Extreme Couponing --- AGAIN!

[edk35]

You want to save like they do? I bet you're capable: Save all your best coupons for months. Steal newspapers so you can get more coupons. Save up store credit vouchers, whatever you can get. Once you have all that, work all week to engineer one "perfect storm" of a shopping trip. Choose a store that price matches. Spend six hours in the store. Come home with a basketful of processed food items that won't make any real meals.

Oh, and when you come home, announce that you have "saved" $500 or so. Of course, the reality is that you'll have $20-50 less in your checking account, so the "saved" money is rather hypothetical. To buy into those "savings" you must figure up the retail cost of the items you hoarded, I mean purchased. Since most of us don't need 99 bottles of mustard, the actual useful value of those "savings" is questionable.

Of course, you know the truth: In the real world, you cannot do this over and over every week. It's not possible. But, for one shining shopping trip, you can LOOK LIKE you're saving 90+% off your bill.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I was disappointed to learn that my DD's boyfriend takes a personal finance class in high school (senior) and they showed a video of this show. My DD's not in the class so she couldn't tell me the point of showing it, but apparently it was to promote using coupons or at least that's what her boyfriend took away from it. I had to explain to her how unrealistic it is to her and other things that have been mentioned in this thread. There was one lady that was using coupons fraudulently for the wrong sizes or products.

 

[100AcreWood]

I haven't followed the threads too much that people post about CVS but can you explain how DEALS are found there. I feel like these drug store prices are far more than say....Walmart or Target. I do have a reward card there and do get the occasional coupon on the receipt, but how are people getting all these awesome deals on toiletries? Thanks!!

This week for example they had a coupon in the store for $2 off Colgate MaxFresh. I had a $1 coupon so combined it was free (I still had to pay taxes though). The deals used to be a lot better at CVS but now it's less frequent.

 

[100AcreWood]

I could see having a small stockpile if you had a big family, but why not donate all this "free" stuff especially if you don't need it. I guess I just don't understand why.

I agree. I stopped watching the show. It's just ridiculous. If I save 50% on my bill I feel like a rock star! No way any of that is real.

 

[LisaInNc]

I used to be an extreme couponer before they had a name for it. I was newly married and trying to save as much as I could. It can be done and it can be done honestly.

I put in as much time as a full time job but I loved it so it was fun to do.

My store would double only one coupon for the same item so if you were buying Crest toothpaste you had to have different flavors. If there was a good deal with a sale for a great coupon I had I would spend one day a week going to all of the store in that chain within 60 miles.

Each state has different laws about liquor coupons but wine companies used to regularly put out coupons for things like free fesh flowers up to 2.00 or 2.00 off of deli meal. Those were like gold! I would just get small 2.00 packages of stuff from the deli.

I bought coupons from a service, I was in a coupon club where we met monthly and traded coupons.

I once got 1,000 of spa products for tax, they were on clearance and the store had an in store coupon for them. Everyone got gift baskets for Christmas that year! Makeup was always free the drug stores would regularly clear out colors every season and put them on clearance armed with the right coupon and it was free.

I would donate the extra perishable stuff to the food bank and extra cleaning supplies and HBA I would sell at a monthly yard sale. One woman one time accused me of stealing it. I went in the house and brought out a typical register receipt, it was longer than I am!

The only way I can see someone being able to get a free package of toilet paper like that was from a free coupon from a rebate or spacial offer. That is not at all typical.

It can be done and it can be done in a non hoarding way. It can be real but it takes a LOT of work.

Lisa

 

[Handbag Lady]

and here I was excited because I found two coupons to use this past weekend and I got $1.50 off total from Target.

I suppose now I should start paying attention. I don't expect to end up like the people on TV, but if I can save 10% off of my grocery bill, that would be something.

 

[NYCDiane]

I think the stockpiles are pretty ridiculous, too. I mean, 100 boxes of cereal??? Do they not realize cereal has an expiration date? All the sodas? Soda expires, too, and usually within 3 months of its manufacture date.

