What I think of Extreme Couponing
Or, what I can think of it without having seen a whole show.
Which might mean that my credibility on the topic is pretty low.
I won't be offended if you leave now.
So! A lot of people have been writing to me asking for my opinion on the Extreme Couponing show. It's a pretty hot topic on couponing blogs, and I've read some good, sensible posts about it.
But since you all seem to want me to share my thoughts, here they are.
Actually, first I have a thought about reality TV in general.
A while back, I read an article about how we love reality TV because it feeds our pride. Reality TV is about people who are, well, extreme, and since most of us aren't extreme, we feel better about ourselves after watching it.
I've never been a huge reality TV fan, but after I read that article, I realized how right this author was. Whenever I do catch a reality show, I'm pretty much guaranteed to feel better about myself. I don't have children by 5 different men, my house isn't THAT messy, my clothes aren't THAT frumpy, I'm not THAT out of shape, I'm not THAT stupid with my money, and so on.
Then I feel a sense of superiority, which is bad in and of itself, but that sense of superiority can make me more blind to the faults that I do have.
So, I've concluded that reality TV is just not healthy for me, and so I haven't even watched any YouTube clips of the Extreme Couponing show. I already know I'm not an extreme couponing kind of person, and watching the show would probably tempt me to feel disdainful about people who shop that way.
Now, about the actual couponing! I've written before about why I'm not a coupon queen and I also shared my thoughts on the shopper who spends $4/week to feed her family. Those posts will give you a pretty good summary of my thoughts on couponing.
I don't necessarily think that being way into couponing is wrong, but it can get into iffy territory.
There are a number of ways to be an unethical couponer by doing things like:
-buying coupons (that's illegal)
-using coupons on products other than the ones they're intended for (like using a Raisin Bran Crunch coupon on regular Raisin Bran)
-using coupons that are expired (this is generally only allowed on military bases overseas)
-using multiple addresses to send in multiple rebates
-using decoding to find coupons that work on any product (sometimes coupons are coded in such a way that they can basically be used like cash).
Also, I think it's pretty clear that manufacturers do not intend for shoppers to have sixty bazillion copies of each coupon...the fine print on the coupon says it's wrong to sell them and most even say that it's wrong to transfer the coupons. So, I wouldn't feel comfortable utilizing coupon clipping services, even if they charge a "clipping fee", and I wouldn't feel comfortable buying coupon inserts either.
Aside from ethical concerns, I personally am not tempted to go the extreme couponing route for a number of reasons.
1. It's not worth my time
I spend $400/month to feed my family of six, so even if I managed to coupon so well that I got all our groceries for free (and to do that, I'd have to seriously compromise the quality of food that we eat), the net pay for my time could never be more than $400/month. That, to me, is not worth spending hours clipping coupons, buying coupons, and making a multitude of shopping trips.
I know these extreme shoppers come away with $1000 of groceries for free, but I wouldn't consider that to be a $1000 savings for me. I just don't see how I could justifiably say that I was saving any more than I'm already spending.
2. There aren't oodles of coupons for products that I buy
I prefer to buy a lot of plain groceries, and those don't tend to have high-value coupons. Bare-naked produce, cannisters of oatmeal, milk, flour, and other such foods aren't the type of products that manufacturers like to "push" with coupons. Plus, I'm trying to buy more local, sustainably produced food when possible, and the Sunday paper sure doesn't have coupons for groceries like that.
3. I like me some generics
Buy generic products is so simple and fast, and I've been quite happy with most of the generics I've purchased, especially at Aldi. Couponing takes time, effort, planning, and requires a stockpile, but generic buying just doesn't. Love that simplicity!
4. Couponing is not the only way to reduce a grocery bill.
If you're wanting to save money on your groceries, but you feel like extreme couponing just isn't for you, take heart. It is possible to maintain a reasonable grocery bill without resorting to becoming a crazy couponer.
Since I don't want to make this post ridiculously long, next week I'll post some tips for spending less on groceries without resorting to extreme couponing.
I'm sure some of you have seen the show, so I'm curious to hear your thoughts. What are your thoughts on extreme couponing?
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Today's 365 post: Fancifying yogurt smoothies
Joshua's 365 post: The Ellwood Elephants and the Blue Explosion
I agree!
There arent many options for people that attempt to eat REAL food!
However I do know a blog that has a lot of coupons on healthy/organic items.
Anyway, I feel like the whole extreme coupon movement is promoting obsession. Just like hoarders . . . its not good to be obsessed with buying things that you can never use in a million years.
Who needs 428 bottles of salad dressing? Really?
The local grocery store is cashing in on the phenomenon and offering ridiculous coupon matches which have people crowding up the stores for the chance of getting 14 bags of cornchips for 3 cents.
Not worth it in my opinion.
I love coupons, but not for food. I always print off store coupons for places like Roberts, Kohls, and Bed, Bath, and Beyond before I hit the store. However, these coupons come in my email inbox or from the store's website. I save big bucks when purchasing gifts this way.
As far as food goes, my preferences are for what I like to call "ingredients" over "ready made meals." Thus, like you coupons don't work for me.
Thank you for pointing out the ethical ramifications of extreme couponing. I'd never considered them. Those are sound points I've never heard before!
I am with you there - I would say that 80% of the clothes and household items I buy are discounted in some way, which helps stretch the budget for those items. I also use grocery store coupons for things like toilet paper, papertowels, dishwasher soap and toiletries I would have used anyway. I rarely use coupons for food, as most of it is processed or they make you buy 4 cans to get 25 cents off, and I am really only going to use 1 can occasionally.
Agreed! I always take advantage of coupons for Kohls, Macy's, Bed Bath and Beyond, New York and Co, Limited, etc. You can get some REALLY good deals that way (often to the tune of 20-30% off). I also always google coupon codes before I put through any online purchase, and I've saved myself money that way too.
agree with you 100%! Years ago I was huge into couponing, and it ended up costing me a LOT of time, and yes money. We also ate crappy food.
Now, we're a family of five on a $100 a week grocery budget, and like you I stick to 'plain' foods, organics, and local choices. Now, if the farmers market started offering coupons I might get back into it 🙂
I have a question! When you all say your budget $400 a month for your family for groceries... is that just food? I budget $120 per week for our family of three, but that includes diapers, hygiene items, medicines, light bulbs, pet supplies, etc. Plus I spend $18 a week on a CSA box of produce delivered to our house. $120 is about as low as I can get us, but again, that includes a bunch of non-food stuff. I would love to know about other families 🙂
Thanks!
Oh, and I use coupons on the non-food items and sometimes on things like spaghetti sauce, pasta and canned fruit. But I, too, prefer "real" food or ingredients, so coupons for things like boxed meals just don't work for me. Thanks for you article!
we're a family of five on a $400 a month grocery budget, and I just blogged about this covers yesterday on my blog, if you're interested 🙂
http://raspberrymusings.wordpress.com/2011/05/11/the-budget-vs-healthy-eating-defining-your-grocery-budget/
Kristin has covered this in the past - her budget of $400/month covers everything you'd buy at a grocery store - shampoo, household cleaners, etc.
