The truth about extreme couponing...

[vwlizard]

For people who want multiple coupons without purchasing them from clipping companies, there are legal ways to go about it.

I have bought multiple copies of the paper when I knew it would be worth it. The Sunday addition is $2.50 where I live, but my local dollar store sells it read, so I will pay the dollar, take out the coupons and then offer the rest to people in line behind me that aren't there to get the coupons.

Trading, coupons trains and just letting neighbors know you'll take them if not interested are other legal ways of getting coupons.

Unless you are couponing just to see how much you can get for free, no one needs 50 of any one coupon.

Also, CVS and other drug stores are great places to use coupons. Often you are able to get an item for free and also recieve a high value coupon upon check out or a $x off your next purchase coupon.

For example, this time of year there will often be B1G1 sales on candy (for Easter). If you couple that with a newspaper B1G1, you actually get both bags free. Add in a couple of toiletries, paper products or snack/juice/soda bottles that are also on sale and you have coupons for. Use a previous $x of your next purchase over $x coupon and you can very well get a free shopping trip. The only thing better is if you get another $x off your next trip coupon. Then you've actually made money.

 

[cm8]

I agree with most of you who posted that there is hardly anything that you are getting for free while using coupons unless it says free up to any amount listed but only if you buy this or that and so on .

Pretty soon, the coupons will stop once the manufacturers realize that they are picking up the tab in the end

 

[Aisling]

I watched that show and I tried to do it, but it didn't work out to saving tons of money like those people. I feel like a failure. I really got excited hoping I could learn how to do this.

 

[Purseval]

I watched that show and I tried to do it, but it didn't work out to saving tons of money like those people.

They don't call it extreme couponing for nothing. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes before you see them walking out with that cart full of free groceries, especially if they aren't cheating to do it.

 

[a1tinkfans]

I did not watch the show...
I have a friend that coupons to an extreme IMHO
she spends 2 hours each week,. cutting and clipping...then shops and gets lots of "stuff" but the things are just that..items, not necessarily staples her family eats regularly...( i think it is like a thrill for her??)my time is worth more in two hours....I seriously am a routine type person and buy the same items week to week, mostly...so IF a coupon is for that item, I May grab an Xtra.....;but I am also not one to re-heat or eat frozen stuff (versus fresh bought) so that too is my issue
to each his/her own....a dollar saved is good, but it has too really be "saved"...

 

[Jessica14]

I finally watched some episodes mostly out of curiosity. About the only thing I really got out of it was from the family with so many kids who worked as a family to find the deals. I thought it was a good real world learning experience. I still don't see why you need all that stocked up. 75 boxes of cereal that will go stale and you buy more because you can? I understand the one woman had 4 kids and I see how she flies though food, but she has such a stockpile. Of course she will be ready for the end of the world and I won't be, but I digress!

Around here, there is no doubling or otherwise and some stores will not let you use internet coupons. I've had luck a Target and saved $20 last week and bought a lot of their housebrands which definately saved me lots of money. I wish they had more variety, but I do really well there for basics and stock items. I often have to go to more than one store for deals. Even with gas prices, it seems to be worth driving to Trader Joe's 40 minutes from me because their rice milk is so much cheaper than anywhere else.
Jessica

 

[DawnM]

There are many ways to learn how to do this. Here there are even classes to take to learn it. I don't know where you live, but here in NC, SouthernSavers is a free site that will match up coupons with sales for effective couponing.

I did it some in the past and then haven't for a while. I am now getting a bit back into it, but certainly NOT extreme.

Dawn

I watched that show and I tried to do it, but it didn't work out to saving tons of money like those people. I feel like a failure. I really got excited hoping I could learn how to do this.

 

[NYCDiane]

They don't call it extreme couponing for nothing. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes before you see them walking out with that cart full of free groceries, especially if they aren't cheating to do it.

You are so right! Some of them say it's their "job" and spend "x" amount of hours per week clipping, getting organized, etc. When they did the test shows a couple of months ago, the one woman said that she spent hours at the grocery store BEFORE her shopping trip to go, aisle by aisle, to write down all the in-store, unadvertised specials, etc so she could then go home and see if she had coupons for any of those items. Other people say they'll spend 6 hours a day scouring the internet looking for coupons, clipping coupons, "dumpster diving" for coupons, etc.


In order to "extreme" coupon, you have to put in probably 20-40 hours per week (and lay out money if you buy from a clipping service).

For the rest of us who "regular" coupon.... if I spend 2 or 3 hours a week clipping, sorting, checking the circular, it's a lot. And I save a good amount of money on my "big" shopping trips.

 

[leight]

I spent 2 hrs this week reorganizing my coupons and preparing for my shopping trip.I donated all coupons that were prior to 10/15/10. My major shopping is at Publix but I usually have to do a few other stops to get everything I need.

At publix I saved $110 and spent $62. I spent $14 at Aldi's(Mostly produce ,snacks and ice cream) and $25 at walmart (some of dh's coldcuts are cheaper here and bread is as well.) So I spent $101 (a dollar over budget) but I added to my stockpile and got everything else I normally need for the week. Including fresh produce, meats, lunch needs.

