Extreme couponing

cdngirl71

Has anyone seen this show on TLC?? These people have so much food, toilet paper, laundry soap etc.........really you need 1400 rolls of toilet paper??? I don't see why these people don't help out a local family or the food bank?? These people have stuff that fills their whole house. I can see couponing to last a week but to last 3 yrs, really???

spcopps

I watched it before and thought I was a pack rat LMBO. The reason they have so much is a lot of them will ONLY buy if it is on sale AND they have a coupon so they buy it and stock up for when that can't happen. I believe in using coupons but I couldn't live with all that "stuff" all over my house, in the basement, under the beds etc...

greeneyed84

Has anyone seen this show on TLC?? These people have so much food, toilet paper, laundry soap etc.........really you need 1400 rolls of toilet paper??? I don't see why these people don't help out a local family or the food bank?? These people have stuff that fills their whole house. I can see couponing to last a week but to last 3 yrs, really???

Most of them actually do. I'm a couponer myself but definitely not that extreme. I only have a stock to last us a few months.
Did you see the guy with the 1000 tubes of toothpaste? Yep, they showed that on the show last week BUT they didn't show that he actually donated all of them as well. Although the cameras were still on when he did so.

MyNameIsNotBob

They guy last night actually did donate a ton (seriously) of cereal to his church.

I just keep thinking about all that crap processed food they're buying and eating.

I've gone through phases with coupons, but seriously, I just don't eat most of the crap they're selling.

cassidystreasures

Most of them are scaming the coupons, I coupon and have a stockpile, but not more than we can use, and if i get it free or really cheap i share with/family friends, there is no sense in having so much food it goes to waste

lukybug

Hoarders is what they are and greedy. I am a major couponer, but my rule of thumb is this, if I have more than a years supply of something in my pantry, I start donating to our local shelter.

mericksmom

I dont watch it (it is more along the lines of hoarding) but I do coupon. I have a budget and stick to it. I know a lady who has a 25 dollar limit a week for groceries and it a coupon queen. http://www.thecentsableshoppin.com/ she doesnt do Code-ing (the cheating way of couponing ) and still come out with GREAT deals

cdngirl71

I know I couldn't live like that either. It saves these people tons of money but they do this every week!! Crazy how much stuff they have. Can be so helpful to a less fortunate family or families.

cfer843625

They are going to EXTREME... we can do this and cut grocery bills in half... just takes time and practice... lol I went to a "time2save" class and it makes alot of sense.....and they do reccommend donating some of what you get also... AND they give an address to send expired coupons (up to 6months) over seas to our military personnel... guess the px/bx allows them to use them!! I think its awesome... so I am learning... ;o) Check out the time2save website!! :happy:

Jenn070608

I watch it a couple times. I wasn't sure if I was watching "Extreme Couponing" or "Hoarding, Buried Alive". It's crazy. Besides that, think of all the processed food they are eating.

cdngirl71

I am watching this show right now. This one lady has 300 2ltr bottles of mountain dew soda, really??? I coupon myself but not like this.

ducksinarow

I watch that show and can't believe the supplies they have!! I just can't imagine that they use all that food without it going bad first! And what about bugs? yuck!! I agree with the others...alot of the food is processed or high sugar, fat, etc. and I also try to stay away from those foods. I can't believe the people who buy things they don't need/use--like not having a baby and buying diapers or not having a cat and buying cat treats!! It also makes it hard for people to buy the items they really need if someone comes in and buys all of the items in stock (I hate going to the store for something I really need and the store is sold out!!). Most of the people say they are doing this to cut back on cost, but they would save more money if they just lived off the supply and quit taking all of those trips to the store!! I hate grocery shopping anyway...I can't image shopping for hours and hours!!

Heather75

I am the exact opposite of an extreme couponer.