She doesn't have any kids in diapers, so no diapers or wipes, and she doesn't use most paper goods other than toilet paper (cloth napkins, cloth towels in the kitchen, etc.), so those are not part of the budget either.
We have a budget of $500/month for a family of 3 (and a half - I'm pregnant!), but that also includes our eating out budget, so I spend around $400-$450/month on my groceries (including paper napkins, diapers for my 2-year-old, wipes, etc.) in the Cincinnati area. I also have gestational diabetes, so we eat more meat, eggs, and cheese than Kristin's family because I can't fill in the gaps (for me) with carb-based baked goods! 🙁
So I grew up with what some would consider extreme couponing. Now my mom never bought sixty copies of the Sunday Paper for the inserts, but she clipped coupons and sorted them in her homemade coupon organizer. We then drove once a month for an hour an a half to go to a store that at the time had a Customer Loyalty Card that entitled you to special sales and would double all coupons, not just to $1, this store still has the customer loyalty card for extra savings, and doubles coupons but only to $1.
My oldest sister was Hyperactive so we didn't have much processed foods, foods with sugar or food coloring. Coupons back in the day (20+ years ago) were for General Mills Cereal not a specific box of GM Cereal, and lots of frozen veggies and canned veggies.
My mom would walk away with a months worth of groceries for our family of 5 for about $100 (three over piled shopping carts - not including meat, dairy, eggs or fresh produce all of which we got locally in our farm town).
What I remember is my mom would only buy General Mills Cereal when we had a coupon otherwise we got the big bulk cereal in bags from the co-op, Puffed Wheat, Puffed Rice and Corn Flakes. So my middle sisted would walk the cereal aisle with all the cereal coupons checking the store sale, because unless it was next to free we didn't get it. The only time we had things like Oreo Cookies was when the coupon made them free, and even then we kids didn't generally get them (I did cause I was up at 2 am in the morning like my mums) because my oldest sister couldn't have them.
I always felt bad for the cashier that we got. They could never repack the groceries into our three carts and we always ended up getting help taking extra carts out to the car, and it would take us just about 45 minutes to ring out and use the coupons. Then if something didn't come up on the store sale like it was supposed to, heaven help you, the store manager was involved.
Now I do coupon. I use Coupons.com and Mambo Sprouts. I check the coupons against my Co-op's twice monthly specials and I use coupons to purchase items I otherwise would not purchase at a great price (like R.W. Knudsens' Just Juice). I don't buy cookies and junk, but I do buy Tea with coupons, Coffee, love coupons on Frontier Organic Spices and Extracts, I use coupons on Barbara's Organic Cereal, Coconut and Almond milk, which without coupons I simply don't buy. I do not use a coupon to save a $1 to buy a $3 product I wouldn't normally buy.
I also haven't watched Extreme Couponers, but having lived in what sounds like mild scenario to what these shows are and know what coupons are out there these days, it wouldn't be my pick. I do read blogs that tell me I can get x,y and z for free at CVS using the card, the coupon and a rebate. But since I don't use x,y, or z I am not saving any money, and sure I could turn around and sell it, but since I wouldn't buy it from someone at a garage sale why would I put it out?
When they start printing coupons for apples and oranges and veggies - THEN I will become an extreme couponer (altho, its not even possible in Canada no matter what - too many restrictions). I find if I DO use coupons for things other than paper products, I'm buying things that we end up not using. SO how on earth would I save money?
I have watched one episode of that Extreme coupon show - and I can't imagine having pasta for 3 yrs.....especially when I'm used to fresh homemade pasta for only pennies more.
Except fresh pasta and dried pasta aren't really the same thing. They are as different as grapes and raisins. Neither is superior to the other. Besides, dry pasta (assuming it's kept in a cool dry place) has a shelf life that of Plutonium 239.
Once its cooked and on a plate, pasta is pasta with the only difference being how it got there and the flavour it has. If fresh pasta is only pennies more and way more flavourful, then for our family, it is superior to dry. But every family is different. If I was spending 60hrs a week clipping coupons I wouldn't have the time to make fresh pasta, so dry would be the only option.
plus... throw in that Plutonium 239 aspect - which totally made me crack up - and yah - fresh is totally the only option! LOL
The fact that it lasts longer doesn't make it less superior. It just means that it's just flour, water and salt. Fresh pasta has eggs in it so they in some ways are as different as white bread and rye bread, really.
If you prefer the fresh stuff, by all means go for it (no pasta is the only good pasta in my mind 😉 ) but I can acknowledge that it's not exactly bad food because it doesn't spoil. Honey never spoils for example.
@Rachel - when I say $100 a week (which is not $400 a month, some months it is $500 based on a 5 week month) I mean everything. I have 2 cats so cat food (and I buy them organic cat food), kitty litter (also an organic product Sweat Scoop), tp, etc. I don't buy a lot of non-food items so I guess it helps. What my $200 does not include is meat. I buy my meat in 50lb bulk packs from a local Grass finished Beef Farm and that comes out of a separate fund.
I find that we need laundry soap every 3 months or so (and that is with a normal size bottle of HE laundry soap), razor blades (DH face, GreenTeen and I legs - every monthish) Shampoo (from a local organic source) is about every 2 months. I have worked to get these non-food items on different weeks so I am not spending a lot on non-food items each week. My kitty food and Kitty litter I buy in Bulk (with coupons for my pricey organic brand) and I need to buy 1 bag every 6 weeks, so I make sure there is 3 weeks in between my litter and food purchases. Also when I say I average $100 it is because most weeks I spend $75-$80 and then use the excess to pay for the litter and food when I need it or additional non-food supplies as the needs arise, overall it balances out to about $100/week. Something that Frugal Girl says is it may not be possible for everyone to get down to $100/week. Where you live and the cost of food has a lot to do with how your grocery bill is.
I think extreme couponing is just outright fraud. The companies never intended for any one person to buy more than one or two items using their coupons. I am sure a new ruling on coupons is due to come out soon with only one coupon allowed per person. Not sure about the integrity of these extreme couponers. I am much more impressed when someone donates from their own pocket rather than taking advantage of a company to do their donating.
I pretty much stopped doing coupons years ago, and like you, it led to an improvement in the foods that we eat. Most coupons are for processed foods which are also the least healthy.
Companies know that a few people use more than their fair share of coupons. They read blogs, so do the grocery stores corporate people. Only 20% of the coupons a company issues are actually used and it's still a good tool to get people to try a product. The stores make eight cents for every legal coupon they turn in to the companies so I don't think they are going to stop either.
I use coupons for the few items I buy that have coupons. I cook from scratch and make my own cleaners. I have found ecoupons from my grocery store for fresh vegtables I would normally buy without the coupon. What couponing has done for me, is make me put together a spreadsheet from my recipts to see what the prices are for the stores I shop. That way I can easily determine if a coupon for Mayo is really cheaper than Aldi. Most of the time it isn't, which saves me from running from store to store. It also saves me time trying to match sales to coupons.
