Extreme Couponing - Cherryville,MO

I barely have time for a shower so I seriously don't have time to organize or find coupons. I find couponing irritating. I agree that most coupons that I have ever seen are for brands I don't use, items I don't use and most of the stores I've seen have signs that say the max amount they allow is a dollar off. I don't even know any local stores that allow items to be free unless they advertised it in their own store circular.

I also agree with the person below that said that just because a person can do something doesn't mean they should. If they stopped all this nonsense then they could lower the prices for everyone and just charge a fair rate to begin with.

Hubby is right. Most coupon printer things have the cookies (I think that is the right word) that then watches what you browse for and tracks which coupons you are printing.

I use certain coupons - like Similac has had $5 off coupons and then with different store sales I can get the big tub that is normally $22 a can down to $10. I also use coupons for beauty products like tooth paste and deodarant, but thats it.

I haven't seen the show, but I'm a coupon QUEEN ;)

I have not seen the show but from the sounds of what everyone is saying it is not realistic and is giving coupons a bad rap. I love my coupons. It is my hobby, not a waste of time. Everyone has a hobby but my hobby actually saves me money. In the past month I have gotten a $38.00 VS bra for $8, free AVEDA bathsalt and cream, free Reach floss and Crest toothpaste, Coach wristlet for $25.00 (a treat for myself), $2 worth of fresh produce for free, free yogurt, .99 Silk almond milk and so much more. Even if you do not use frozen foods there are many coupons for other things. We do not use a lot of frozen foods but we do buy cereal, bread, pasta, rice, all things that I have used coupons for.
I like hip2save.com, target.com and coupon.com.You can use target coupons, together with manufacturers coupons. I aso like Whole foods coupons. I have Celiac and I have not found a bread recipe that I like, so without a coupon my bread could cost $6.00 a loaf!!! I have never had a problem with viruses on any of these sights. I also get 2 Sunday papers, but that is more because my husband and I like different papers.
I go through the ads each week and make a shopping list. I then match up my coupons to my list. I store my coupons in one notebook and baseball card sleeves that I picked up at Target.
I will not use a ton of coupons at once because I do not want to hold up the line for other shoppers. I also go at off times and if I have more then a couple coupons I will let other shoppers go in front of me.
The store I do most of my shopping is the furthest away, so I start there and stop at the other stores on the way back. I am not wasting gas because I would have to pass these stores anyway.
It is a great way to save money if you do not buy items just because you have a coupon. I am a crazy coupon lady and loving it!

I haven't seen the show (don't have cable) but from what I understand it's truly extreme to the extent of being ridiculous, showcasing people who are basically organized hoarders.

Coupons can definitely save you money, but the trick is to match them to sales so that you get the really good deals, sometimes even getting items for free. It doesn't have to take a lot of time, just some attention to sales and matching coupons to them. There are a ton of websites and coupon blogs that do most of the work for you, all you have to do is obtain the coupons.

It does make sense to stock up when it is an item that you use often and you have the room to store it. But the pictures I've seen of people with shelves holding 20 bottles of windex and cases of lotions and soaps are crazy. If you have the coupons needed to legitimately get the deals on all that stuff, it makes more sense to me to donate the excess.

I don't believe shows like this are doing anything to help the average consumer learn how to maximize their grocery budget. All it does is sensationalize using coupons, sometimes in unethical and even illegal manners. That just makes it harder for those of us who want to use legit coupons in a legit way, because stores will begin to really scrutinize coupon usage and give us a hard time.

It you do some research there is apparently an investigation about this lady and coupon fraud. I read the article on MSN a week or so ago. It shows her purchasing one item and using coupons for a different item, but they have the same part of the UPC code so the register will take them.

I'm not saying all are frauds because I can do well with coupons when I have the time to use them.

I saw the show for the first time the other day and it made me sick. I found the woman to have a very glutonous attitude (I'm not talking about her size here). The scene that I saw had her buying out the entire store shelf of mustard because they are 39-cents each with a coupon. I don't know about everyone here, but I maybe go through one bottle of yellow mustard a year. If she was buying up the mustard for a local food bank, that would be one thing, but I don't get how you would ever want to buy that much mustard and store it for what may be the rest of your life.

And then I was thinking about how, if she is buying up all of the mustard in the store-- and it's highly probable there will be another mustard coupon printed up in the local paper within the next 12-months -- then it makes it difficult for other people -- people who may actually need to purchase just one or two bottles of mustard because they are out -- from benefiting from the deal. I just found the whole thing very shocking.