DreamLittleDarling

I haven't read all the posts, but I'm sure someone has said this already, but most of the people on that show DO donate ALOT of stuff. One of them send 1000 care package to troops over seas, one donated a crazy amount of cereal to his church, the one I'm watching right now not only donates to the community but also provides pretty much all of her son and daughter-in-law and other family members groceries/cleaning supplies/whatever else cuz she gets it for free, so why not?

I wanna be one of those people when I grow up! LOL

sassylilmama

I do not watch it. Someone on another forum I post on was on the pilot, she said TLC mad them do things to be more "extreme". And as someone who does coupon I know that most of the show goes against store policies, they bend them for the show. Also been proven people on the show have used coupons illegally (ie for the wrong item- and yes this is coupon fraud and is illegal). Since this show started I have had problems in my favorite stores due to people trying to copy the show.

cdngirl71

I haven't read all the posts, but I'm sure someone has said this already, but most of the people on that show DO donate ALOT of stuff. One of them send 1000 care package to troops over seas, one donated a crazy amount of cereal to his church, the one I'm watching right now not only donates to the community but also provides pretty much all of her son and daughter-in-law and other family members groceries/cleaning supplies/whatever else cuz she gets it for free, so why not?

I wanna be one of those people when I grow up! LOL

Well that's good to know that some of these people do donate some of their stuff. Ones that I have seen haven't said they do donate. I don't have enough time to be an extreme couponer, LOL.

modernmom70

Yes I have watched it, it is crazy how much they save and how much stockpile they have! But they spend so much time on it, it's like a full time job. The guy with the cereal was crazy! He had to special order it, and he did donate most of it to his church.

k2d4p

I would be mentally unstable if my house was anything like any of their houses. It is absolutely HOARDING! I am what I consider a anti-hoarder. I don't throw away things I need, but I have no problem getting rid of things that I don't need. I saw one where a very overweight lady bought 150 Butterfingers becaue she had coupons to get them for free. There is noone one the planet that needs 150 Butterfingers. I watched 1 episode all the way through and I was probably shaking my head the entire time.

I absolutely would never have a year or more supply of anything in my house. There is no need for it. It is wasteful. They know they don't need all the stuff. They all admit that they do it because of the rush or thrill of how much money they save in the moment. They actually waste money because the stuff just sits in there store rooms so they can show off to people how much crap they have. Absolutely wasteful!!

NotAllWhoWanderAreLost

I am a big-time couponer as well, well no where near the "extreme" level, but i refuse to watch that show... for reasons already stated: buying way more than is needed, bending of store rules, using coupons illegally (yes, proven!), a lot of processed foods and chemical crap cleaners ICK. .... But, to be fair, MOST couponers (including the ones on the show) are VERY generous, giving away much more than any average person gives (because its so affordable to be generous!). AND I have heard multiple reports on the couponing blogs about how TLC finds the extreme couponers and asks even them to "go big, go THE.MOST.EXTREME.EVER" Ulgh... makes us all look like a bunch of crazies *sigh* :grumble:

That said, i AM a couponer and a happy, healthy one at that. I buy whole grain pasta (barilla, etc) , spaghetti sauce (newman's own, etc), greek yogurt (oikos, chobani, etc), cereals (kashi mostly), protein/granola bars (kashi, clif, powerbar, pure protein, etc), produce (my local store has a $5 off $15 coupon right now! woot!!), guacamole/hummus/dressings/etc, coffee, olive oil, spices, peanut butter the list goes on and on... yes you have to work much harder to get good deals on healthy products but i regularly save between 25-50% on my grocery bills. Over time you learn how to get great deals AND eat smart. But ya gotta work for it

My favorite deal of the week is the 5 off 15 produce coupon, of course, but also 5 cans of mandarin oranges for 95 cents (19 cents each) I got 15 and while that seems like a lot perhaps, a conservative estimate of 1 can a week will only last me just over 3 months. I doubt it will last even half that long since spinach is coming into season soon

DreamLittleDarling

I haven't read all the posts, but I'm sure someone has said this already, but most of the people on that show DO donate ALOT of stuff. One of them send 1000 care package to troops over seas, one donated a crazy amount of cereal to his church, the one I'm watching right now not only donates to the community but also provides pretty much all of her son and daughter-in-law and other family members groceries/cleaning supplies/whatever else cuz she gets it for free, so why not?

