How do extreme couponers get all those free diapers??

sksjasams

DIS Veteran
Joined
May 29, 2008
I watched several episodes of Extreme Couponing yesterday. Many of them had huge stockpiles of diapers that were bought for free or very cheap. I never see coupons worth more than $1.50 in the newspaper.

Two of my Dstepkids are expecting this winter and I would love to help them out with some diapers.

Does anyone know how they do it? Please, please share your best advice and strategies. Thanks very much!!!
 
I've always wondered this too. I know they're getting the smallest sized packages, but even those are in the area of $10 I think (we always bought the mega sized boxes so I didn't pay too much attention to the price of the small ones) & I certainly never got enough coupons to add up to $10.
 
A month or two ago Target had packs for $9 each. I had family members print out the $3 off of 1 coupon and then go to Target.com they had $1 off of 1. I stacked them and had $4 off. We got a lot of diapers from that deal! They also had buy 3 get a $5 Target coupon. So when I went the second time I used the $5 gift card. I did that a few times. Saved a bundle.

$9 - $4 = 5
5 x 3 = $15

So $15 for my first order and then $10 for every order after that.

That's the best deal I've found by me. I do know that it helps if your kid(s) can wear different brand of diapers. I was able to stack coupons this month for Pampers and saved $3 off each pack.
 
I agree with the posted above. The cheapest I've seen is at Target. I always stock up a bit when they offer Target coupons or gift card deals (even better when both are offered at the same time) Most of the time I'm saving around $4 per package.

We also have a grocery store here that had a deal a month or so ago. If you spend $25 proctor and gamble items you get a mail in $10 visa card so with coupons it was a nice savings but no way free.
 


Even with the absolute best deals, the diapers aren't free.

CVS deal last week or so.

Pampers box - 19.99
- 5.00 ECB
- 4.00 Manufacturer coupon through mail
- 5/25 coupon (bought two other ECB items)
5.99 TOTAL

This was a great deal, but not free. Plus I think I've scored a deal like this only a couple of times. I got exactly one of those great coupons in the mail from Pampers.
 
I suspect they're not getting them for "free" but rather for no "OOP" - by combining a sale with coupons and paying with catalinas (or gift cards or ECBs) from previous non-diaper deals. Its one of the many misleading things on the Extreme Couponing show, along with stores that don't have any limits on quantities purchased, coupons doubled, etc. etc. ad nauseum...
 
I believe they are using the overage from other items' coupons. Most stores don't give overage but the couponers on the show seem to find stores that will.
 


They maybe shopping at stores that gives you overages.

For example: A person might buy 70 bottles of mustard, not because they need or want 70 bottles... but it is on sale and with 70 coupons (and probably doubled) it becomes a money maker. If you have a $.50 overage on 70 bottles, that is $35.00 worth of free groceries. Keep doing it over and over and you get fruit, veggies, diapers, meat, etc for free.
 
I also watched those episodes yesterday and one of the couponers (younger lady, 24, with two boys) said that she writes letters or emails to the diaper company saying how much she loves the diapers. In return for her 'review', they send her free diaper coupons.
I have done this several times with non-grocery items (expensive batteries, salon shampoos, etc.) and have always received at least a coupon or free product for my response. The company uses your feedback for their own research, so in the end it is win-win. :banana:
 
A few years ago I was on coupons.com and saw a $5 off huggies coupon. A friend of mine had neices in diapers so I printed off as many as I could and mailed them to her. If she got lucky and combined them with a good sale, she problably could have stocked up on diapers for way less than usual. But I haven't seen a coupon that good recently, not that I really look (I don't have kids and even now that I"m expecting, we're planning on cloth diapering. If you're looking to save money on diapers and have your own washer/dryer, it's the cheapest option, especially if you have more than one kid and can use the diapers again for the 2nd child).
 
Disclaimer: I'm not normally an extreme couponer. :laughing:

A few months ago, there were awesome coupons for Amazon.com in various baby magazines. You were able to stack a total of 3 20% coupons, plus a $10 coupon, plus the Amazon Mom 15% discount, plus the 15% Subscribe and Save discount. For example, a $40 case of diapers ended up being around $4.

I scrounged for coupons from friends and family members, and also asked the pediatrician's office to save them for me. I ended up with around 20 large cases of diapers for just a few bucks apiece.

I wish that deal was still going on. :)
 
I believe they are using the overage from other items' coupons. Most stores don't give overage but the couponers on the show seem to find stores that will.

Yes, it's most likely from overage.

Also, when Walgreens runs their diapers BOGO, you can use a Walgreens coupon that was out in a booklet a while back to make them like $2.49/pack. If you have some RR's from previous deals, they'd be cheaper or free. I suspect that it's either overage or deals like that.
 
