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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to denise- don’t get all whiny because someone else saves money! if you don’t want to get off of your lazy butt and take the time to cut the coupons don’t whine cause someone else does and it pays off for them! you remind me of the little girls on Toddlers and Tiaras but thats ok that means theres more coupons for me!
How is couponing ROBBERY?? The companies make the coupons…The stores put it on sale.
You are paying with coupons!
I am an EXTREME COUPONER and I buy for my family and I buy for donations!
Man talk about some sour people. No one is cheating anyone especially the stores. They get reimbursed for what ever amount the coupon is plus a handling fee that is clearly stated on each of the coupons. Many of the recent episodes have showed donations being made to many other needy groups. One man even used his “haul” to make tons of care packages for deployed soldiers. I an looking forward to start my couponing adventure. No I will not be a hoarder about it. But If I can get product for free and donate them to local food pantries and animal shelters I will.
I think some are missing a few key points here. The show is called “Extreme Couponing” because it’s just that; EXTREME. It’s not what everyone does. They aren’t telling every single person it’s what you should do. It’s EXTREME.
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…
I watched this for the first time and I can not imagine what anyone would need with 100 boxes of cold medication or 60 bags of chips. This is abuse of a system and I think it hurts the rest of us.
I find it interesting that so many have called the extreme couponers hoarders. I sat watching the show with my husband one evening. He found it facinating and I told him I thought they had a sickness. I also told him not to be fooled, because to live like that is sacrificing things I am not willing to sacrifice. I want time with my family, and when I want to stop at the store because I’m craving my favorite ice cream, I’m gonna do it, coupon or not.
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.
I would like your newsletter
I think what most of you forget – -it is a show! A reality show at that! Most will say that this is the biggest purchase they have ever made. You do have some that stockpile, but they all seem to have income difficulties that have lead them to do this. I use coupons and I do watch what I pay for things, I think in today’s economy if we aren’t watching what we spend, we are crazy. The only part of the show that I personally believe is disturbing — is if these folks are not using, donating, giving away these items then throwing them out once they expire. Coupons have become “fashionable” and you will see more and more manufacturers putting out coupons for all sorts of things. I know more and more families that refuse to pay retail and will not make a purchase unless they have a coupon or it goes on sale. Manufacturers know this and so more and more you see coupons (including things like Groupon) to entice you to spend your money.
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 liked what was said about the extreme couponers hoarding their deals that they actually figured out how to get for practically nothing. The show just made me angry because I purchase without coupons for a large family paying what the store asks. I felt it was wrong for these gals to walk out with all these groceries without really paying. I know they take allot of thought and planning. I cannot believe the way they felt when they actually had a bill like 20.00 for cart full of groceries, then she found more coupons in her purse to make it .75 and picked up 3 candy bars for the young ladies behind her in line and paid a penny for her bill. My husband is now on me about wanting me to coupon and I think its robbery! I doubted that my small town store even turned in the coupons. If I go to the next larger town there is a Fareway, HyVee and Wallmart. Where would I start? How do you find out what stores double coupon? What else do I need to know. Thanks ladies for getting me into having to coupon! Sorry, I know I could help my family out by doing this and my husband and son say the stores want you to do this and more power to the couponers but, after paying at the register like I have of course it makes me mad to see someone get it free. Somebody please help me out and show me the way cuz, I just don’t think I can do it!
I liked what was said about the extreme couponers hoarding their deals that they actually figured out how to get for practically nothing. The show just made me angry because I purchase without coupons for a large family paying what the store asks. I felt it was wrong for these gals to walk out with all these groceries without really paying. I know they take allot of thought and planning. I cannot believe the way they felt when they actually had a bill like 20.00 for cart full of groceries, then she found more coupons in her purse. Make me sick! My husband is now on me about wanting me to coupon and I think its robbery! I doubted that my small town store even turned in the coupons. If I go to the next larger town there is a Fareway, HyVee and Wallmart. Where would I start? How do you find out what stores double coupon? What else do I need to know. Thanks ladies for getting me into having to coupon! Sorry, I know I could help my family out by doing this and my husband and son say the stores want you to do this and more power to the couponers but, after paying at the register like I have of course it makes me mad to see someone get it free. Somebody please help me out and show me the way cuz, I just don’t think I can do it!
I feel this show paints couponing in the wrong light. I am not an extreme couponer, but my family helps 3 other families(total of 19 people including my family) who have income problems and are on limited food stamps, plus we donate several boxes of items to our local food bank monthly. I do not buy thousands of coupons, but many weeks we may buy 5 Sunday papers for the coupon inserts or buy from coupon clipping sites. I could not imagine walking into one of my local stores and using 70 mustard coupons in on visit. We may have 10 bottles of ketchup , mustard and mayonaise on our shelves at any time, plus dozens of packages of toilet paper and other various items we buy when we get great deals. We also seasonally will stock up on several dozens cans of soups , vegetables and other less perishable things. We have been doing this for 4 years and our method and implementation has changed a lot. In the beginning it was a kick to get a lot of things for practically nothing. As time has gone by we have learned to purchase more smartly and more efficiently. We turn our inventory every 3-5 months and if disaster would ever befall us, my family would not have to worry for a very long time. I am learning how to save money without sacrificing my time doing it. I think the show is over the top and lacks a lot of truth in its message. I think what should be shown is the ability to use coupons wisely with store sales to get your best return for your dollar. Most ordinary shoppers do not have the time or patience to go to their local store and shop like those people on this show. It is so unrealistic. My shopping can be intense sometimes, but never like on this show. We go out to get things 1- 3 times a week sometimes, and since gas prices have risen so much, we try not to go more than what our inventory needs or can hold. I like sharing our spoils with others not so fortunate. I wish that was communicated better with that show, some of those people are so selfish sounding.