The only things I "stockpile" are condiments like mustard/ketchup and even then, I would probably only have a "stockpile" of 5 each. My husband and daughter both use them constantly. I also buy the rice mixes (usually get the Caroline rice mix for free w/coupons and Zatarains for 50 cents). I'll get about 10 to have on-hand; more if I have a ton of coupons for it.

I will always have 5 tubes of toothpase on hand (it expires, too!) as well as 5 deodorants each for me, H, and DD. Shampoos, body washes I'll have maybe 4 or 5 for each of us.

Toilet paper, paper towels... I get them at the wholesale club and will buy 2 or 3 of the 36 roll pack of TP and just keep it in the back of my van until needed. The PT, they only have 10 packs so I'll buy 4 of those, again keeping them in my van.

We live in an apartment so we don't have all that extra "stockpile" space. I think even if we did, I wouldn't go batz like these people do!

Lately, I've been letting my freezer go bare before I stock it up again. I found that I was being wasteful and things were being thrown away (from freezer burn or just being in the freezer too long).

I also went through my pantries and tossed stuff that was old, donated stuff I'm not going to use, organized them and now I'm not going to go overboard. It's a waste of money sometimes.

I still want to "extreme" coupon but on a lesser "extreme" level! LOL! (today, I saved almost $10 in coupons --- $49 total including the store savings)

 

[cndij]

I haven't followed the threads too much that people post about CVS but can you explain how DEALS are found there. I feel like these drug store prices are far more than say....Walmart or Target. I do have a reward card there and do get the occasional coupon on the receipt, but how are people getting all these awesome deals on toiletries? Thanks!!

There are several couponing forums that I use, that have a separate section for each chain, grocery stores or drug stores, so they have a CVS thread and a Walgreens thread. The moderators spend a lot of time researching what is coming up on sale (they get the sale flyers early) and what coupons match those sales, and usually have a thread titled Free or cheap week of ????? this way, diehards can plan ahead, order extra coupons from a clipping service or Ebay. A lot of times, they even tell you what supplement a particular coupon was in or a link to a mfg site for a printable coupon.

 

[100AcreWood]

I'm in NC so I follow SouthernSavers.com. This is a fun discussion!

 

[TLuvsD]

For CVS deals I use MyFrugalAdventures.com or ForTheMommas.com They outline all the steps, match up the coupons to the sales,etc. Even what order to buy things so you can use the ExtraCareBucks on the next order. Couponmom dot com is pretty easy to use as well.
I don't like Extreme Couponing. It's just not realistic. And I don't want all that money tied up in odd items my family won't use for years. I use coupons, and I stockpile when there is a really good deal. But I'm not feeding everyone junk food or storing toothpaste for years.

 

[2girls4me]

I could see having a small stockpile if you had a big family, but why not donate all this "free" stuff especially if you don't need it. I guess I just don't understand why.

IMO, regarding the people on the show specifically, they are hoarders! Who needs 890000 packets of dish detergent. I don't think they ever use any of the items in their precious "stockpiles". For fear they will run out of franks red hot. (can you really put that s$$t on everything).

Most of those people are boarder line insane and should not be enabled by going on tv.

 

[NYCDiane]

IMO, regarding the people on the show specifically, they are hoarders! Who needs 890000 packets of dish detergent. I don't think they ever use any of the items in their precious "stockpiles". For fear they will run out of franks red hot. (can you really put that s$$t on everything).

Most of those people are boarder line insane and should not be enabled by going on tv.

Did you see the one with the twin sisters?? One was "stockpiling" diapers and baby wipes. She had NO children but since she "might" have children one day, she wanted to stock up. C*R*A*Z*Y!!!!! Sad that she was too selfish to donate those items to a women's shelter or a church or a home for teen moms.