I don't extreme coupon but I would have spent about $150-200 a week on shopping previously and I like the savings. I'm not buying stuff my family won't eat- just buying stuff when it makes the most sense. I get 4 sunday papers delivered- at $0.50 ea it makes it a good deal. I don't buy coupons, but I will trade when I can.

 

[nancycg56]

I spent 2 hrs this week reorganizing my coupons and preparing for my shopping trip.I donated all coupons that were prior to 10/15/10. My major shopping is at Publix but I usually have to do a few other stops to get everything I need.

At publix I saved $110 and spent $62. I spent $14 at Aldi's(Mostly produce ,snacks and ice cream) and $25 at walmart (some of dh's coldcuts are cheaper here and bread is as well.) So I spent $101 (a dollar over budget) but I added to my stockpile and got everything else I normally need for the week. Including fresh produce, meats, lunch needs.

I don't extreme coupon but I would have spent about $150-200 a week on shopping previously and I like the savings. I'm not buying stuff my family won't eat- just buying stuff when it makes the most sense. I get 4 sunday papers delivered- at $0.50 ea it makes it a good deal. I don't buy coupons, but I will trade when I can.

Great trip!!!!!

My order totaled $222 and change and I spent $177 and change ~ no doubling ~ and I buy everything at the same store as I don't have patience to run around all over as I HATE grocery shopping, LOL! The lady behind me was giving me a hard time about my internet coupons ~ my store takes them with no problem so I don't know what her deal was. I just gave her "the look" and went about my business. I didn't buy anything we won't use and I got enough for a couple of weeks or so.

 

[herdtoDisney]

OH my, I had a coupon-related experience this morning and it wasn't a good one

I ran to the store to grab some pastel M&M's for a bingo game I was to play with my Sunday school kids. I went to the store and there was NOT ONE BAG of regular M&M's to be found Pastel, regular, didn't matter they were gone. Only left was peanut ones, which I could not use (peanut-free class). I was like??? then I saw the signs.

2 for $6 AND a coupon available.

That explains it. It was like 8am on a Sunday (when the sales start) so obviously, someone or someones came in early and cleared the shelf. I even looked in both the seasonal candy and regular candy aisle.

I ended up with gum drops, which the kids hated and stuck to the floor

 

[GinnyEmma]

If it was cvs, ours marks down on Friday evening. I never get anything there!

 

[herdtoDisney]

It was Stop & Shop, which is a big store and they usually have lots of their sale items-I was so shocked to find nothing! After reading these threads and watching the show, all I can think of is someone with 4 carts full of M&M's, Regular not peanut got for like 33 cents or something. They'll probably store them in their basement or build a mountain out of them

 

[bridget]

OH my, I had a coupon-related experience this morning and it wasn't a good one

I ran to the store to grab some pastel M&M's for a bingo game I was to play with my Sunday school kids. I went to the store and there was NOT ONE BAG of regular M&M's to be found Pastel, regular, didn't matter they were gone. Only left was peanut ones, which I could not use (peanut-free class). I was like??? then I saw the signs.

2 for $6 AND a coupon available.

That explains it. It was like 8am on a Sunday (when the sales start) so obviously, someone or someones came in early and cleared the shelf. I even looked in both the seasonal candy and regular candy aisle.

I ended up with gum drops, which the kids hated and stuck to the floor

Just so you know- M&Ms are not peanut free. Most chocolate isn't. Plain hershy kisses are okay and so are peppermint patties

Skittles, starburts, smarties are all peanut free

I know this because my daughter can't have gluten and my son is allergic to nuts Plus his school is nut free.

 

[GinnyEmma]

No kidding.

 

[herdtoDisney]

Just so you know- M&Ms are not peanut free. Most chocolate isn't. Plain hershy kisses are okay and so are peppermint patties

Skittles, starburts, smarties are all peanut free

I know this because my daughter can't have gluten and my son is allergic to nuts Plus his school is nut free.

I did not realize that Thank you for the heads-up. I think Skittles would have been better, certainly better than the spicy gum drops. The kids were like, these are awful!

 

[bridget]

I did not realize that Thank you for the heads-up. I think Skittles would have been better, certainly better than the spicy gum drops. The kids were like, these are awful!

I felt like I sounded too bossy in my post, so I'm glad you didn't take it that way!!

We've actually learned the hard way about some foods

 

[bridget]

I cannot extreme coupon. I save $7 today getting what I normally would buy. That's good enough for me. One store, everything purchased...that's about as extreme as I get

 

[herdtoDisney]

I felt like I sounded too bossy in my post, so I'm glad you didn't take it that way!!

We've actually learned the hard way about some foods

You didn't sound bossy at all and I'm glad to know the facts for the future-sometimes the kids have games or activities to do and I will stick with one of the peanut-free options you noted. Hopefully the store won't be running a coupon on them the week I need them LOL

 

[leight]

Great trip!!!!!

My order totaled $222 and change and I spent $177 and change ~ no doubling ~ and I buy everything at the same store as I don't have patience to run around all over as I HATE grocery shopping, LOL! The lady behind me was giving me a hard time about my internet coupons ~ my store takes them with no problem so I don't know what her deal was. I just gave her "the look" and went about my business. I didn't buy anything we won't use and I got enough for a couple of weeks or so.

Some people just aren't patient! My stores don't double as we're in FL and there is no doubling within the state.