If I print coupons, I only print and buy the 2 coupon per computer limit. I'm not in a race to get the biggest stockpile of mustard but I AM trying to save money where I can on those things that only go on sale with the exception of Earth Day like Seventh Generation dish detergent.
i use coupons - faithfully! Somethings I just hate paying full price for (toilet paper, tampax, cleaning products, razors to shave the legs) and I am not picky about the brand. I search the sunday papers and "friended" several nices pages on facebook. I request the free stuff, give my opinion when asked and have a binder to keep myself organized. With that being said-----I also have a normal weekly shopping list and two stores that I visit every week -- I don't buy more than I need for a 30 days supply, I don't use multiple address' or emails, i still buy the least expensive not what is on the coupon and use all coupons "legally" to the best of my knowledge. I save about $40 a week using coupons and spend about 1 hour a week keeping it straight (usually during the 10 o'clock news) and my son loves using his new "FREE" toothbrush (anything to get the 9yr old to brush his teeth everyday). The bonus free samples we get in the mail are perfect for my gymbag totin', summer camp travelin' daughter and I have been known to throw some freebies (gum, hard candie, hand lotion) in a cute bag to take to a sick friend.
Couponing and freebies can save money - but extreme couponing is just that "EXTREME"
My fiancee and I do a lot of couponing and we've even been tempted to get two or three papers just for super coupons. We do ask family and friends to save specific coupons for us for products that we use that we know they don't. A few weeks ago we bought items that we always use and using coupons, sales and other deals got $100 worth of groceries for around $40. This week was pretty sparse so we bought some Top Round London Broil steak using a store coupon and a BOGO sale and not much else.
I will happily coupon on the packaged stuff like crackers and chips so that I can spend more money on fresh produce. Coupons also allow me to buy King Arthur flour or Cabot Cheese instead of the generic. So they are a balancing act. I wish I had the time and energy (and room) to have six months worth of free Toilet paper and catsup but I don't. If there is a deal I come across that I won't use but I know I can get for free, I put it in the food basket at work.
It's funny, one Costco pack of TP is 6 months worth in our house. No extreme required. I can't imagine what these folks' homes will look like in say...3 years.
Some people actually sell their stockpiles at yard sales which is a bit iffy in my mind. If I got 20 tubes of toothpaste for $2 total, I'd be supplying my friends and family first.
Great article, great comments above.
I think the show is ridiculous, but that is what gets the reviews. It just makes it harder on the honest coupon users. I do belive that a couple of the people on the shows did commit some type of coupon fraud. One was using the "family" coding to buy items not on the coupons and the other used a tuna coupon on a different tuna. I had some of thos e tuna coupons and know they said "gourmet" tuna, not meant for the cheap cans of tuna. Regardless, I do use coupons only for things I buy. Mostly HBA, paper, crackers, yogurt items. I too prefer to buy more produce and more local products. So it is definately a balancing act. Here in our state (AR) we are taxed on pre coupon amount so free items are not really free. The drugstore game is not that beneficial to me either because I have to put out money to get these Register Rewards that I have to spend in this store again. They expire in 2 weeks and I do not get to that store very often. Now I must admit, I do love to ad match at Walmart. We do not have an Aldi or SAv a Lot so I do the best I can ad matching. Looking forward to your tips.
I agree! It is just me and hubby at our house (we usually have friends over on the weekend) we spend less than $25 a week on groceries. For us coupons aren't really an option, because of the large amount they want you to buy and also they are processed foods that we try to stay away from. We save money by buying our meat and eggs from a local farmer, growing our own garden, and canning things from the garden. Plus I take advantage of preserving things that are in season so we have them all year round. For example in the fall I bought a bushel of apples that were seconds and I split them between making apple sauce and pie filling, then canned them. I peeled the apples and saved the skins to boil down and make apple jelly. 🙂 There was no waste and I got A LOT out of the apples ... sorry for rambling LOL
$25 a week for 2 and no coupons? Maybe you should start a blog - I know I would read it. 🙂
Having to delurk to say Brava!!! Thank you. This is exactly how I feel about coupons.
A lot of these 'extreme coupon-ers' brag about having a storehouse of food... I can't understand why you would need that unless you ARE a food bank. Too much, it just seems like such gluttony and "storing up" things on earth that we don't really need... Also, I agree that there are just not coupons for "fresh" foods, which are way healthier. Also, I can't justify using a coupon and being excited about a "deal" if I wouldn't originally have bought that product in the first place-which I feel like a lot of people do with coupons... And my final "also," at least in the state of Ohio, some stores are starting to ban stacking coupons anyhow b/c of losing profits... Abusing the system is going to have effects on everyone.
Amber, there are very few stores - if any that will stack coupons here in Manitoba - in fact, the only one I can think of is London Drugs - a store from the USA. We are limited to one coupon, per item, per transaction. And the same goes for me - if I'm going to buy air fresheners because I got a deal on them - even free - and then never use them, why bother!
It's funny, I just had a FB post about this the other day. 🙂 No, I've never seen the show either. I caught clips of it when some of the folks in the department were chatting about it and they were pulling it up online. Now, as far as coupons are concerned, I do use them but ONLY for things I normally buy. Which, as you might have guessed, isn't too often. I am a member of Costco and I do use the coupons they give for the products we use (laundry soap, paper towels, toilet paper and some meat/dairy/produce) when I need to buy it. In other words, it doesn't help me to have a new gargantuan bottle of laundry soap in my laundry room when I'm only 1/4 of the way through the current gargantuan bottle. But, if I'm close to empty, and the coupon comes, then fine.
With that said, I was quite please with my last grocery store visit and the savings I had. But this latest grocery visit was not usual. My husband and I both work away from home and are in graduate school and he practically lives on Weight Watcher entrees (It's good after having gastric bypass surgery a few years ago.) Yeah, they're sodium bombs, but it is a balanced, hot meal to eat when you literally only have 5-10 minutes to get in a quick meal. Anyway, my neighbor is a WW leader and she brings me coupons for the entrees all of the time. I hold on to them, and then stock the garage freezer when the entrees go on sale at the local store. If I'm lucky, the coupons don't expire before they go on sale, but when it magically happens, I basically get his meals for < $1 a piece.
That is the extent of my 'extreme' couponing. If I'm lucky, it happens twice a year. LOL!
I love coupons! I'm single and don't cook much, so coupons for packaged/frozen food that I would buy anyway save me good money. I also use coupons for my vitamins and supplements, and I buy them when Walgreens has buy one/get one free. Because I do this, I can afford to buy fresh produce at the farmer's market.
I don't like extreme couponing (or extreme anything) for all the reasons already mentioned. I know that ethical reasons were already mentioned, but that IS the #1 reason I don't like it. Our country is falling apart because of greed, and these shows are encouraging it.
Besides, reality shows lack reality. They are merely unscripted.
