Extreme Coupons: TV Show Draws Extreme Backlash

[Free4Life11]

But the problem is "that garbage" is now causing stores to make policies more restrictive, which in the end effects normal, every day shoppers.

Generally stores have a "sheep" mentality. where one leads the rest follows. My local shoprite has now posted advertisements on new restrictive coupon measures. Mainly stuff like only 4 item coupon per order. So now if you've got 75 coupons for toothpaste, you are only allowed to use 4. Also the now have "Store reserves the right to change policy at any time". Translation, the store has the right to refuse the coupons.

I'm not surprised one bit.

Well I coupon and I *like* that change. I hate going to the store and finding the shelf cleared -- it's frustarating! From the stores perspective, better to piss off the few Extreme Couponers (oh wait they won't get pissed off they'll get a raincheck) then allow them to clear the shelves and piss everyone off. I don't do rainchecks; they're a hassle to me.

Now when stores start saying "limit 10 coupons total" that's ridiculous and makes no sense since the stores get reimbursed. To me that's just bad customer service and I'll just shop somewhere else.

 

[Marionnette]

Never saw the show, don't have cable, but I think grocery stores could use the couponing fad to their advantage. Just make the show part of their ad and actually encourage people to use coupons and lower prices on products that have a manufacturer's coupon. Electronic and Computer stores do this all the time, by reducing prices on products that already have a rebate. You use to be able to get a lot of things free (or very cheap) this way.

Many of them already do this. CVS and RiteAid mention it right in their ads when there is a coupon in the Sunday insert that matches up with a sale item. Some of the grocery stores are also jumping onboard with that advertising method. Most savvy couponers already know that the coupons and sales often come out in conjunction with one another, if not the week that the coupon appears, then shortly afterward.

 

[eliza61]

Well I coupon and I *like* that change. I hate going to the store and finding the shelf cleared -- it's frustarating! From the stores perspective, better to piss off the few Extreme Couponers (oh wait they won't get pissed off they'll get a raincheck) then allow them to clear the shelves and piss everyone off. I don't do rainchecks; they're a hassle to me.

Now when stores start saying "limit 10 coupons total" that's ridiculous and makes no sense since the stores get reimbursed. To me that's just bad customer service and I'll just shop somewhere else.

No, that's my fault, I explained it poorly. what my shoprite means is that you can only use 4 say toothpaste coupons. and then 4 coupons for say a paper plate.

 

[mickey grandmom]

I've been a fugal shopper since the Jimmy Carter economy. Where I live,stores will only do one coupon per customer. The most they double is .99 cents. And most will not allow two different coupon offers on one item. Yet you can still save. A few weeks ago I spent 50.00 and saved 50.00. Have you noticed some coupons have printed on them "do not double"? As far as the cable show goes,
I think most of them are very good at shopping with coupons and have taken a long time to stock up. I don't think they wipe out supermarket shelves on a regular bases. If you listen to the voice over ,you hear the announcer say, so and so will try to complete her biggest shopping challenge ever and pay ???? But,there is stockpiling and then there is hoarding and if it becomes an obsession or greed,neither one is good.

 

[AmandaRG]

I'm wondering if manufacturers will stop putting the peelie coupons on. I got some Goldfish Grahams last week and could tell that there had been a peelie on it. I looked on the shelf and there were probably 50 bags that had the plastic left from them, but no one coupon still on the products.

 

[Nayan]

I'm wondering if manufacturers will stop putting the peelie coupons on. I got some Goldfish Grahams last week and could tell that there had been a peelie on it. I looked on the shelf and there were probably 50 bags that had the plastic left from them, but no one coupon still on the products.

A couple months ago our store had Ritz crackers, buy one get one free and on the box was a coupon for $1 off one box. A woman sent her kids over the display where I was and they began peeling the coupons off the boxes! I told the manager who then threw them out of the store and took all the coupons back. This is a huge pet peeve of mine as to me it's stealing.

