Extreme Couponing

[Trishtack]

I was at Wal-Mart this weekend exchanging an item. While I was at the Customer Service desk, a CSM came over and asked two of the associates to check out a customer. She quoted, "They have a lot of coupons". One of the associates asked if they were extreme couponers. When the CSM said yes they both stated they would not help. A discussion ensued for a while (at least 3 minutes) and after a bit they noticed I was actually a customer standing there (was in the middle of the return actually). So one looked over at me and commented that she just didn't have the patience for it. She said the last time they came in they purchased $1,440 of items and Wal-Mart owed them $147.00. Finally the person helping me said she would go and someone else took her place.

After I was finished shopping I went to the checkout lanes. The couple was still checking out and had about 6 carts of items. I walked by and the lady said, "you don't want to get behind us". I was thinking I would like to be them.

Now that is dedication....thought this board would appreciate the story.

 

[EveDallas]

I was at Wal-Mart this weekend exchanging an item. While I was at the Customer Service desk, a CSM came over and asked two of the associates to check out a customer. She quoted, "They have a lot of coupons". One of the associates asked if they were extreme couponers. When the CSM said yes they both stated they would not help. A discussion ensued for a while (at least 3 minutes) and after a bit they noticed I was actually a customer standing there (was in the middle of the return actually). So one looked over at me and commented that she just didn't have the patience for it. She said the last time they came in they purchased $1,440 of items and Wal-Mart owed them $147.00. Finally the person helping me said she would go and someone else took her place.

After I was finished shopping I went to the checkout lanes. The couple was still checking out and had about 6 carts of items. I walked by and the lady said, "you don't want to get behind us". I was thinking I would like to be them.

Now that is dedication....thought this board would appreciate the story.

Actually, I wouldn't call it dedication. I call it extreme rudeness. The extreme couponers are making it harder and harder for those of us who casually use coupons. Cashiers treat you like a thief.

 

[maxiesmom]

Actually, I wouldn't call it dedication. I call it extreme rudeness. The extreme couponers are making it harder and harder for those of us who casually use coupons. Cashiers treat you like a thief.

How is it rude? They are doing nothing wrong.

I clip coupons every week. I am no where near an extreme couponer, but then, double coupon promotions are not available where I live. If they are not cheating the system, then I say go for it! If you are a casual coupon user and don't want dirty looks (which I have never gotten) then go to a store that has a u-scan register section. You can avoid all interaction with anyone who may look at you weirdly.

 

[momof3ds]

Walmart staff don't want to help anybody!

I had a coupon for subway, buy a drink and get a breakfast sandwich free. The owner got upset because he said they don't tell the franchises when coupons are coming out and he was all snippy while making my sandwich. Like, he was going to lose money.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

How is it rude? They are doing nothing wrong.

I don't care if they get their entire cart free, or are owed money back. More power to them!

But, 6 carts of stuff? No way that's necessary. You can't eat 6 carts of groceries in a week (unless you have an entire HS football team under your roof), and any fresh items you buy are only good for so long. You WILL be back at the store in a week or so, so why not just get what you need THIS week, and fill another cart NEXT week?

 

[richmond282]

I'm not really sure how this couple would be able to get $ back at Walmart given their coupon policy. It actually states that they will give overage on a coupon but no $ back. in other words, you have to have another item to eat that overage amount. I also thought Walmart had a coupon limit. I don't remember what it is, but I'm pretty sure there is one.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I'm not really sure how this couple would be able to get $ back at Walmart given their coupon policy. It actually states that they will give overage on a coupon but no $ back. in other words, you have to have another item to eat that overage amount. I also thought Walmart had a coupon limit. I don't remember what it is, but I'm pretty sure there is one.

They probably went back & found enough meat or produce to eat that credit up (and probably held the line while they did it). I doubt Wal*Mart actually paid them. I too was under the impression there was a limit of coupons per transaction (maybe 25?). They probably did dozens of transactions to make it work - that's another one that burns me up when I'm stuck in line.

1 cart? 1 ring. If you have more coupons than the limit, get back in line and start over. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for coupons, but it needs to be done efficiently and not in a manner that eats up so much time.

 

[Ioansgirl]

I think it's great when people are careful with their money and use coupons. Coupons are a legit form of tender. It's just that the money comes from the manufacturer not the person. I don't think it's any different than buying 6 carts full of stuff with a credit card. I try to use coupons too and I get cashiers that are annoyed but I think for the most part the problem is that it isn't a typical check out so cashiers get nervous. It's out of their norm. It is amazing how much you can save with just a little effort. We've cut our grocery bill in half this year by using coupons. I say more power to them.