I have no idea how you guys get your groceries for sooo cheap!!! It's only me and my hubby, no pets or kids, and I pay 100$, sometimes more, a week for food only! Groceries here might be more expensive or something, I don't know! Also, my husband is a plumber, so 60 hour weeks for him is nothing, and I go to university full time, so cooking stuff from scratch isn't always possible for us, so maybe that's why we spend so much! I do use coupons sometimes, but it's always for things that I would have bought regardless, so I do save a bit of money that way. I'm anxious to hear about your tips!
In Canada couponing is not what it is in the States... there are no store matching of coupons, going into the negative, using coupons on items that are on sale etc. I would love to save on groceries however, couponing is not the way.
When I watched the show there was a lady featured who just LOVED her collection of food.. she couldn't wait to look at her stockpile every day. This seemed to be more of an obsession than smart shopping.
I want to simplify my life and stuffing 200 boxes of cereal under my bed wouldn't be the way.
I agree. Thinking of having that much of a stockpile is suffocating to me. It sure doesn't seem so simple either.
I'm so glad you addressed the unethical side of massive coupon gathering and then purchasing tons of one item. I don't believe that is what the manufacturer meant when they put the coupons out there. I like to used coupons when it's already what I would purchase but why get my kids hooked on a product I'm never going to buy again without a coupon?
Thank you for being bold for righteousness. We must be reading the same Book :)!
It seems to me that extreme coupons focus on how much they "save" when it seems that they should focus on how much they "spend". For our family, it's the bottom line that counts. While we do use a few coupons, we can get better quality food and almost always spend less money over all (bottom line) by shopping at Aldi, watching other stores for loss-leader sales and growing some of our own food. Out of a typical coupon insert in the paper, there are usually only a couple of coupons that appeal to me enough to clip them.
As one blogger put it recently, extreme couponing seems like little more than a way for some people to justify a shopping addiction. In general, I think I agree.
Annie-
Agreed. I have many, many mom friends who spend hours and hours driving from store to store/ clipping coupons/ etc. to justify what I believe is a shopping addiction, made palatable by calling it "money saving." I would venture to guess that many couponers also have credit card debt.
100% agree. Great article Mrs Frugal Girl.
I agree with you! I have watch the extreme couponing and even blogged during it. I have used coupons for years. I don't do the extreme, I buy what I need and am going to use. I do get stuff for free and I do have extra's. I don't have a room made for my extra's, I don't put toilet paper under my kids bed, I don't use the closet to store stuff. But I do use coupon's. I use them when stuff is on sale and I am going to use that stuff, I use them to get free stuff. When I say I have extra's yes, I have about 5 boxes of pasta that is extra, I got for free but I will use it when it isn't on sale. I have about 5 deodorants that I got for free, but if somebody needs one, or loses one we have extra. To me that is couponing, in my opinion what they do is just plain greed. And in my town, my store would not let you buy 63 mustard's and use 63 coupons at one time. The stores that they go to have to be changing the policy just for the show. I enjoy the coupons but I don't enjoy the extreme or the greed that is shown.
I have found a level of coupons vs. time that works for me. I buy one Sunday paper, get weekday inserts in the local free paper, use 3 online coupon sites - about an hour a week total. I do not go to 3-5 stores a week to get the best deals - a typical week includes one supermarket trip, Whole Paycheck for better quality produce and happy milk, and maybe the farmer's market. Sometimes I go to Target or CVS.
I'm closer toward the "ingredient" end of the spectrum than the "prepared" but we're not fanatics. We have chips, cold cereal, frozen bags o' dinner, canned soup, candy, cold cuts, granola bars, soda. I can afford the pricer versions that are - as my 11 yo nibling puts it - made of food and not gobbledygook, such as Contessa bags o' dinner and Cascadian granola bars. Despite this I find I use a lot of coupons for food: rice, pasta, spices, yeast, sugar, cheese, Propel, cereal, soup.
My supermarket often has house coupons. My favorite are the "buy X, get $Y off produce." And while my supermarket doesn't allow stacking, it does allow us to use coupons for the X.
I am comfortable getting overage (coupon is more than shelf price).
Just so you know, the transfer line on the coupon refers to the medium, not a transfer between people. It means that you can't make a copy of a coupon and use the copy to get the discount. It's perfectly fine to share your coupons with others as long as there's no money involved.
I just heard of this recently - I'd say the last year or so - and more recently when someone on a frugal living forum posted her experience. I've learned from the ladies but I do not work for a newspaper where I can get 100's of coupon inserts nor do I hae the desire to go all over town begging for them. I've noticed the paper tosses out a small section every Sunday morning and these have smartsource coupons in them - I don' think all are included. I clipped coupons while at work (between doing stuff I was waiting on) so really n o time wasted and I'll try to use them and also gave some away to 2 coworkers. I had my section as well as 2 from empty homes(townhome community)
now here are my thoughts - I feel the manufacturer intends the coupons to introduce people to the product or re-introduce them hoping they'll continue to buy later on. People are cashing in big-time on the overage - say the manufactuer has a $1 coupon and walmart (gives overage) has it for 89 cts - that's 11 cts to use on something else and those with multiple inserts can end up with 11 cts x 100 to use towards other stuff in the store. I just feel it's unethical. I just don't know since if they're within the boundaries of the law but I dont' think the stores should be giving overage and I can see limits being set in the future which will make it harder for the average Joe to use coupons.
I see nothing wrong with using coupons for stuff you're gonna use or want to try and matching a coupon to a store sale to save more money. I just think ethics are hard to make law. what I consider extreme others would consider a 6 month stockup probably.
About the overage - I don't think that is fishy logic at all. I think it's fishy when the store doesn't give you the overage. Reason being, the store is going to get back the full value of the coupon plus $0.08 for every coupon from the manufacturer. Therefore, if they only gave you $0.89 for that $1 coupon, the store would be making that $0.11 (plus $0.08 for redemption). So if you think of it that way, it is in the store's best interest to NOT give you the overage so they would see a greater profit on their item ..... just saying. Would you prefer the store to make the additional money or have more money in your pocket towards other things? Just something to think about ....
Our Walmart has Ivory soap for $.97 and my coupon is for $1.00, so I'm glad they will now give the overage to the consumer. Before they would lower the price of the coupon to match the item, and yes Tiffany I was bothered by the store making $.03 off my coupon ! My cart is full so $.03 off didn't make a huge difference to me, but I'm sure it would add up for the store depending on volume of folks using coupons.
I've seen a couple of episodes now (my father-in-law is almost 90 and has the tv on all the time and I can't watch anymore episodes of "Wheel of Fortune" without doing something terrible part way through) and the thing that makes me kind of ill is the amount of stuff that these people have that just sits on shelves around their hosues.
How can you use all that "stuff" before it goes off? Can't you donate it to a foodbank?
Anyhoo, there was a episode where the guy extreme couponed (now a verb apparently) to get items for troop care packages. That was pretty cool.