 

[DisneyKim68]

Well what's weird is that everything I've read has said that the producers talked to the stores in advance, and so the clearing-of-the-shelves, the *massive* numbers of coupons and *huge* savings in one trip, are totally allowed and condoned by those stores.

So for them (or their competitors) to now point to the show, to the couponers themselves, as being bad, or to blame for the changes...seems odd, since the stores went along with it.

Exactly! My store has admitted right on their FB page that they bent the rules for the Extreme Couponers on the show. Of course there was a lot of angry people wondering why special treatment was given, and yesterday according to the store's FB page apparently they've done it again. What are they thinking??? It's like if you are on tv the rules don't apply to you, but if you're just a mom trying to save money on groceries they do!

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

The mustard lady, the one everyone has pinned down as basically committing coupon fraud on the show, did a few Target shopping trip videos before the show (I think that's how she was scouted for it). I haven't seen them because she took them down but from what I've read, she was committing coupon fraud in those videos as well, so whenever anyone talks about Target policies, that's the first thing that comes to mind for me.

The Target videos are on Youtube, just google J'amie Kirlew target video. There are 2 parts. I am pretty sure she used coupons on several items that were meant for more expensive items of the same brand. Probably the $5 Olay coupon (olay regenerist vs cleanser) and the $4 Secret coupon (i.e. Clinical Strength vs regular strength)

 

[jessica52877]

I've never seen the show but I do coupon and have for 20 years. Since this show has aired I have noticed many negative effects it has had on me. Often times now I'll go to the store and the shelves will be wiped out, that happened maybe 5x in 20 years before all this!

We hit Kroger this morning and I wanted to grab the 3 musketeers that I coupon for last week but they were out. The bagger asked if those were the free ones and I answered yes. He then went on to tell me how 2 ladies came last week and bought 9 case of them with 36 bars per case. Obviously that is why they were out when we were in and I was going to grab one for my son and I. It is so annoying to go in for something and not be able to come out with it (obviously candy bars aren't a good example of this but it happened with yogurt just the other week).

We hit Publix after that and I noticed on one of the coupon items that was free that they had limit of 2 per person. I am actually glad to see that for the most part, that way I actually was able to purchase some. The only issue with that is if milk or something is on sale, I buy 4 gallons every time I buy milk and often times now if it is on sale the quantity is limited to 2. So I have to change my shopping habits and head back out at some point.

DH is a manager at grocery store and he'll limit the items if he sees someone abusing the policy as in a cart full. He also has said that the manufacturers will not reimburse in situations like that.

Exactly! My store has admitted right on their FB page that they bent the rules for the Extreme Couponers on the show. Of course there was a lot of angry people wondering why special treatment was given, and yesterday according to the store's FB page apparently they've done it again. What are they thinking??? It's like if you are on tv the rules don't apply to you, but if you're just a mom trying to save money on groceries they do!

What store?

 

[DisneyKim68]

Fry's

 

[lisam427]

I use coupons. i save quite a bit of money when i shop but i dont clear shelves. i am in shock at some of these episodes. to me i think its wonderful that these people save money but it seems that they should be on the hoarders show instead.

i subscribed to my local sunday paper. i got my paper for the first week. then for almost two months i would go to get my paper and find nothing. called the news they said it was delivered. after sever phone calls of complaining i was never charged and my subscription was cancelled. this past sunday i went to get a paper. in every paper there were no coupons and i went to two stores!

again i like using coupons and enjoy getting a deal but i think people are going nuts. its pretty bad when you resort to stealing from neighbors and stores. the show seems to have made things worse. it has also tainted others perception of people who use coupons (not in an extreme way).

 

[DVCBELLE]

I have watched a couple of episodes I don't get why they don't discuss how much they spend to get the coupons...one girl used 3000 coupons - she had to have spent at least a couple hundred dollars to get them.

