Should You Extreme Coupon?
by Briana Carter on April 7, 2011
Many of you are probably searching for tips on how to Extreme Coupon after watching TLC’s Extreme Couponing series. Should you extreme coupon? How do you Extreme Coupon?
Extreme couponing is possible without it becoming a coupon addict, an extreme hoarder or it completely taking over your life. I think most people can save HUGE on their grocery bill but a realistic goal is going to be 50% saving. You can see my methods and learn how to get started in the 15 Days of Couponing. You can also get started by printing coupons or searching the Coupon Database for more coupons.
Again, you can extreme coupon without it taking over your life. When you choose to go shopping or clip your coupons instead of spending time with your friends and family, you have a problem. It is like any other addiction. I’m not sure there is a 12 step problem for couponing yet! It is better than other addictions that cost you money but it still can take over your life.
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What do you think about extremely extreme couponers?
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Also, I’m all for donating for those in need but by clearing shelves how many people are missing out on deals because someone bought everything and they clearly didn’t need it all. I’m not going to watch the show.
While I am all for having food storage, what are they going to do when they cannot get milk for the 50,000 boxes of cereal that they have? When something happens they will not be able to get milk, only the essentials like water and even then that will be hard to get.
I also think that that is a good reason why americans are so over weight. All the food that I saw in those stock piles were things that don’t expire or have a long shelf life, all because they have tons of harmful things in them that keep them from spoiling. I have watched other shows that have said that if foods don’t expire (fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, etc . . .) then we shouldn’t be putting it into our bodies, especially if we are trying to lose weight.
I have 10 children and we always have plenty of food in the house to eat because I make sure that we have things to go with other things. NOT 77 bottles of mustard that I would never use in my life time and my kids don’t even like it.
My worry is how to get those great deals on toilet paper, paper towels and tooth paste and things like that that I cannot buy with the little food stamps I have.
I work part-time and my husband, though he works full-time, pays a huge amount in child support and that means we live off what I make and it is difficult to get enough toilet paper and things like that to last even a month with everyone at my house, especially when everything I make and my husband makes goes to rent and utilities and we rarely have anything left over for laundry detergent, dish soap. etc!
Now, my idea of extreme couponing would be to be able to buy new clothes and shoes for my children when they need them instead of saving pennies for three months just to buy ONE child a pair of shoes and hope that either the next child can wear the other child’s shoes for another three months so we can save more money (which is never the case because we go girl, boy, girl, boy . . . ) or go to like Savers or DI and hope that we can find something that doesn’t look too terrible that they can wear until we can get a new pair for them too. Oh, and my kids don’t get new clothes for school because we simply can’t afford it. That is when a coupon would come in handy, NOT 77 bottles of mustard or 112 bottles of excedrin! That’s just my opinion!
I will say that I don’t see the reasoning behind having such a large stockpile. Personally I buy enough to sustain my family (4) until the item(s) goes on sale again, usually 3 months. I think if you are a smart shopper and do some homework before shopping, you can get some pretty good deals.
I try to purchase things for the kids after the season and you can usually find items 80% (or more) off the clearance racks. I just took out bathing suits that I purchased last year and the most I paid for one of them is $5. Planning is key when you are trying to save, if you purchase school supplies late September you can basically get them for free. The key is to purchase enough to last you the school year and the beginning of the new school year. Shoes for kids will also be at a huge discount in September because manufacturers know that most are going to purchase school shoes so the prices get super competitive around this time.
I, for one say it is time we held on to our money and not part with it until we are getting the most for our dollars! Here’s to saving!
I have just recently gotten back into couponing because of the show. I didn’t realize there were any stores near me that did double coupons. I found a Kroger about 30 min away. Here in town, we only have Walmart, Kmart, and a couple local stores. The prices are high with no competition and I have three growing boys. I’ve always been a deal shopper and I used to coupon when we lived in the city. But it didn’t seem worth it here. I could get generic stuff cheaper than name brand with a coupon.
I do worry that the show will hurt people who coupon to save reasonable amounts. There is nothing wrong with saving, but I already have a full time job. I’m not going to walk into a store and expect to get my stuff free. Although I did get a few boxes of pasta free a few weeks ago. Mind you, my total bill wasn’t free or anything. it was just a fluke.
Also, keep in mind that when they show the totals for their orders on the show, it shows the amount before using their store cards too. When I went to Kroger, my total was $197. After scanning just the store card it went down to 156 and I did not have coupons loaded on my card. I then had about 4 or 5 coupons(really good ones) that brought my order down to $122. Not a huge savings but I mostly bought meat and pop. I did load up on pasta which is about the only thing I buy in huge quantities. I just has so many uses, it’w worth it to have around.
I also am a firm believer in not buying things you won’t use. Even if they “pay me to take it out of the store” I am not going to buy 50 of something I don’t need. Someone else might need it.
Myself, personally I use coupons. I sent a young cashier into serious tears when I handed her 72 coupons and she had a panic attack on my last shopping trip (keep in mind, I was buying over 100 items). And I’m a single mother of two with a full time job AND I have several side jobs from catering, cakes and photography. Not to mention the kids’ schedules and activities so it’s not like I’m sitting around for 8 hours a day clipping coupons. I buy four Sunday papers each week. I clip coupons from them. I have subscribed to three coupon websites and I have store discount cards wherever they were available so I can assure myself that I am getting the best deal for my family because, after all, that’s what I’m looking out for is my family. I donate what I can, when I can. Charity begins at home.
I don’t buy 77 bottles of mustard, but if I can get it for ten cents a bottle with a coupon from my four Sunday papers, then I’m going to clip those four coupons and snatch up that deal for all four. I don’t buy massive amounts of products because, quite simply, I don’t have the room. I work hard for the income we have. I don’t enjoy watching a major grocery chain smile while they take nearly every single dime if I can hold on to it just a little longer and put it to use elsewhere like the utility bill or the mortgage.
And these corporations that produce coupons are making a forture by people using them. This is why they continue to produce them. The consider it a part of their advertising and, by which, it’s all considered part of the cost of doing business…meaning it’s a tax break for them at the end of the day. Everyone is winning by the use of coupons. Companies are getting their product off the shelves, their advertising dollars are being put to good use and the stores are being paid by the companies producing the coupons to handle the coupons for them. This is not robbery. This is not thievery. This is just good cents… and SENSE!
At the end of the day the answer is simple. If you want to clip coupons then do so. If you don’t want to clip coupons, then don’t. But there’s little reason to be upset that these women and men are able to devote their time and energy into getting the best deals they can for their families. And most of them are doing a lot of good in their community by using that amount of coupons by donating to food banks and sending care packages to our soldiers… maybe even some of your relatives or friends benefitted from their generosity…
Just something to think about…
You are paying with coupons!
I am an EXTREME COUPONER and I buy for my family and I buy for donations!