I HAVE LITTLE INCOME AND SUPPORTING A FAMILY OF 3. I ALSO HAVE TO HELP MY LITTLE SISTER AND HER 3 KIDS MY RETIRED GRAND MOTHER AND MY DIS ABLED GRAND FATHER. THAT I A TOTLA OF 4 HOME AND 9 PEOPLE. I NEED TO START EXTREM COUPONING. ME AND MY LLITTLE SISTER ARE READY BUT DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START. HELP.
I coupon for things my family needs. I don’t think that we need 50 frozen pizzas nor do I have a place to store all this stuff BUT I do love the idea of extreme couponing for a shelter or food pantry!
I have watched the show and I have read all your comments here and it just strikes me as funny that there are tons of people sitting there (including the store manager) watching these people use hundred of coupons for a huge grocery order and only pay about $10 or less ( sometimes a little more – but not usually).
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 really think its a misuse of coupons most coupons say limit one per customers . I think the companies are going to stop coupons and store stop doubling .Something wrong with the when by using coupons they pay you saw a extreme coupon make 51.00 dollars for buying 112 bottles of excrin thats just not right .
Angela their are stores like Target, Publix and Giant Eagle that allows you to use one of their coupons and a manufactures coupon on the same item together. Walgreen’s does this also. It’s worth it to clip coupons. Giant Eagles for example they have eoffer coupons that you can load on your Giant Eagle card and you can also use a paper coupon with it. I’ve gotten items for free because of this. Most of the the time it’s the same amount taken off that is on the paper coupon. I have a small stock pile and most of my items is free or under $1. I teach people how to coupon the honest way and build a pile. Depending on the item I get between 5-10. I make multiple trips. I also donate half of what I get. It takes time but I help others so it’s worth it. I also teach coupons for the busy mom. Don’t let the show get you over happy or mad. Start out small. You should never pay full price for toothpaste, deodorant , gum and mouthwash.
My name is Kathleen and I attend college in Massachusetts. I am involved in multiple homeless outreach programs and am working on starting a national organization on my campus called Campus Kitchens Project where we collect food from our dining halls and other local restaurants to serve meals to the hungry community. I have watched extreme couponing before but it never clicked until a few weeks ago. I am looking to donate the large amount of things I buy to homeless shelters and people on the street…My money could go a lot farther doing extreme couponing and I could affect a lot more people. If anyone has any advice that they could give me to get started I would really appreciate it!! My email is midge716@yahoo.com Please feel free to contact me! Thanks :)
the coupons that i print of off the comp the stores in dem and thomasville dose not take them .so what can i do .
I myself like to coupon shop, but there is no way that I even buy more than 5 items of one product at a clip……….. These ladies are obsessed and are hoarders……..Can you imagine if their house ever goes on fire — and all their stockpile goes up in flames?
How can you use multiple coupons to purchase a single item?
there are some places like HEB that don’t take coupon cards and offer their own in-store coupons. and most of it is things I dont use. I do think these ppl take atvantage of the system, and do think it’s going to be harder for others to use or even save money on couponing. I hope these people realize there might come a day when coupons are gone……then what are they going to do ?
I could never extreme coupon though I love couponing! I’m also worried the ‘extreme couponers’ might ruin couponing for the rest of us (aside from clearing our shelves it might affect coupon policies with stores too). Already these last few months a couple stores have changed their coupon policies and manufacturers are getting stricter on coupons too – like with P&G doing their only “4 like coupons”.
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.
I agree! I don’t wanna go to the food bank for my food! I just wanna get my cheap 2 bottles of mustard or 2 packs of noodles from the store! I get more and more mad about this show everytime I read a post on it! LOL
I noticed when I watched the show that they gave their store card after everything was rang up…this then makes everything what the sale price is then they do their coupons. I realize they are saving 90% or more but I’m saving 40-50% and happy with that. I have a job and kids and I don’t have the added hours and hours to coupon.
I feel like this show is a bit too much! I truly feel like this is the new hoarding, except people think it’s acceptable because they are saving a lot of money, or in some cases getting money back. It’s people like this that make it hard for the rest of us to find the items to use our coupons on because they have cleaned off the shelves. And who needs 1000 packages of Ramen noodles or 100 years worth of toilet paper! Save some for the rest of us, or at least single handedly supply your local free store food bank!
Thanks for pointing out that this is an addiction. I tried couponing but it was too time-consuming. I prefer to find coupons for things I’ll buy and actually use. It seems like some of the people on the show just buy things b/c they have a coupon for it. I also think this show and people who hoard are going to change policies and coupons.
I did get to a point when I first started I was buying all sorts of stuff I would never use! I did donate the things we couldn’t use…but I was getting them for pennies or FREE…so it wasn’t a loss out of my pocket but a loss of my time which is just as valuable!
Jill…I think they have already changed policys because of this! Kroger’s is gonna stop 2x and 3x coupons in Tx and La next week! Talk about a bummer for the rest of the world that uses coupons w/o being selfish!
We need to start another television show…Real Couponers of Indiana!
HA! That wouldn’t be “extreme” enough for “Reality” TV! :)
I think that these people are WAY too extreme. Don’t get me wrong, the show is great and I’ll keep watching. But buying 77 bottles of mustard? Really? I’d buy maybe 5. They go way too overboard.
Even 5 might be a bit much for some families! Maybe if you were donating the 77 bottles!!!
i agree with u it seemed too much ..and that lady didnt seem like a lady that will donate it cuz her husband said lets leave three in the self n she decides to take it all doesnt matter…well it does matter cuz there is other couponers wanting the good deal too!. just my opinion.