save them in a stack with the date written on the top cover of each one. Each week before grocery shopping, I go to her website and find my local grocer on her coupons by state tab. She lists the deals in order by the best bargain, as well as listing what coupons you cut out to save even more money or the printable coupon. She has a video posted on how to shop this way on her site.

The gist of the website is using your coupons on things that are already on sale to save the most money. Also, stock up on the really good deals. I always stock up on meat, cheese & butter when it is on a good sale & stick it in the freezer. I do the same with pantry items like rice, pasta, canned tomatoes, beans, and broth. I mostly plan my menu around what meats have been on special. I have been able to keep my grocery/household items bill to about $100 a week for a family of 5.

Good luck! Every little bit counts

I find that this method works. Try to time the coupons you have with sales.

 

[Lauralooneyfordisney]

I subscribe to her newsletter plus the couponlady one. I just read through it and make sure I know about any great deals on items I buy. I usually save between 40-60% every week too. I buy for 2 adults and 2 large dogs. I go to 2 different grocery stores, walmart and walgreens to shop normally. I match whatever is on sale with what I have coupons for. I get the double coupons here with the 2 grocery stores so that is a huge help. I also subscribe to 2 newspapers and 1 coupon trading thread here. I get coupons from a friend along with those so I always have plenty of the coupons that I need and the rest I send on to other people. Always start small with maybe one store and work up from there when you get used to maximizing your savings. I subscribe to the website thegrocerygame too which really helps me in knowing exactly how much I am saving on sale items so I don't have to match everything up myself. That website does cost a small amount but it is worth it to me to have someone else do all the legwork for me.

 

[SweaterInJune]

I did when I was living in FL, and again when we moved to the St. Louis area. Now we're back in NW Indiana, where we came from initially--the newspapers only supply like 10 coupons a week--for pure garbage, so my couponing has mostly fallen by the wayside. I was really good at organizing my trips and scoring great deals on a reasonable quantity of items. It's disheartening. I still do my best, but my costs due to lack of great coupons and higher prices near Chicago really destroy my budget. I get some good deals occasionally, but not what I'm used to. Good thing that, in this household, we are Aldi fans!

 

[midwestdee]

Yes, the Chicago area does not double coupons OR allow you on the buy 1 get 1 free to use 2 coupons. By the way, on the B1G1 - unless you love that product, it is seldom a good deal. For instance they may have brand name ketchup B1 at 2.99 get 1 free - BUT when it goes on sale it may usually be 1.50 SO if you buy it on sale and have 2 coupons, you usually save much more. In our area the Dollar Tree Stores and Menards sells the Sunday Trib for $1 as opposed to the $1.99 - so if you find out they have a couple of coupons you use big time in Sunday's paper you can save big - by me, both stores have the first edition of the Sunday paper on Sat. too. Especially if there is a big coupon or free coupon I want more of - I ask my coworkers if the could bring me theirs (no I'm not obnoxious about it and I'm happy to do it for them) if they aren't going to use it. People like the extreme couponers really exploit the system - I mean having the cashier ring up 4 or more "separate" purcases - that is obnoxious. They are the reality tv show of the couponing world - you can't compare your results to theirs.

 

[maslex]

Yes, the Chicago area does not double coupons OR allow you on the buy 1 get 1 free to use 2 coupons. By the way, on the B1G1 - unless you love that product, it is seldom a good deal. For instance they may have brand name ketchup B1 at 2.99 get 1 free - BUT when it goes on sale it may usually be 1.50 SO if you buy it on sale and have 2 coupons, you usually save much more. In our area the Dollar Tree Stores and Menards sells the Sunday Trib for $1 as opposed to the $1.99 - so if you find out they have a couple of coupons you use big time in Sunday's paper you can save big - by me, both stores have the first edition of the Sunday paper on Sat. too. Especially if there is a big coupon or free coupon I want more of - I ask my coworkers if the could bring me theirs (no I'm not obnoxious about it and I'm happy to do it for them) if they aren't going to use it. People like the extreme couponers really exploit the system - I mean having the cashier ring up 4 or more "separate" purcases - that is obnoxious. They are the reality tv show of the couponing world - you can't compare your results to theirs.

Thankfully my grocery store does double coupons everyday (up to 99 cents, not the $1 ones, unless they're running a special) So that will usually help a lot. And sometimes they will take coupons on the B1G1 sale items as well.

There is one store in the next town that sells the Saturday paper with all the coupons in it, but it's a little out of the way for me, so I usually wait until Sunday to grab my papers.

And like I said in my original post, I don't plan on doing the "extreme couponing" like those on TV but I would like to get a good stockpile going to help out with the weekly shopping.

 

[SweaterInJune]

I've never lived ANYWHERE that doubled and I did just fine--more than fine. My problem up here is just finding valuable coupons--or the even the actual products in the store. It's awful. I used to enjoy grocery shopping, cooking, eating. Now I despise it all because I can't find products that I like. It's terrible.

Thanks for the heads-up on the cheap papers, I hadn't even bothered to check if dollar tree sold papers around here as they did other places I've lived. I was always able to afford subscriptions elsewhere too... Anyhow, I was used to getting 2-3 (Redplum, Smart Source, and beginning of the month P&G) every Sunday FULL of valuable coupons. Probably 4X as much as I get here. Not to mention every time I'm stalking a coupon, say for contact solution, it is NEVER in the papers here. I print most of my coupons now, but it definitely hasn't helped. I could spend about $100-150/month on groceries for my husband and I in FL. Here, I have to spend $200-300 for inferior product, in most cases. It's mind blowing!

 

[HeatherC]

I only use coupons if I come across a good one. I just don't seem to find that they are for things we usually buy.

OP...I noticed you are in the norhteast of CT. Do you have a Market Basket near you? I save a TON there. Their prices are the best around. I go to the one in Oxford, MA. Are you near route 395? May be worth checking it out.

We are a family of 5 and I spend about $150 a week on all groceries...dog food, paper goods, etc..

Market Basket is a bit of a haul for me, but I save so much there it is worth the drive.

Just thought I would mention it in case you were interested.

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

I have to say my stockpile REALLY worked to my advantage with Hurricane Sandy, before the hurricane I cooked like a maniac so we would have stuff to eat, put it in the freezer and filled up about 20 freezer bags with water so it would freeze, my food actually stayed in my garage freezer and we did well.I just fried my pre cooked frozen things every night haha. I donated most of my stockpile and had to start all over again, but it was well worth it.

 

[maslex]

I only use coupons if I come across a good one. I just don't seem to find that they are for things we usually buy.

OP...I noticed you are in the norhteast of CT. Do you have a Market Basket near you? I save a TON there. Their prices are the best around. I go to the one in Oxford, MA. Are you near route 395? May be worth checking it out.

We are a family of 5 and I spend about $150 a week on all groceries...dog food, paper goods, etc..

Market Basket is a bit of a haul for me, but I save so much there it is worth the drive.

Just thought I would mention it in case you were interested.

Yes I have been to the Oxford Ma, Market Basket about 2-3 times over the past year or so. It's about a 30-35 minute drive for me. I did notice though that I would spend the same (or sometimes more) but I ended up with more stuff. Plus I liked their meat section better. I shop at Big Y now and I HATE it but it's the only store around here that's close. maybe I should take the weekly trip to Oxford and see how it goes.