I'm not a big fan of reality tv but I will admit to an addiction to "Dancing with the Stars"-shiny 🙂
It's cracking me up that the BlogHer ad running with this post is about couponing. It says, "Ever gone shopping and gotten money back? Welcome to the world of extreme couponing. Get clipping." 😀
I have watched the show a couple times, and while I generally agree with everything you said in your post, I have found the show to be a helpful reminder to do a little bit of planning before going to the market. It has reminded me to check the circulars first, menu plan based on sales, print coupons from online coupon sites, and coordinate what is on sale with coupons that I have. I don't have nearly the 90% savings the folks on the show do, but I did save 37% on my purchases a few weeks ago. I got Chex cereal for about a buck a box, and our gluten free bread (normally 5 bucks) for 2 bucks - it freezes great.
We don't eat crap food, which is what I saw them filling there carts with on the show, but I have to wonder, given that many of them were saying that "this was the biggest haul they have ever made" if these trips aren't engineered for television, and when the actually shop to feed their families, they are putting vegetables in their carts. I really hope so.
Also, a lot of the savings and stockpiles seemed to be cleaning supplies and toiletries that I would never buy anyway. 40 bottles of toilet cleaner? Vinegar and baking soda for me, thanks.
Like anything else, going to extremes in couponing is probably not what I want to do. But what I'm wondering is why the show is causing such extreme, judgemental reactions from people. Who cares? As for me, I'll stick to my new budget that is being helped by (fun-for-me) couponing, continue to donate more to the homeless drop-in shelter downtown. This summer, my whole family is going to clip coupons to send to military bases. Oh, and the money I am saving on "have to get" supplies like toothpaste, laundry soap, etc., I am using to buy more produce, esp. organic produce like strawberries.
I keep watching this show in hopes of learning a more effective way to use my coupons but in reality I am not. I think,thanks to that show,companies are changing how coupons will be used,what they are willing to except and in the end they are making it more difficult for those who use coupons but not to that extreme.
I also personally feel its gluttony and greed to empty shelves like that. Who really needs 400 bottles of sugar water and a 100 bars of candy.
I like me some generics too. I am not a couponer, but am intrigued by it. I have thought about giving it a go for toiletries. That seems to be the area everyone says it's worth the bother for. A lot of the foods we eat aren't available in coupons either. I did see a coupon for broccoli at Target once though, I thought that was cool. Our Target doesn't have broccoli though. I might do it when I have more time later in life.
Couponing is consumerism disguised as thrift. A cheap thrill indeed.
Though I completely agree with you, I also agree with Kristin that I sometimes use "consumerism disdain" as a way of looking down on others and giving myself props. Not so lovely, this kind of comparison.
I know of how one feels with foods in store for IF and hard times etc. Not sure that is what they thought about with their home stores. It is going to make it harder for those of us that use coupons, it is hard enough already with fraud and other things. I too grow and buy more natural things and coupons are a very small part of how I save. It is a shame that reality shows are not real where we can learn things that make our lives better.
I do love to use coupons for some items. As for extreme couponing,I have concerns. First of all,I refuse to buy items that I do not use or need.
Second of all,there are many ways to save money than by using coupons.
Third,I am concerned that these shows on TLC remind me of people trying to 'work the system' to get things for free...Some of them(even though I know that it is a thrill to save money),seem more as if it is a game with the stores and products---like a competition as to see how much they can get. That aside,there are some extreme couponers that give their stockpile to charity.
I wonder if the manufacturers and stores are watching these shows and will bring prices up or make it harder for anyone to try to extreme coupon?
Most of all,if I have to spend hours and hours couponing instead of with my family,no thanks. Bottom line is,I do like coupons,but the extreme way,is not for me 🙂
A brilliant post, I love your blog and find it so inspiring. I live in England and we have just had the first episode of extreme couponing on the tv. I've never seen anything like it as we don't have extreme couponing here ( well not that I'm aware of anyway!) most shops have a limit on the number of sale items you can buy, usually a maximum of 10. It strikes me as a little greedy as I really can't see when they ever will use all these items and if you end spending money to store items then your not really saving. I like your thoughts on reality tv, I've never thought of it in those terms before and it will certainly make me question whether I want to watch it in the future.
I agree that parts of the show are absolutely maddening to watch. I'm not a big fan of clutter, and the idea of having entire rooms of my home dedicated to a stockpile makes me sweat a bit.
But I will say it was good for me because it got me into coupons. I now do coupons, mostly paper products at the drugstore. I've gotten quite a bit of beauty/cleaning/hygiene supplies my family needs and uses for next to nothing. Every six months, I'll clear out my excess stockpile and donate it. As for groceries, unless it's something I normally use, I don't bother. Occasionally I can get a bag of rice or something.
Being obsessed about couponing can suck the very life out of you!!!
I'll admit I'm *slightly* addicted to the show. However my pet peeve is how some of the people will say "I never get headaches/consipation/indigestion, but with my coupons they are paying me to take them off the shelves." Also they have these big stockpiles of goods, claiming that they have a "five year supply of mustard" or some such thing. Um that stuff spoils too. It all just seems wasteful, and, well, a little extreme.
Thanks for the comments on the whole pride issue...I think I watch too much reality tv here lately and need to resume my own real life 🙂
Great article. I agree with you and love what you have written. I live in Canada, in a small town, and we just don't have the opportunity to coupon the way these shows show. I also think that they encourage purchasing unnecessary items and some of these people look like they are on the way to hoarding.
Just mho.
Hugs,
Trish
Thanks for your perspective on reality shows. I really never thought of it in that way! It does seem most of reality shows focus on extremes as that is what will bring in viewers and advertising revenues.
I'll stick with normal couponing! I do get Von's coupons for things like eggs and milk occasionally though and use those when they come!
Thank you! I totally agree. Aldi along with local farm stands and such feed my family delicious, nutritious, and affordable food.
I view it pretty much the same as you do. I wrote a post about it here: http://purposelyfrugal.wordpress.com/2011/04/07/extreme-couponing-whats-your-thoughts/
I have watched a few episodes of "Extreme Couponing", and I think that it's pretty scary how obsessed some of these couponers are. I see a 12-step program in the future for some of these people. I also get a little upset that when I do have a coupon I want to use, the item I want to use it for is gone because somebody decided they needed twenty boxes of this product. They cleared the whole shelf right in front of me!
I saw some of one episode and I had to blog about it immediately! $30,000 stockpile? Are you kidding me? Do you really need 60 bottles of mustard? Oh my. There are so many needy families and many food banks that are empty. Why can't these people donate half of their stockpile? I use coupons and I have a small stockpile. I will buy 10 of an item, if it's a great bargain. {ie $1 generic peanut butter} I donate half of it to the food bank. I only stockpile things that I know we can use within a few months. It just makes sense. If these people don't slow it all down, manufacturers may stop producing coupons altogether!
I think that the next show that these people appear on, should be "hoarders"! I see issues here. Thanks for this post.