But I am with you though. We don't eat a lot of processed foods and I'm really into buying only those items that we really need and will consume (not being a money waster), so a lot of times there are not a lot of coupons that we can take advantage of. We just rely on the store sales instead.

I have seen a bit of the show, and I agree with the poster who described it as organized hoarding.

I only clip the coupons in the paper that are for items we already use. (If you buy everything you have a coupon for, but aren't going to use it, then it's not really saving, is it?) Some of them come pretty often - I don't remember the last time I paid full price for Ziploc baggies (our local store brand ones are too flimsy or don't seal well for the freezer) or feminine hygene products. I also do about 95% of my shopping at the store here that tends to have the best deals. If that means that I miss out and pay a dollar or two more for my groceries this week than I would have, then it'll probably even out next week anyway; even if it doesn't, my time is still worth something.

The real trick is "stacking" coupons, and taking advantage of whatever deals your local store uses. For instance, our store - HEB - does a couple of different "combo locos" every week. This might be something like, if you buy hot dogs, the store brand shredded cheese is free. And if I have a coupon for hot dogs, they'll let me use that, too; since the "free" coupon is for the cheese, it isn't doubling up on coupons.

I tried to dowload a coupon printer, and downloaded a virus with it. I don't remember which one it was, but I'm going to stay away from all of them. Most of the coupons you can print from individual stores, though, don't require you to download anything, and I haven't had a problem with that. Also, check out the websites for products you buy a lot of - you might be able to print a coupon that requires no download, or in cases like Pampers.com or Proctor & Gamble, they will mail you coupons.

I saw the advertising and part of the show and it looks like some sort of addiction to see how much you can get for nothing. Really,.... I believe in stocking up and I have a well stocked pantry and freezer but the extreme thing is a little insane to me. Some of the contestants on there need to get a life.

I am not a couponer. My time=money and it is not worth driving all over town to different stores for different deals. That kindof defeats the purpose in my opinion.... time, gas, wear and tear on car. I shop smart.

One of the people on the show said she spent 4-6 hours preparing for a trip.. Gees... I think she could use her time more wisely and probably save as much money or more.

I wouldn't do the downloads either, it's just asking for trouble plus you have to go buy more printer ink!!

I saw only part of the show, but I do know people who do this, although not to the crazy extreme of putting things under beds, etc. From what I understand you have to be diligent about checking sales at every store in town and saving every coupon from the sunday paper. CVS seems to be one place that is really easy to get "free" stuff. Frankly, it's just too much work for me, but I must admit, I am amazed and a tiny bit jealous when my friends show me the haul they got for like $1.25.

I have used printable coupons and I have not had any problems. The site I use most often is coupondivas.com and they give grocery coupons as well as other tips and deals. Mostly their coupons are the same as the newspaper but they are free and sometimes I will find one in the paper and the look up another one so I can get two of an item. I do use coupons, but I'm just not that dedicated!

My problem is most of the coupons are for items we never use (like you mentioned). oh well! I do keep an eye out for those rare coupons for the stuff we buy. I have not seen that show. Where do people find the coupons for toilet paper, kleenex, toothpaste etc? Do they have them for Sensodyne and for the recycled toilet paper. sigh. I wish I were more coupon savvy. We don't have a CVS or Walgreens or any pharmacy where we live so we pretty much get everything from our 2 local grocery stores. I use the coupons they mail to me but it's not really that big of a savings.

I've seen it. It is very addicting. Most of the people, there is one guy they've shown have go to EXTREME! Not just in their savings, but in what they purchased. I've probably seen 10 profiles. They all have these 4 inch binders.

There was one lady that buys what she needs at that moment or within the next two weeks, max. She gets all of her coupons from the neighborhood that she walks daily. Excerise and saving money!

The other 9 profiles, showed people that would buy for a month or a year at a time. One lady bragged about being penniless to couponing and now having at any time $40,000 worth of food and items staged throughout her house and garage that she probably only paid $5000 for. That is insane.

There is one guy that when he finds large amounts of free food items will donate them to his church outreach, but the others were just food hoarders. Buying 60 single candy bars, 40 bottles of mustard, 100 boxes of pasta at a time, just because its free with their coupon. Fine great, its free, but donate it. Don't hoard it.