I wanna be one of those people when I grow up! LOL

Well that's good to know that some of these people do donate some of their stuff. Ones that I have seen haven't said they do donate. I don't have enough time to be an extreme couponer, LOL.

I don't have the time either... And I don't think that way, I don't think I COULD figure out how to do it. I'm too unorganized lol.

DreamLittleDarling

I am a big-time couponer as well, well no where near the "extreme" level, but i refuse to watch that show... for reasons already stated: buying way more than is needed, bending of store rules, using coupons illegally (yes, proven!), a lot of processed foods and chemical crap cleaners ICK. .... But, to be fair, MOST couponers (including the ones on the show) are VERY generous, giving away much more than any average person gives (because its so affordable to be generous!). AND I have heard multiple reports on the couponing blogs about how TLC finds the extreme couponers and asks even them to "go big, go THE.MOST.EXTREME.EVER" Ulgh... makes us all look like a bunch of crazies *sigh* :grumble:

That said, i AM a couponer and a happy, healthy one at that. I buy whole grain pasta (barilla, etc) , spaghetti sauce (newman's own, etc), greek yogurt (oikos, chobani, etc), cereals (kashi mostly), protein/granola bars (kashi, clif, powerbar, pure protein, etc), produce (my local store has a $5 off $15 coupon right now! woot!!), guacamole/hummus/dressings/etc, coffee, olive oil, spices, peanut butter the list goes on and on... yes you have to work much harder to get good deals on healthy products but i regularly save between 25-50% on my grocery bills. Over time you learn how to get great deals AND eat smart. But ya gotta work for it

My favorite deal of the week is the 5 off 15 produce coupon, of course, but also 5 cans of mandarin oranges for 95 cents I got 15 and while that seems like a lot perhaps, a conservative estimate of 1 can a week will only last me just over 3 months. I doubt it will last even half that long since spinach is coming into season soon

Dang I wish I could figure out how to do that! I stick to my budget, no matter what, because I just HAVE to or we'll be hurting at the end of the month. But because of that, and because I just can't seem to figure out how to be a "couponer" alot of times my hubby and kids don't get the things they want and ONLY the things we need, which really sucks sometimes.

as a side note, I'm kinda OCD about cleaning... almost every show I've seen the people have stockpiles of like clorox wipes, scrubbing bubbles, 409... that kind of stuff. I would be IN HEAVEN LOL.

NotAllWhoWanderAreLost

I haven't read all the posts, but I'm sure someone has said this already, but most of the people on that show DO donate ALOT of stuff. One of them send 1000 care package to troops over seas, one donated a crazy amount of cereal to his church, the one I'm watching right now not only donates to the community but also provides pretty much all of her son and daughter-in-law and other family members groceries/cleaning supplies/whatever else cuz she gets it for free, so why not?

I wanna be one of those people when I grow up! LOL

Well that's good to know that some of these people do donate some of their stuff. Ones that I have seen haven't said they do donate. I don't have enough time to be an extreme couponer, LOL.

I don't have the time either... And I don't think that way, I don't think I COULD figure out how to do it. I'm too unorganized lol.

It can take a long time, especially if you get carried away with it. But learning the basics isn't that hard. If you use conventional health & beauty products i recommend following a blog that matches up Target, Rite Aid and/or CVS deals. Health and beauty are the easiest to get deals on, are easy to stockpile (long expiration dates, shelf stable)... Then you can transfer some of your health/beauty budget to your food budget Once you get the hang of couponing for health & beauty it will be much easier to figure out how to do matchups for the grocery stores. I subscribe to a few blogs' facebook feeds and when i see an interesting coupon, i just print it then & there so i have it.