I've never seen this show, but when I hear about it all I can think is that extreme couponing sucks you into a spiral of shopping. I'm trying to reduce the amount of purchasing and consuming I do and I believe that this automatically saves me money: the less stuff I "need", the less time I spend hunting for a deal, the less time I spend in stores - the less money I spend.
I'm lazy. I keep coupons for soap/toothpaste/things like that.
Food? Nah. I'll stick with Aldi.
I did the whole coupon frenzy for awhile. Even though, I was getting highly processed food for cheap or free, my families health was marginal. Now, that I have revamped our diet , and buy whole wheat pasta, whole grain foods, plain fruits and veggies, organic and local when possible, I still spend as much every month for groceries as when I was buying oodles and oodles of cheap, unhealthy food with coupons (plus most things go stale or spoil before you can eat all 85 boxes of them). I also got soured on couponing, when I watched fellow couponers being rude and demanding to sale clerks and stock people. Plus, they were buying everything on the shelves and demanding the stock person go in the back, and bring out the rest. No one should lose their integrity over stockpiling free items. I am much happier now that I have simplified. I only use coupons for a few personal hygiene items, and cheese.
I don't think it's actually illegal to buy and sell coupons...if it were, it seems like Ebay would put a stop to it. From what I've read, it seems that some coupons are voided if they are bought and sold. If I really wanted a great coupon, I could run out and buy 20 Sunday papers myself, so I don't think a store can really limit coupon quantities because they think you might have purchased them.
I do completely agree that most stuff you can get with coupons just isn't worth it. The only exception I personally have is that there is an expensive dishwasher detergent that seems to be the ONLY thing that will keep my dishes clean. When I can get my hands a dozen coupons and the stuff goes on sale, I absolutely stock up on it!
My grocery store often has a $5 off a $50 purchase, or they give out $10 gift cards with $50 purchase, and a few times, they have had a coupon to get $10 off the purchase of a $50 gas card. Now those are coupons I can use!
I have not seen the show but have read articles and seen "news" stories etc. It just looks plain exhausting to me.
My usual grocery store has already banned internet coupons due to a large amount of fraud. They will accept coupons from newspapers, magazines, and product lables but don't match them or double them or anything. Other stores in town might but my usual store's prices are significantly less than the others in town (sometimes as much as 50%-65% less!) I'd rather have low prices and not have to bother with crazy couponing. Plus I am also in the "buy ingriedents, not prepared foods" camp (mostly) so except for a few personal care and paper items, coupons don't do me much good anyway. If I come across a coupon I can actually use I absolutely use it! I confess that a couple of years ago at the height of the recession, Mars company offered a "chocolate relief" program and sent out coupons for free candy bars every week if you signed up online. I really enjoyed my free Snickers that summer!
This is off-topic, but I have to disagree with the statement that we watch reality tv because it feeds our pride. I have never seen Extreme Couponing, either, because we don't have cable; but I do enjoy reality tv and watch it online sometimes. I love watching shows like Celebrity Apprentice and The Biggest Loser. The reason I like reality tv is because I find people so fascinating and interesting to watch. Everyone is so different, and I'm always eager to see what people will say and how they will react in different situations. In many cases I find myself thinking, "Wow...I could never do that." I can see how certain shows may feed pride, but I definitely don't think that's always the case. Anyway, that's my two cents on that.
I do like to use coupons at Target for dishwasher tabs and dishsoap as well as shampoo and toothpaste. I often have a Target coupon and a manufacturer coupon I can stack and get things we need and use for .99 or under. I only get one of each item though and no stockpile here. I just do not have the time or patience and I love Aldi, I love feeling like I just got a fair deal and did not have to scheme and work for 60 hrs to get some free Gatorade that we don't drink anyway.
I do notice on the show that alot of the extreme couponers went through a rough patch, a sick child, husband out of work, something that scared them and the stockpile is I think like a safety net for them, I can understand that. Alot of them do donate to charity too which is nice. The only thing that irritates me is when I just want to get one box of dishwasher tabs and someone cleared the shelf, I think that is inconsiderate. The show did say that only 3% of issued coupons are ever used so I do not think it is unethical for someone to use more than one since most are being thrown in the trash anyway, I just would not want to bother with trying to get a bunch of them myself.
I have watched the show a few times. I find it fascinating since you just can't do it in Canada. Coupons are not doubled, no overages, often limits on number of coupons and/or items. I agree that it is hoarding for quite a few of those featured but I have also seen several who donate most or all of their items to charity. My husband actually used the words fraud and stealing when watching the other night. I can't imagine investing that much time into a shopping trip! I use coupons but it's usually for cleaning supplies/hygene/paper products and always things we already use. Extreme couponing is not for us!
It's unbalanced just like any reality show, and continuing to perpetuate the myth that couponers only eat garbage and if you love your family you will feed them only whole foods, so those who love their families would never coupon. I hear that pretty much continually, and it gets rather old. Yes, there are coupons for healthy food. Yes, there are occasional (not all the time for sure) coupons for fruits and veggies. No, you probably aren't going to see extreme couponing in the fruits and veggies aisle - that isn't good TV. I'm just so tired of the mommy war's new iteration - those who "coupon" and those who "only feed their families healthy food" - it isn't either/or.
As with most things in life, I think moderation is key. This show is called EXTREME for a reason. I'm not at all against using coupons. I hate when people say you can't eat healthy and use coupons. I regularly use coupons for yogurt, whole wheat bread, and frozen veggies. Yes, I could make my own yogurt and bread. But at this stage in my life I'm just as happy to buy it at the store with a coupon. And no, it doesn't take me hours of time to clip the coupons. I occasionally stop by CVS or Walgreens (I pass both anytime I'm out running other errands) for free toothpaste, etc. BUT once I realized I had 12 tubes of toothpaste I stopped getting it, even if it is free. That's enough for a while.
I have never seen the show we don't have tv but have seen clips on the internet, I coupon some when it is easy and works otherwise I carefully shop and do very well. I think the show is unrealistic how many chocolate bars does one need?
Hi!
This is my first time reading your blog! In the first 2 min of reading it I thought to myself I bet she's a christian...turns out you are. Your opinion on reality t.v is dead on! It's why I don't watch crappy t.v anymore, and just let my husband watch sports!
I think that show should be renamed "Organized Hoarding"! Unbelievable!
I only use some coupons because, time is money and bargain shopping is best. I love free product coupons though.
Yes, I have watched the show and I do try to coupon. I also have the mindset that real food has only 1 ingredient and try to stick to the perimeter of the stores as much as possible. I believe in shopping with integrity and honoring store and coupon policies. It saddens me to see people get so excited over manipulating those policies and being proud of it! After reading books by Michael Pollan and Nina Planck and seeing how stores are set up to lure us to buy/consume less than wholesome food that those coupons are for, I am more aware of what I buy, where my food comes from and what the ingredients really mean. So, these extreme couponers may be thinking that they are scoring big with their stockpile of processed foods that they got for almost nothing.......