 

[KennesawNemo]

Did you see the one with the twin sisters?? One was "stockpiling" diapers and baby wipes. She had NO children but since she "might" have children one day, she wanted to stock up. C*R*A*Z*Y!!!!! Sad that she was too selfish to donate those items to a women's shelter or a church or a home for teen moms.

I also saw a teenager boy stockpiling sanitary napkins just so they are free....

 

[superme80]

Here I was excited I saved almost 30% off my Safeway total today. Man I need to get with it! I love this show. Totally addicted to it.

 

[kelcoppens]

That show is just silly! And I agree it is borderline hoarding and those people are obsessed with it which isnt healthy. I am happy with the way I save and I think that is all that matters

 

[Sparkly]

My Mum's best "free" item is using reward points and some coupons to save on her grocery shop and get a free DVD too!

 

[NYCDiane]

As upset as I get about this show because I can't do what they do, I know the show is completely unrealistic. I can tell you that the very best I have ever done was about 10 years ago --- I paid about $40 for $160 or $180 in groceries. That was when the store I used to shop at had great prices AND doubled up to and including $1. However, that was the first/last time I ever had such a great trip. I always save 'something' with my coupons and have a huge savings when I do my "big" shopping but I know I'll never be "extreme"

Does anyone remember the "Coupon Queen" (Susan Samtur)?? She was the "original" and was on so many shows and news shows showing how she does it. I remember seeing her on tv as far back as the 1970s and 1980s. She actually bought groceries ----- never would you see her with a cart full of vitamin water or ramen noodles!

 

[timmac]

I haven't read through all replies so, so apologies in advance if this has already been stated.

In addition to the fact that the show is staged, stores bend their rules, and some of the coupons themselves are shady, it's also important to keep in mind that these trips where someone "Saved 90%" means simply that they paid 90% less than "regular store price" for the items they got. That may include such things as store prices that are artificially inflated before a BOGO sale, among other oddities. Even more importantly, though, this is not at all the same as purchasing an arbitrary week's grocery list and saving 90% on it. As at least one PP pointed out, they aren't having toothpaste for dinner every night.

 

[timmac]

You want to save like they do? I bet you're capable: Save all your best coupons for months. Steal newspapers so you can get more coupons. Save up store credit vouchers, whatever you can get. Once you have all that, work all week to engineer one "perfect storm" of a shopping trip. Choose a store that price matches. Spend six hours in the store. Come home with a basketful of processed food items that won't make any real meals.

Oh, and when you come home, announce that you have "saved" $500 or so. Of course, the reality is that you'll have $20-50 less in your checking account, so the "saved" money is rather hypothetical. To buy into those "savings" you must figure up the retail cost of the items you hoarded, I mean purchased. Since most of us don't need 99 bottles of mustard, the actual useful value of those "savings" is questionable.

Of course, you know the truth: In the real world, you cannot do this over and over every week. It's not possible. But, for one shining shopping trip, you can LOOK LIKE you're saving 90+% off your bill.

You explained it better than I did

 

[Lehuaann]

I've been following this thread and agree with a lot that is being shared. But to be fair - they're not all hoarders on the show. There are some who give back.

I know at least one couple keeps no stockpile and gives mass purchases directly to charity; another who uses it to cook meals every Sunday at the local church; and another with an open pantry who gives to food banks and heads a team to encourage the community to do the same.

It would be nice for EC to showcase more these types.

Op - you sound like you know what you are doing so don't feel bad. A dollar saved is a dollar earned. Take the show for what it is - an extreme reality show with an extreme disclaimer. As you know, couponing takes hours of prepping, matching, calculating, etc. The logistics are not easy. Some of these participants are couponing pioneers with books and websites. Some are just really savvy. And then some are just committing coupon fraud. Regardless, they all get major help or enabling by a tv show and grocery stores willing to bend the rules to make the magic happen. So again, don't. feel. bad.

I admit, the show IS facinating and motivates me to coupon on a much, much smaller scale.