I've had walmart give money back to me once ($3). I believe they don't have a limit on coupons. They just have to have a manager come and supervise after you use a certain number of coupons.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I don't think it's any different than buying 6 carts full of stuff with a credit card.

I guess my issue is that I don't believe there's any way they WOULD be buying 6 carts of groceries if in fact they had to pay for it themselves.

 

[of2dbeach]

here is what it says about Walmarts coupon policy one coupon per item •The system will prompt for supervisor verification for:◦40 coupons per transaction.
◦A coupon of $20 or greater on one item.
◦$50 or more in coupons in one transaction
That being said I do use coupons and I have a binder I do NOT clear a shelf and I dont think I ever bought more then 6 of something and that was toothpaste I got in Walgreens for .99 cents a tube I save about $60 a week and I dont think I ever gotten something for FREE either
I talked to a lady today in Walmart and she asked how I did it. she also asked me if I was a coupon freak like they see on tv.. umm No not hardly. she was cute so I didnt mind her questions. I gave away a coupon for a razor today it was $3.00 off. The wife didnt understand why "he had to have it " i said because he is a man and handed her a coupon. She seemed a little happier and it ended the heated argument .I am also on the coupon train on here and it is alot of fun

 

[SweetPeasMom2]

But, 6 carts of stuff? No way that's necessary. You can't eat 6 carts of groceries in a week (unless you have an entire HS football team under your roof), and any fresh items you buy are only good for so long. You WILL be back at the store in a week or so, so why not just get what you need THIS week, and fill another cart NEXT week?

We don't know if it was all food or it could have also been paper products and hygiene stuff. If it was a large family, then yes all that combined can be a lot of carts. Also, they could be donating as well to a food pantry.

As for why not wait until next week? Because if the deals are for this week and there is a matching coupon, then they are getting it at a rock bottom price. So waiting wouldn't be to their benefit.

Case in point, I bought 6 boxes of popcorn yesterday. They were on sale and I had a good coupon. So I bought what I needed until the next sale comes around. Same thing with cereal. We eat a ton of cereal. So if I'm on my couponing game, we can have 15 or so boxes at one time.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I save about $60 a week and I dont think I ever gotten something for FREE either
......

I gave away a coupon for a razor today it was $3.00 off. The wife didnt understand why "he had to have it " i said because he is a man and handed her a coupon. She seemed a little happier and it ended the heated argument.

Razors are one of the few things we HAVE gotten for free. Now, if only we could do the same for the replacement blades

 

[Gumbo4x4]

We don't know if it was all food or it could have also been paper products and hygiene stuff. If it was a large family, then yes all that combined can be a lot of carts. Also, they could be donating as well to a food pantry.

As for why not wait until next week? Because if the deals are for this week and there is a matching coupon, then they are getting it at a rock bottom price. So waiting wouldn't be to their benefit.

Case in point, I bought 6 boxes of popcorn yesterday. They were on sale and I had a good coupon. So I bought what I needed until the next sale comes around. Same thing with cereal. We eat a ton of cereal. So if I'm on my couponing game, we can have 15 or so boxes at one time.

Coupons & sales come in cycles & they line up every couple months or so. I still think 6 carts is excessive.

 

[hereyago]

OK, I am a dork, but does CSM mean customer service manager? if so, the 2 associates told her no? wow. you think with people who work in retail and such(and I used to) they need to understand what customer service is.,just sayin.....

I don't shop at Walmart except maybe once a year. I avoid it like the plague. However, they are not the only ones who can have sucky associates.

. However, it doesn't matter if it's 1 or 6 carts, you wait on the customer or you get in another line of work.
It also is no one's business how many carts someone has, because there could be many different reasons plus if you aren't the one paying and putting the stuff away, it has nothing to do with you,lol.


I don't extreme coupon, because I don't have the time or the patience,nor the room. But I do give props to anyone who can save a lot of money.

I also don't get attitude from cashiers, because if I did, I would be nipping that in the bud real quick.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

It also is no one's business how many carts someone has, because there could be many different reasons plus if you aren't the one paying and putting the stuff away, it has nothing to do with you,lol.

Well, can't disagree with that, and I won't wait behind 6 people with 1 cart each, so I'm certainly not going to be the one stuck behind 1 person with 6 carts.

