The truth about extreme couponing...

[charming23]

I use coupons but not to the extreme and do not stockpile more than a few weeks worth of items. I usually save about $50 a month on coupons alone (our store double anything up to $.99 cents).

The only thing right now I have more than a few weeks worth of is laundry detergent. Recently our grocery had the Purex Hypoallergenic on sale for $3.99 that week there was a coupon for $3.00 off any one bottle. So my Aunt and Grandma gave me theirs and I used ours and got three bottles for $2.98. Then this past week Walgreen's had an in-store coupon making the bottles $1.99 and there you can use one in-store and one manufactures coupon together so I bought three more at $.99 a piece. It will last me 4-5 months and I paid $5.94 for six bottles when one is usually $5.99. Plus it is one of the only ones that does not bother my skin.

 

[bpesch]

I coupon, and have for years. One thing I can tell you, if you don't have any stores around that double or triple coupons, those "extreme" shopping trips just aren't going to happen. I save money, and I'll keep doing it, but it sure would be nice to see something on TV that's a little more realistic!

 

[leight]

My stockpile is laughable in comparison! I will stock up on items on a great sale that will last me 6-12 weeks. That is generally the sales cycles. In FL there is no doubling coupons. Dh grumbles because I have 20 boxes of pasta that I paid less then $0.10 each and a dozen cans of crushed tomatoes that I paid less than 1/4 the reg price at my Publix for. I am down to my last bottle of laundry detergent in my garage pantry so I am dilligently watching for that to go on sale- I noticed that there were $1 off coupons in last week's flyers- so I am expecting a sale in a week or so- just in time to restock-6 bottles usually lasts at least 3 months.

I match coupons to BOGO sales and if I can stack a store with a manufacturer's coupon I am very happy. But I still buy lots of fresh fruits/ vegetables- can't remember the last time I had a coupon for a head of lettuce(sometimes the Dole's bagged salads do tho) and meat coupons are usually contigent on buying something else which we may or may not like- or commonly use. I did recently use manufacture's coupons for the Kraft Philly cooking creams to qualify for $2 off chicken breasts- the chicken breasts were bogo so I bought 4 creams on sale for $1.99 ea minus a $1.50 off coupon each making it $0.50 each. Then matched the smallest packs of chicken- 1 1/2 to 2 lbs at around $6 a pack and peeled off the store coupons for $2 off each pack(since they were bogo the total was $12-$8 in coupons). So I spent less than $7 on 4 cooking creams and 7lbs of boneless chicken breasts. I did freeze 3 of the creams- (hope they still taste ok after defrosted but it was a good deal ) and froze the chicken breasts that I wasn't using that night. But that is a rare deal. I do shop at one store for ground beef, roasts and chicken breasts regularly since they usually have the best sales- but I hate their produce and their everyday prices on items are much more expensive than my usual store. But since I pass it on the way to work, I shop without having to make a separate trip.

When I started couponing we cleaned out our 3 car garage and donated no less than 20 bags of clothes to the woman's shelter from storage bins. DH added two large shelving units so my stockpile is on that and in the freezer. I am now trying to use the freezer items so will hopefully be able to defrost the freezer in a week or two. But that means that I have to restock after!

 

[Carlyzmom]

I coupon, and have for years. One thing I can tell you, if you don't have any stores around that double or triple coupons, those "extreme" shopping trips just aren't going to happen. I save money, and I'll keep doing it, but it sure would be nice to see something on TV that's a little more realistic!

I completely agree. I don't live somewhere where they double and triple. I shop at Super Walmart. They have low prices anyway. SO, with coupons, I get the best deals I can there.

I do agree with previous posters that sometime store brand is cheaper than name brand even with coupons.

 

[tink_n_pooh]

Actually, some of the manufacturers have caught on and offer different coupons for different parts of the country. I do live in an area that offers double coupons up to a dollar.