 

[tlh0726]

I have watched a couple of episodes I don't get why they don't discuss how much they spend to get the coupons...one girl used 3000 coupons - she had to have spent at least a couple hundred dollars to get them.

Never watched the show but I would like to hear that figure as well.

 

[seashoreCM]

In many cities the Sunday paper is assembled at substations about the city and neighboring suburbs. The ads and some features are delivered early on Saturday or even on Friday and the news sections are delivered Saturday night. The newsboys put things together just before going out on their routes.

It is easy for someone to steal gobs of ad sections at the substation and then there aren't enough ad sections to assemble all the papers with.

It is definitely wrong to peel coupons that came with the merchandise off of the merchandise.

I actually don't do a lot of couponing but I will buy large quantities of non-perishable goods (including toilet paper) when it goes on sale. I can look like a hog just the same.

 

[DisneyFansInLINY]

My sister went to a coupon class taught by one of the women on the show in Florida. What they didn't reveal on the show was that she buys all of the excess products to donate to charity in order to avoid paying taxes on her husband's salary. So she is able to donate all of those free products she got from extreme couponing and use them as tax write offs!

 

[2girls4me]

I really dislike this show. They are obsessed over their "stock piles". And not one of them ever buys real food. We use coupons to dave money, but my dh will never buy 8 cases of mustard because he got s great deal. It's sad really.

 

[PatsMom]

My sister went to a coupon class taught by one of the women on the show in Florida. What they didn't reveal on the show was that she buys all of the excess products to donate to charity in order to avoid paying taxes on her husband's salary. So she is able to donate all of those free products she got from extreme couponing and use them as tax write offs!

You can reduce your taxes by charitable contributions but you can't eliminate them. I am not a tax whizz but I think you are entitled to the fair market value or what you paid when you are valuing a donation. I donate products to charity when I think I am accumulating too much stuff but I don't itemize my taxes so I couldn't claim a deduction even if I wanted to.

At least the woman is donating to charity! I always feel good when I can pass along stuff I got free (or nearly free) and hope it helps out someone down on their luck.

 

[LadyBeBop]

You can reduce your taxes by charitable contributions but you can't eliminate them. I am not a tax whizz but I think you are entitled to the fair market value or what you paid when you are valuing a donation. I donate products to charity when I think I am accumulating too much stuff but I don't itemize my taxes so I couldn't claim a deduction even if I wanted to.

Your charitable deductions are also limited to half of your adjusted earned income (salary plus any additional income). Any excess could be used in future years. So if her husband makes $100,000 a year, she is limited to only $50,000 in charitable deductions for that year. Their other itemized deductions might be enough to eliminate any tax liability. However, a large charitable deduction would probably open her to a tax audit.

 

[dd50]

It is the addiction that gets to them. Who really needs 500 tooth paste or disposal diapers for when she gets pregnant. It is going to hurt the normal people that like to save a few dollars on laundry detergent and toilet paper. I have also noticed that I can't seem to find the coupons in any Sunday papers any more.

Do normal people really need to stock pile things? I like to buy some things in bulk when I find a good sale but do not want my house to look like a warehouse either. There will always be another sale.

 

[DizDragonfly]

Do normal people really need to stock pile things? I like to buy some things in bulk when I find a good sale but do not want my house to look like a warehouse either. There will always be another sale.

I think it's good to be prepared (yup, I'm a scout mom!) for things like a personal economic set back or something like a power outage or storm. My personal goal with couponing is to buy enough when it's cheap to get me through until the next sale, when it's cheap again. But, I also think it's probably not healthy to have more than two years stockpile of anything. If you don't rotate through it, it _will_ go bad. The first episode of that show I saw, the couple had 41 years worth of toothpaste. Seriously, who wants to use toothpaste from 1970? Not me. I'm sure they'll feel the same way 41 years from now too. I guess TP and paper towels won't "go bad", but I'm not going to add on another room to my house to store that either.