I do stand behind my statement - my business or not - that I don't see the point in the 6 carts of stuff. And I REALLY stand behind the multiple rings comment. If you're in line, you get one transaction per cart max. Any more than that, go back & get in line again. At least with 6 carts, I can SEE that the person ahead of me will take a long time. There's no reason 1 person with 1 cart needs to take 5X as long as everyone else.

 

[hereyago]

Well, can't disagree with that, and I won't wait behind 6 people with 1 cart each, so I'm certainly not going to be the one stuck behind 1 person with 6 carts.

I do stand behind my statement - my business or not - that I don't see the point in the 6 carts of stuff. And I REALLY stand behind the multiple rings comment. If you're in line, you get one transaction per cart max. Any more than that, go back & get in line again. At least with 6 carts, I can SEE that the person ahead of me will take a long time. There's no reason 1 person with 1 cart needs to take 5X as long as everyone else.

I wouldn't be waiting behind them as well. But honestly, I haven't seen anyone at my store do that. I go and do all my majoring shopping in one swoop. Then I will go after that to get milk, or get something that I hadn't planned for. I get my bread in mini swoops at the bakery and freeze them, because well I hate to shop,lol.

 

[GoofyLo]

I really dislike the Extreme Couponing show. I watched it twice to see what it was and was a little angered by it. I think people who use coupons to save money for their family are very smart. My DH lost his job when my DD was 4 months and didn't find another until a little over a year later. For our family, using coupons was/is extremely important.
That being said, I think SOME of the people who go to the exteme are selfish. One of the two shows I watched, showed a woman with shelves lining her entire basement loaded with items she used to get coupons. She had 20+ boxes of toothpaste, bars and bars of soap (too many to use in a lifetime), and boxes and boxes of diapers. The kicker was that she didn't have a child nor was she pregnant. The appearance is that they purchase these items just because they "can" and almost treat it like a sport. They hoard items and who do you think pays for their "free" stuff? Not the companies...other consumers!! In those cases, I think extreme couponers are selfish.

 

[charming23]

I think people who extreme coupon like that are a little nuts. I get the thrill of getting a good deal as I am a couponer but most of them get more than they will ever use in a lifetime.

When I coupon I think about our short term needs, and a few long term for items that do not expire. By utilizing the sales lately we have enough body wash, shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, and razors for a year. I maybe paid less than $10 for al of it and it is all good name brand items. I also limit my stockpile to what fits into our bathroom closet. I do have shelves in our basement (1 set) but I keep things like laundry detergent, paper towels, and toilet paper on them.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I really dislike the Extreme Couponing show. I watched it twice to see what it was and was a little angered by it. I think people who use coupons to save money for their family are very smart. My DH lost his job when my DD was 4 months and didn't find another until a little over a year later. For our family, using coupons was/is extremely important.
That being said, I think SOME of the people who go to the exteme are selfish. One of the two shows I watched, showed a woman with shelves lining her entire basement loaded with items she used to get coupons. She had 20+ boxes of toothpaste, bars and bars of soap (too many to use in a lifetime), and boxes and boxes of diapers. The kicker was that she didn't have a child nor was she pregnant. The appearance is that they purchase these items just because they "can" and almost treat it like a sport. They hoard items and who do you think pays for their "free" stuff? Not the companies...other consumers!! In those cases, I think extreme couponers are selfish.

Yup, that's too much. We have a handful of things stocked up, but then again my wife has ALWAYS done that - coupons or otherwise. I also have to laugh at the notion of "saving money" when the stuff you're hoarding occupies 900 square feet of your house on $2,000 worth of shelving

 

[letsgoreds]

Honestly it doesn't anger me, I feel sorry for these people. Their lives are consumed with obsessing about stuff and coupons. Not people, not nature, not anything positive. It sounds like a depressing, hollow life to me. They are a drop in the bucket for these large corporations, and represent the smallest segment of consumer possible. I am NOT talking about 'binder babes,' they coupon in moderation, and do a good job saving $$$ for their families.

I understand the obsession...for me it is free paper from Staples. They are CONSTANTLY offering free reams of paper, white and pastel, and I have to stop myself and say that we have enough paper!

I love the occasional good deal. There was one a couple of years ago from Target that was a 'money maker' for Pantene, which is something I use exclusively. Needless to say, we are still using that shampoo. Most of the time, I simply don't have the time to do the matchups/buy the coupons/research the websites. More power to those of you who do.