As a result, you'll get the coupons that offer $.50 off any one item. We'll get the coupons that offer $1.00 off any two items. Making our coupons useless for doubling, and for you to get savings on two items, you need two coupons.

I'm not sure about anywhere else but around here the stores that double to coupon double the face value. For example, if you have a coupon that is 50¢ off one product, you then get $1.00 off of that one product, you don't get 50¢ two products (although the math works out the same way, no real difference). And unless it specifies a certain number of products, it is always one coupon per product.

 

[beansmom]

The thing is, you COULD do a no-expense trip IF you bought only your coupon-able items . . . and then went back the next day for your other stuff. That'd mean you'd go home without, perhaps, your bread and cheese or other necessities, but you'd have big bragging rights on your first trip . . . if you didn't tell about your second, regular-priced trip.

I'm not recommending it, just saying that's how these super-couponers make their trips appear to be essentially free. 'Cause we all know their families aren't living on mustard, so they've gotta be buying some meat and vegetables at some point.

When people say $300 of food, the viewer thinks, "Oh, that's about two weeks of food for my family! Great!" But it's not $300 of well-rounded food -- it's a bunch of the same stuff.

well, yer right there, MrsPete. I DO have over $220 worth of Thai noodle bowls...all free...and about 40 boxes of pasta - also all free...20-30 jars of pasta sauce--50cents a jar...but as you say, that's not a rounded diet.

NOt that I feel like i have to defend it but the bowls keep virtually forever, the pasta as well...and we know several friends/family members that are out of work now and we help them out whenever we can. We let them 'go shopping' in our freezers and pantry.

 

[hpfan100]

wow how sad that people need to cheat and lie to save money on mustard and such. I just don't get ow you buy paper towels for 17.99 each and then only pay 11 for 3 carts full of stuff. Must be extreme fraud

 

[happygirl]

wow how sad that people need to cheat and lie to save money on mustard and such. I just don't get ow you buy paper towels for 17.99 each and then only pay 11 for 3 carts full of stuff. Must be extreme fraud

Why would you say it was fraud?

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

I think this show being broadcast will result in a lot more people trying to be extreme couponers...which will probably cause some food manufacturers and grocery chains to put more restrictions on using coupons. I believe most coupons are released to get people to try a new product, etc. and to increase long-term sales...not to allow an extremely small percentage of people to buy everything on the shelves, then not buy it again for five years because they haven't consumed all of it yet!

 

[EKW]

No double coupons at any of my local grocery stores...but one, Safeway, does occasionally offer their own coupons for the same items that are in the Sunday fliers. So, you might get a package of brats for half price...or save a buck on a frozen pizza. Nothing "extreme" about it.

As best I can figure, extreme couponers are just another example of people searching for their self-worth and finding it in a sad place.

 

[disneychrista]

I would love to use more coupons but the coupons I find just aren't for products I use.

I was able to stock up on pasta when the store had it for 10/$10 and then used the Ronzoni coupon for $1 off 2. So $3 boxes of pasta for 50¢, not a bad deal.

 

[Jen_in_NH]

There is an interesting article about one of the women in this show here http://www.jillcataldo.com/. It claims that many of her coupons werre used fraudulently.

I only watched the first episode a few months ago and was sick to my stomach to see the addictive behavior exhibited. It is out and out hoarding. No one needs 100 boxes of pasta in one shopping trip.

It's terrible that she's using the coupons illegally. I'll admit - I use a lot of coupons, but only buy the products they're listed for.

As far as the 100 boxes of pasta - I've bought that many in one trip. However, I called the store the week before to make sure it was OK. After coupons, each box would be free. The Food Pantry had said they were getting desperate for pasta, so I figured if I bought the coupons and ordered the pasta, I could donate 100 boxes for about $10 (the price of the coupons, and the gas to go get them). I can't imagine personally needing more than 10 in the house at any given time.

 

[GinnyEmma]

well, yer right there, MrsPete. I DO have over $220 worth of Thai noodle bowls...all free...and about 40 boxes of pasta - also all free...20-30 jars of pasta sauce--50cents a jar...but as you say, that's not a rounded diet.