We don't have a local Aldi. I am not in total agreement with many here that you can't get organic, or "real food" coupons. Where I live, online coupons are still accepted. I signed up to healthy foods sites and by brands we use once and receive the coupons sent to me in e-mail for the products we use regularly. This does include organic milk, sour cream and butter, oats, rice, meats and produce. When I remember to grab one, I get the Sunday paper to clip whatever we use.
I may buy up to a month worth of something on a really great sale with a coupon, but I don't by any means do the "stock piling" like in the show, nor do I buy coupons or even multiple newspapers to be able to shop. While in the store, I check the prices for common items and pricier things we buy, and keep that in a spreadsheet, so that I know where is the smartest place to buy where we spend most of our budget. No one's perfect, there are weeks that I hit the store without coupons, and even without my re-usable shopping bags. Whatever I save on groceries, can be used to buy something or can actually be put in a savings account. I don't think couponing automatically means that you are rude, immoral or that your life is out of balance. All things in moderation, and to me this is one of those things.
It amazes me to see someone who buys 50 or more containers of yellow mustard. I have watched that show, and often wonder why people have the need to have 75 boxes of cookie mix in their pantry. Why not donate the surplus to the food bank? I have bought items that were free, or nearly free and donated them.
Yes! And I don't know if you heard her husband during that episode but he said "I don't even like mustard". Unless we are faced with extreme poverty, I don't want to make food my family doesn't like.
I'm also an ingredient buyer and find that for me, the time spent finding and organizing coupons around my meal plan is not worth the money saved.
Besides, we just got an Aldi, and when I shopped there the first time I only spent $48! We have been spending $125 a week on groceries. We are very very impressed with the quality of Aldi produce, especially, and their meat and pantry items as well. I wish they would stock organic milk, but I can easily buy that elsewhere.
Shopping at Aldi frees up a lot of extra cash to buy organic and local items from Fresh Market and the local farmer's market which makes me very very happy. 🙂
I agree with you! Plus I hate clutter and I see those stockpiles as clutter.
One guy on the show was a bible student and gave his stockpile to charity. Another guy made carepackages of personal care items for troops overseas. One mom started out of extreme poverty. I see a lot of value in that. My sister coupons and donates a lot of her stuff to various missionaries in her area. I think good can come of out couponing when you are willing to share resources with others. But stockpiling 100 bottles of shampoo or using coupons illegally? No thanks!
My only complaint about the show Extreme Couponing is that the people completly clear a shelf in the store. Why is it that you need 50 bottles of hot sauce? So take all the product and no one else can buy anything. What if I needed a bottle of sauce and get to the store to see it completly sold out because someone just came in and bought them all! and I agree that there are not enough coupons to use for what we purchase. We stopped getting the sunday paper. We wanted it for coupons and of about 50 coupons I could only use 1 or none for what I like to purchase. I would love to spend less on my grocery bill but Extreme Couponing wouldnt be for me.
BTW I love you blog! I was on the search for how to paint a dresser and found your site. With you notes on how too, I painted my dresser. Thank you!
Doing tons of couponing or "extreme" couponing seems more like a hobby to me than a strategy for saving money that would be practical for most people.
In my case, I'm not willing to hit more than two grocery stores each week, and whenever possible I just go to one. So I wouldn't be willing to drive all over the city for deals.
Makes me kind of happy that coupons are just not much of an issue in Canada. I don't generally buy disposables. The few name brand items I buy are on sale and in large sizes when I get them, if there is an in-store coupon available (rarely), I will use it. But, unprocessed and generic items do not have the advertising budget to finance the production of coupons, so coupons simply don't usually exist. To me, that is a good thing, because the purchase price does not have to cover that overhead, nor does it have to cover the cost of somebody else's bajillion "free" bottles of mustard. Does anybody really believe that Kraft or General Mills or any other enormous corporate entity got that size by selling high production cost items for next to nothing? They are trying to buy brand loyalty, and they write off the loss, so they probably save more on taxes than you save on mustard.
I am most grateful that the so called "reality" shows are not my reality. I think they are sad and pathetic and won't watch them.
Everytime I have watched that show, I am grossed out by the "food" people are so excited to be getting for free. It's really not exciting me to me that someone managed to get a five dollar box of processed crap for 0.32 cents when I know it that's probably just closer to the cost of making it.
The worse thing I have seen on Extreme Couponing is the lady that bought a whole basket of Excedrin PM, among other things, and used the overage to buy meat. Nobody is going to donate something like Excedrin PM and you're certainly not going to use that much yourself. So basically if you need groceries, you go buy a ton of items that the store will "pay you to take out" and voila, your groceries are free. She will probably stack them on a shelf in her house somewhere, but she might as well drive straight to the dumpster and throw them out.
Right on, Sista! What would I do with 3 years of toilet paper in my 1000 square foot home? I so seldom so anything I buy on these coupons. Love me some generics, too!
I look forward to getting your tips on lowering my grocery costs. I am feeling desperate for information. I have tried and need to spend less on food and really need some help. I am excited to get help!! Thank you!
I think coupons are a great way to reduce the amout you spend on food and household goods. However, I don't want or need to have a whole room dedicted to my "stockpile" -- Yes, I try to have backups of everything we use on a regular basis, because I'm not a fan of paying full price for anything! But I know that we don't need 20 deodorants for 2 people, or 50 tubes of toothpaste or 50 something bottles of mustard. We'd be living in much less square footage if we did that.
Now, having said that, I am glad that I did have a small stockpile on hand as it made donating to the various supply and food drives for the recent tornado victims much easier on me and my budget.
I have to agree with the opening comment by Val. It's the whole excessive consumerism that bothers me. I read (that's past tense, BTW!) a blog where a lady was bragging about all the stuff she got for nearly free. I looked back through her posts over a one-month period and counted over 100 boxes of just ziploc sandwich bags... in ONE MONTH! For our house, that would be about a 25-year supply. It's really just another form of obsession or addiction. I think they like the "rush" of "sticking it to the man/major corporation."
I think if these people put all the work into and gave it all to the local food bank or other charity, I could respect the practice more, but to just keep it all in your basement or garage... I can't help but wonder if several of these people will end up on Hoarders in a few years time.
I completely agree. I love coupons on things I need & will actually use but I have a problem with buying 100 boxes of cereal. The only way I would buy that many is if I was donating them to a shelter or someone who is in need but there is no way our family would eat that many boxes in our lifetime. It's just too much!
I love your website! I just started my own little blog in February.
I have never watched the show because I do not have cable tv. I don't need the extra bill or the extra channels to watch.
I do coupon and I love it. My family loves it. It is especially good for personal care items. I never spend money on toothpaste, mouthwash, toothbrushes, soap, laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent, pasta and other things that I can't remember now. I give items to family members who do not or will not use coupons. I do have a stockpile of food in my basement that gets rotated so that it does not go bad. Why? Because when I get the products that I use all the time at the rock bottom price, my food bill is at the lowest I can/am willing to get it down to.