The guy PAYS a coupon service to send him hundreds of coupons at a time. He also buys 10 papers w/ coupons a week. If you are paying for the coupon, how are the items then free?

I have watched it, and it actually disturbs me!! I read a very detailed article with stills from the show that included all her coupons vs. the groceries she bought. One of the ladies on the show commits "coupon fraud." Which so happens to be very illegal.

The part that really sickens me, is they hoard all these things in their houses...when local food pantries are desperate for these items. Do you really think one family can go through thousands and thousands of these items? Maybe, if there weren't buying them every week...but since they buy more and more and more...they have so much their families will never use. I can think of all the people that could benefit from this. And I'm sickened by these women, and their obsession and greed.

We only eat meat, fruit, veggies, and eggs. We don't keep any processed foods at all. Coupons do nothing for us. We save way MORE money by gardening and purchasing from a co-op.

I have seen the show and I think the people are a little loopy. No offense.
Their homes have turned into wharehouses. It's great to have a supply of things on hand, but I think they said one family had enough toilet paper to last 40 years or something like that. And they still buy it.
I don't think it's a matter of needing these things, necessarily, it's just the thrill of trying to get all of it for nothing.
I'm a very thrifty person, but I also have a full time job and I don't have time concentrate on coupons 24 hours a day.
Sometimes just getting through the check-out can take literally hours. That doesn't sound like a fun time to me. I've always heard too, that if you have a coupon for something that you wouldn't normally buy anyway, you're not really saving any money.
That said, it's their time and their business. If it floats their boat, more power to them.

I have seen the show and it is totally for rating just to make people buzz about it. I have never personally seen ANYONE shop that way, and i'm sure they arrange with the store before they film so that they can order a few more bottles of mustard.

If you don't feel comfortable downloading coupons don't worry about it. I get my coupons from the local paper and my MIL saves the ones she doesn't use and that gives me plenty.

I have tons to say on this subject but i will stick to one point. While most of my grocery bill is for fresh fruits and produce,with a family of 4 I could spend quite a bit on TOILET PAPER, KLEENEX, DEODORANT, SHAMPOO,TOOTHBRUSHES, and TOOTHPASTE. If you choose not to include those things in your defination of groceries, or if you happen to make your own out of lye and tree bark, Then good for you. If I can drive past 1 RiteAid and 2 CVS's on my way home from my part time job or the library, then it makes sense for me to follow a couponing blog, clip my coupons and never pay more than 50 cents for these items, if that, sometimes i do buy more than one roll of TP at a time, I can usually find a place to squeeze it in. It's been great to get these items so cheaply or for free and donate them to soldiers and to local shelters. I swear we get solicitations through school and boyscouts at least twice a year.

So That my love, would be what you are missing, but hey, if it isn't for you, then it isn't for you.

I have several friends that are extreme couponers.

Yes, I am envious of their supply!

I could never do it for the reasons listed....
-You have to be super organized-my friends have meetings on how to best organize coupons. They also look through recycle bins and collect tons of coupon pages so not only do you have to find places to put all the coupons (about 3 months worth) you have to know where to find them when a deal strikes
-They spend several hours of their days organizing coupons and at several different grocery stores each day
-THe coupons are great for items such as toothpaste, detergent and other stuff like that. But, for food it is also processed junk

To answer a few of your other questions-
-You buy multiples of one item when it is the RIGHT deal...say toothpaste for $.10 a piece. Then you don't have to buy it for a while until it is a good deal again. So, stocking up is a major part of couponing.
-If it is cheaper to buy generic than brand name with coupon, then it isn't the right deal at the moment. There are several websites that will send a RSS feed with the items on sale on a particular day, at which store, and the date of the coupon insert in which you can find the coupon.

Would I love to save all the money that they do? Yes. But, I think it is a little extreme and wouldn't be able to do it!

First, I'm going to get on a soapbox and say I think extreme couponing bridges on close to immoral. Just because a person can do something doesn't mean they should. /soapbox.

Next, I don't buy many processed foods, but I do still end up using coupons. As another mama mentioned, many are for things you may use- Target regularly has coupons for their house brand items like ibuprophen, vitamins, toilet paper. Before I shop, I go online and download all the coupons online that match up to my list. I work in IT and business management and heartily disagree with your husband. Coupon downloaders from reputable sites (anything endorse by a major food brand, coupons.com) is perfectly safe and very convenient.