I am just as passionate about ppl learning to save with coupons as i am passionate about ppl learning to lose weight /get healthy with MFP!!!! :drinker:

cdngirl71

Oh same here, I am very unorganized :laugh: :laugh:

NotAllWhoWanderAreLost

as a side note, I'm kinda OCD about cleaning... almost every show I've seen the people have stockpiles of like clorox wipes, scrubbing bubbles, 409... that kind of stuff. I would be IN HEAVEN LOL.

I am not sure if this coupon is still available for printing (i already printed for a friend of mine) but here is $1.50 off clorox wipes which come out to just change after coupon: http:// [remove spaces] www.wickedcooldeals.com/2011/04/1-501-lysol-disinfecting-wipes-coupon.html

DreamLittleDarling

as a side note, I'm kinda OCD about cleaning... almost every show I've seen the people have stockpiles of like clorox wipes, scrubbing bubbles, 409... that kind of stuff. I would be IN HEAVEN LOL.

I am not sure if this coupon is still available for printing (i already printed for a friend of mine) but here is $1.50 off clorox wipes which come out to just change after coupon: http:// [remove spaces] www.wickedcooldeals.com/2011/04/1-501-lysol-disinfecting-wipes-coupon.html

oh thank you!!! Mind if I "friend" you?

NotAllWhoWanderAreLost

as a side note, I'm kinda OCD about cleaning... almost every show I've seen the people have stockpiles of like clorox wipes, scrubbing bubbles, 409... that kind of stuff. I would be IN HEAVEN LOL.

I am not sure if this coupon is still available for printing (i already printed for a friend of mine) but here is $1.50 off clorox wipes which come out to just change after coupon: http:// [remove spaces] www.wickedcooldeals.com/2011/04/1-501-lysol-disinfecting-wipes-coupon.html

oh thank you!!! Mind if I "friend" you?

nope, not at all :happy: I'd love to start a little thread to post good HEALTHY coupon deals, but MFP frowns on links

jsteras

I use coupons also simply because I am on a tight budget and have to make every dollar count. I don't buy anything I won't use though. I use it on things for my healthy living that are quiet pricey. I just saved 18.24 on my grocery bill yesterday. You can always find coupons for oatmeal, kashi, fiber one, yogurt and my store gives coupons towards produce.

jsteras

Forgot to tell you all if you are looking for coupons on products you use go to their web site. Like Kashi or Fiber one they usually have a coupon on the web site, or if you like their facebook page you will get a coupon:)

NotAllWhoWanderAreLost

Oh, and i should have mentioned that the $5 off $15 produce coupon was for Price Chopper (northeast).... If you are in the Northeast and have a Price Chopper in your area, you can get the coupon on their Facebook page (they issue new coupons every Sunday via Facebook)

DreamLittleDarling

Oh, and i should have mentioned that the $5 off $15 produce coupon was for Price Chopper (northeast).... If you are in the Northeast and have a Price Chopper in your area, you can get the coupon on their Facebook page (they issue new coupons every Sunday via Facebook)

I am in NOWHERE, Louisiana (thank you for that, U.S. Army! LOL) I've actually ONLY grocery shopped at the commisary, since we've been here. The only grocery stores in the town here are Wal-mart (which I hate) and Market Basket which I've never heard of... but from the outside looks a little skeezy so I've never gone in lol.

Pebble321

I really don't understand the whole coupon thing - does "using coupons" mean that you go to the supermarket with a handful of little squares of paper saying "20% off yoghurt" or "2 toilet papers for the price of one"??

How on earth do the checkout staff deal with all these little bits of paper - doesn't it slow things down at the checkout? And don't you end up spending more on ink printing them all out?

Sorry if these seem like silly questions, but I live in Australia and we don't do coupons. Things are either on special at the shop or they aren't. Seems simpler to me.