Disclaimer: I'm not normally an extreme couponer. :laughing:

A few months ago, there were awesome coupons for Amazon.com in various baby magazines. You were able to stack a total of 3 20% coupons, plus a $10 coupon, plus the Amazon Mom 15% discount, plus the 15% Subscribe and Save discount. For example, a $40 case of diapers ended up being around $4.

I scrounged for coupons from friends and family members, and also asked the pediatrician's office to save them for me. I ended up with around 20 large cases of diapers for just a few bucks apiece.

I wish that deal was still going on. :)

Earlier this year I was searching for deals for diapers for my DD (17yo) that is disabled. She's small for her age so someone here suggested Pampers size 7 from Amazon. I was able to get a case of 92 diapers for $8.99 including shipping. Not free but certainly better than the original price.

I was able to stack the coupons with the subscribe and save. Plus, I was able to use some codes that had already expired.
 
I can get "free" diapers at CVS when they have a good ECB deal that week and I usually pay for part of my order from previous weeks ECB's. I probably have 5-6 packs of diapers here (and no baby). I donate them usually or will use as a gift if I need them.

When mine was in diapers it was always cheapest to buy the smallest packages and use coupons, even just at walmart with a regular coupon. The per diaper cost was less then Sam's, etc.
 
Some of the young/single Extreme Couponers admitted to not having any children, so using overages (if that's what they're doing) toward them doesn't make sense. I'm not saying that they're not stocking up for the future, but still. :confused3

I know that my Publix has a clearance aisle and I've found diapers, formula, pull-up, etc marked waaay down. If someone stacked some good coupons, it would've prob made them free.
 
I know I used to be able to get free diapers, wipes, formula, baby food with stacking store offers, coupons and then manf coupons on top. When I had 3 in diapers I had to be on top of my game. I don't follow baby deals anymore since my kids are all PT'd but I can imagine there are still deals to be had.
 
Disclaimer: I'm not normally an extreme couponer. :laughing:

A few months ago, there were awesome coupons for Amazon.com in various baby magazines. You were able to stack a total of 3 20% coupons, plus a $10 coupon, plus the Amazon Mom 15% discount, plus the 15% Subscribe and Save discount. For example, a $40 case of diapers ended up being around $4.

I scrounged for coupons from friends and family members, and also asked the pediatrician's office to save them for me. I ended up with around 20 large cases of diapers for just a few bucks apiece.

I wish that deal was still going on. :)

I did this, too. I got thousands of diapers for $38 during that promotion.

I have enough to get both my boys through, at least. Got some for my niece too.

Next time I get invited to a baby shower im probably going to make a diaper cake as my gift, too. :rotfl:

Got 60 packages of wipes for free at Kroger a few weeks ago, too. Paid $5.49 on eBay for the coupons and have wipes for quite awhile.
 
I wish I could find a way to get diapers cheaper, but Pampers average $10. a small pack here and I find myself using the $1.50 coupons because that's all we ahve here. Walmart doesn't have in store coupons to add on to the manufactures coupon. A year an a half ago Safeway had a good deal where they had pampers on sale for $8.99, and you could use the in-store coupon for $1 or $2 off (can't recall how much), I was then able to use a manufacturers coupon for extra money off. I was getting diapers for about $5-6 a pack. I haven't seen that deal in ages though. I have tried writing to the companies and all I get are small amount offcoupons.

As for formula I look for clearance deals. I have found smaller formula containers on clearance at Safeway and stocked up. I got each cannister of powdered formula for under $3! Likewise I found a similar deal at Walmart years ago where each cannister was $2.50. And no they hadn't expired. Recently I found large formula cannisters at Walmart on clearance (Similar Organic) and got 6 of them on clearance 50% off. I then used formula checks from the manufacturers to help pay for them. I also got liquid formula on clearance for $2 a bottle. I guess our store was just doing away with organic, which was nice for me as I'm stocked up for the next 2 months!
 
A few years ago Target had cases of Huggies on sale for $5.49 and I had $5 coupons. I went home and printed out more coupons. I bought every one they had in every size they had. (I was pg at the time) I ended up using them all and when I had cases in a size that my little guy out grew as long as it wasn't opened they would let me exchange it for a differant size.
 
A few years ago I was on coupons.com and saw a $5 off huggies coupon. A friend of mine had neices in diapers so I printed off as many as I could and mailed them to her. If she got lucky and combined them with a good sale, she problably could have stocked up on diapers for way less than usual. But I haven't seen a coupon that good recently, not that I really look (I don't have kids and even now that I"m expecting, we're planning on cloth diapering. If you're looking to save money on diapers and have your own washer/dryer, it's the cheapest option, especially if you have more than one kid and can use the diapers again for the 2nd child).

Not to sidetrack the conversation - but do you already have your cloth purchased? I just bought 12 Bumgenius AIOs (size large) for $72 and was thrilled. DD is currently still in mediums but at $6 a diaper I couldn't help but add some more larges to the stash I have put up for when she outgrows the mediums.
 

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