Yes, I buy fresh fruit and veggies. I buy those at a fruit market for about $5-$10/week. Yes, I always have fresh fruit and veggies in my house. But I do have canned and frozen fruit and veggies.
I also stockpile food because of convenience/time/emergencies/safety. If my husband loses his job...we have food for at least 3 months. If a national emergency happens, 911, Katrina, etc...I have food to feed my family and my neighbors. If I don't have time to shop, I do not need to run out to buy products to get me through the week. When my daughter's schools asked for items for pantries...we have it to give it away.
My mother-in-law is one of the thriftiest people I know. She is thrifty but not cheap. When she raised 5 kids on a laborers salary, she made sure she got food at the rock bottom prices and stored it until the next sale. She did not have to worry when my father-in-law got laid off in the winter, she had food and extra money to get them through. I learned how to shop with her. My parents taught me how to cook a gourmet meal with next to nothing.
I think couponing has a place. Manufacturers want you to try their products and hope to get you to buy it again and again. When items go on sale, that is the time to buy it and stock up. It's the same as buying 50-100lbs of Gold Medal Flour when it is $.99 for a 5 lb bag. We know it goes on sale during the holiday seasons. Why not buy it then and stock up enough to get you through the next sale. Couponing is the same for most of use who use them. It only takes me about 1 hour each week to save $40 each week. I will keep couponing, keep stocking up when there is a sale. My food bill dropped from $70 each week to about $30 each week for 4 people. And I have more good food in the house. And, I have helped family members with their budgets also.
I have to agree with Monika - reality tv is popular because it makes you feel good about yourself. We don't have a tv at home, but I saw an episode of Jersey Shore while staying in a hotel. Those people are such a mess that it made me feel like I was practically perfect. When I mentioned this to a friend she said she watches the show regularly for exactly that reason. I suppose that feeling good about yourself is not bad in and of itself; it might be a bit like feeling good about what you have compared to starving children in Africa. It's just important to maintain perspective.
As for couponing, I'm in the same boat as you and rarely use them.
My couponing focuses on diapers, wipes and formula for my grand-babies and a friends' newly adopted baby. I also stock up on toilet paper, paper towels and razors when there are good coupons. On the Extreme Couponing show, one lady said the shelves are taking over her home - it seems that several of the extreme couponers do not know how to stop! I do keep a binder, which is easier than having all my coupons in an envelope, and use them for both myself and my mom's shopping trips. Most of the stores in my area are very iffy taking internet printable coupons so I've just about stopped printing those.
I enjoy watching the show. I am amazed at how much product the people get for their money. Most of the people seem to be "legal" when they use them. Yes, they buy a lot of the same product with coupons, but if all coupons that are printed out there are being used, what's the difference. If the people will be using the products or donating them, more power to them for taking the time and energy to coupon. I am NOT a big couponer. I have no stores in the area that double coupons, so getting things for free are difficult. The show does, however, motivate me to use coupons for things that I need such as household items and toiletries. It is rare to get coupons for "real" food, but I did watch one episode of the show where the woman was able to buy meats and produce with the money she was making buying the other items. For instance, she was buying Advil that was on sale and making $.50 on each bottle. She would use that money to offset the cost of "real'' food.
Thanks for this post. Watching "Extreme Couponing" makes me feel like an under-acheiver. I also prefer to feed my family good, healthy food that tends to be whole foods, not premanufactured stuff. So, there aren't many coupons for me. But we do spend WAY more on groceries and personal products than even this foodie would like. The week I tried to get serious about couponing, I ended up spending MORE on groceries than I normally would have. Sigh. So, now I think I'm just gonna keep subscribed to coupon sites and if a deal comes up for something I already buy, awesome. If not, I do know how to shop sales.
Thanks also for the heads up that buying coupons is illegal. I didn't know that. Haven't done it but now I won't!
Something that you wrote in this post gave me a lightbulb moment. I am not an extreme couponer and never will be. I just don't believe in it . I don't like the greed, selfishness, materialism, and hoarding that is associated with this - but most are in denial about. I do coupon in small amounts, but want to reevaluate even this. Even if one spends a few hours a week, this is time we can never get back in life. I'm quite frugal and saving money is important, but at what cost? Thanks for the food for thought.
Just a bit of perception, but it doesn't seem to be a coincidence that this show originally started airing right before "Hoarders: Buried Alive".
Wow! I am so glad I found this post. It seemed I was in a sea of couponers and couldn't get out! I have seen the show and what you said about not getting "real" food is true. I do clip coupons for things like cereal, Zoi Greek yogurt has printables on their website, and things like that of a more healthy variety. Making your own cleaning products is how I save, vinegar is the best! Thanks to all your comments on how you save without going to the extreme! Wonderful!
@Jamie
I noticed you said you make your own household cleaning products, Here is a great book, I keep going to the library for...." Better Basics for the home by Annie Berthold-Bond.
I share in your thoughts. I also liked your review on shopping w/o coupons (a good review). Here is the thing. I have used coupons for over 15 years. I have been a Chef for over 20 with breaks here and there to raise A family (hence the need to use coupons, plus I don't like to waste money). I have taught classes from breastfeeding to shopping with coupons. Nothing has helped me more than the knowledge of cooking and purchasing from my profession. All of it is applicable to the private household.
I still shop loss leaders, if I need it or will use it. But maybe three. not 90. I shop co ops, farmers market and fish stores. I don't shop where my peanut butter is three aisles away from motor oil. I still use coupons, legally. I shop locally, use the best quality items I can afford for my families insides and out. And I do this on about 400 bucks a month. My best friend in the kitchen, besides my family is my freezer!
I personally think that couponing is a great idea. I love the idea of it, but like you, I don't have the time for it (well, me being 15, and still in highschool has something to do with it, as well !) but yeah, if I wasn't in school, and didn't have a full time job, i would totally do it. I think it all really depends on the person, really. It depends on how their time is spent, and all that. Anyways, I would love to coupon, but I just don't have the time.
I just watched an episode on YouTube. What strikes me is that these women are clearly so skilled in so many ways (highly organised, methodical, mathematical, etc) and yet they are wasting all of that focus and talent on collecting groceries that they have no possibility of using before they go bad. Indicative of something about our consumer culture, but I am not sure what exactly...
I feel exactly the way that you do about the amount of time it requires to do extreme couponing. It isn't worth my time. I have certain hot items that I like to save money on and I have learned how to save in certain areas. I don't use coupons hardly at all in the grocery stores, but I know what to buy in bulk cheap and what to just wait for a low price for a normal sized quantity. I tend to buy all pet items online. I buy quite a few pharmaceutical items online also. For items where I insist on quality such as outdoor winter clothing, I have found many online companies that have the lowest price. For winter wear such as base layers or long underwear, I have found companies that have 2nds and season end closeouts. If you are on their mailing list you occasionally will get vouchers or codes to get savings or additional savings on items, off-season, that are incredible for quality name brand merchandise. One of my favorites is sierra trading post and campmor.