NOt that I feel like i have to defend it but the bowls keep virtually forever, the pasta as well...and we know several friends/family members that are out of work now and we help them out whenever we can. We let them 'go shopping' in our freezers and pantry.

I'd much rather give a giftcard to walmart. My kids would have to be starving to give them noodle bowls. And then I'd fork out a few cent and give them brown rice or oats instead.

 

[beansmom]

Why would you say it was fraud?

it's not that she got 3 carts for 1% of the retail cost that constitutes the fraud...it's the (alleged) fact that she used coupons intended for one product on another. That constitutes the fraud.

 

[tngramma]

I also wonder about the amount of taxes paid. In MD and TN I have to pay tax on everything before coupons. In TN tax would be almost $60 on $650 dollars of groceries.

 

[Marionnette]

I also wonder about the amount of taxes paid. In MD and TN I have to pay tax on everything before coupons. In TN tax would be almost $60 on $650 dollars of groceries.

I never even thought about that. In PA we don't pay tax on food items and we don't pay tax on the pre-coupon amount of taxable items. Most of the time I shop in DE where there is no sales tax at all.

 

[GinnyEmma]

well, at 51 years old, i don't really need the services of a nutrition nazi. I posted this thread to discuss couponing, not to get your approval of my diet. I even think I specified that in my first post.

Lol, just making the point that it might be easier to allow the poor person to pick their own choices with a discreet gc, or at least offer something of use for their bodies. What if they don't like that stuff? How embarrassing for them. So is no one else allowed to give an opinion... Hmmmmm...sound like any group you can think of?

 

[DawnM]

True and I hope they keep it up.

Didn't they quote a statistic of what percentage of people actually use coupons? I believe it was 20% or so.

Dawn

I don't know . . .

Why do the companies offer coupons? It's to convince you to buy their name-brand instead of choosing the less-expensive store brand, or it's to entice you to purchase a new product with which you're not aware. It's advertising.

A few people'll do this extreme thing, a bunch will use the coupons as they're intended, and the majority will be aware that they could've had a few cents off but won't bother. So I don't think the manufacturers are going to lose money overall.

 

[cam&phoebsmom]

I am not an extreme couponer by any means, nor do I thin I will ever become one. However I do follow the "KrazyCouponLady" on FB ( she was on the 1st EC show-the one who dumpster dives for her coupons). She has match-ups each week for deals from Safeway (where I shop) and other stores. I only buy 1 paper each week and do not pay for a clipping service, but try and use coupons where I can.

The shows they have shown are very boring-the 1st one was interesting but unless the series drastically changes it seems like it will be the same thing every week.

I wish there was a show where people planned out a menu for 2 weeks (or even a month) and then had a coupon "guru" help them lower their cost. I would much rather see a realistic depiction of how couponing can help lower "real" food costs than watch people go on ridiculous shopping trips and come home with 64 bottles of Gatorade and 150 Butterfingers.

 

[Carlyzmom]

I am not an extreme couponer by any means, nor do I thin I will ever become one. However I do follow the "KrazyCouponLady" on FB ( she was on the 1st EC show-the one who dumpster dives for her coupons). She has match-ups each week for deals from Safeway (where I shop) and other stores. I only buy 1 paper each week and do not pay for a clipping service, but try and use coupons where I can.

The shows they have shown are very boring-the 1st one was interesting but unless the series drastically changes it seems like it will be the same thing every week.

I wish there was a show where people planned out a menu for 2 weeks (or even a month) and then had a coupon "guru" help them lower their cost. I would much rather see a realistic depiction of how couponing can help lower "real" food costs than watch people go on ridiculous shopping trips and come home with 64 bottles of Gatorade and 150 Butterfingers.

But I think that's the whole "extreme" thing. If it were normal, the ratings would be low. People want to see "extreme" anything.