Extreme Couponing

pink_and_shiny
pink_and_shiny Posts: 1,036 Member
edited September 26 in Chit-Chat
Who else has been watching this new TLC show? If you haven't watched it, you absolutely should try and catch it. I find it so absolutely fascinating that these people clip hundreds of coupon, rack up grocery bills into the thousands, and then pay $15.00. Ever since I saw the first episode I've started my own little coupon stockpile. :laugh: There's no stopping me now!

Here's the show website in case you don't know what I'm talking about: http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/extreme-couponing

Anyone else now addicted to coupons and the idea of couponing?

Replies

  • strapple
    strapple Posts: 353 Member
    my mom has been big on couponing for a long time but I just use groupon and deal a day online

    is stacking actual clipable coupons really that beneficial? i havet had a chance to check out the show myself.
  • Rockin33
    Rockin33 Posts: 58
    Never heard of this show til now and all I can say in OMG! I love it! Thank you for turning me on to it! I couldn't watch a full episode but I saw clips. I consider myself kinda thrifty and actually get a rush from getting awesome deals etc. so this is right up my alley. Thanks!
  • pink_and_shiny
    pink_and_shiny Posts: 1,036 Member
    Strapple, apparently stacking a store coupon with a manufacturer's coupon can be very beneficial, especially when you're using those coupons on an item that is on sale, and when that store doubles coupons.

    I'm still very new to it all and am learning the lingo, there's a lot of details you have to take into account!
  • jen1516
    jen1516 Posts: 77 Member
    I'm not sure how to go about getting my hands on all those coupons without paying for them.
  • foodforfuel
    foodforfuel Posts: 569 Member
    You might want to check out this site: sistersshoppingonashoestring.com
  • mommared53
    mommared53 Posts: 9,543 Member
    I've watched the show and it's inspired me to get into couponing. I think the people on the show are way over the top though. To buy all that deoderant and other things that can dry out or expire after a while, that's just a waste. And last night the twin who was stockpiling diapers because someday she would have a baby? Really!? Looks more like hoarding to me. Still, I'm hoping to be able to save a lot more on groceries by using coupons. My son thought I was crazy at first but now he's kinda being more supportive. :smile:

    Foodforfuel, thanks for the website. I'm always on the lookout for more websites that offer more variety of coupons and helpful hints. I'll have to check it out when I get home.
  • nolachick
    nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member
    i love the show, saw it once but havent caught it on tv since. what time/days does it come on? i'm on central time :p
  • mommared53
    mommared53 Posts: 9,543 Member
    It comes on at 9:00 on Wednesday nights here (Pacific Time) on Comcast and it says 8:00 Central.
  • yankeefamily05
    yankeefamily05 Posts: 657
    I watched the first episode when they aired it in January. That got me started! I immediately bought a binder and card inserts and started couponing. Within a month, I had enough deordorant, body wash, shampoo/conditioner, laundry soap, dish soap, laundry fabric sheets, pads, toothpaste and toothbrushes to last almost a year! I have never cleared a shelf! I bought these 2 or 3 at a time, never 100's at a time!!!! I love couponing. Now I am set to start working on the food part of my stockpile. I am almost out of pasta that I bought 3 months ago for .60 cents a box. I still have a ton of pasta sauce too! Woot! It even sparked a fire in my frugal self and my best friend and I started a blog and facebook! I have always been a bargain hunter when it comes to clothing, I never pay retail for clothing/shoes!
  • mommared53
    mommared53 Posts: 9,543 Member
    Yankee, where do you get your coupons from? Seem the sites I go to have mostly the same coupons as each other and pretty much the sames coupons over and over. I need a larger varity of coupons.
  • yankeefamily05
    yankeefamily05 Posts: 657
    Yankee, where do you get your coupons from? Seem the sites I go to have mostly the same coupons as each other and pretty much the sames coupons over and over. I need a larger varity of coupons.


    I get my coupons from the sunday paper(usually redplum, smartsource, and p&G inserts), redplum.com(they dont have the same as the newspaper inserts does, smartsource.com, on my 2 cheapmamas blogspot we have a Coupon Savings Center, powered by coupons.com, target.com (LOVE shopping at target, You can stack a regular coupon with one of their store coupons:)...And pretty much anywhere else. I love "peelies" Peelies are coupons you see on product in stores! Also! If there is a product you LOVE but can never find coupons for, I suggest emailing them! Alot of times they will mail you some nice, high value coupons:)
  • cris12
    cris12 Posts: 90
    I really want to watch this show! I love saving money somehow :laugh:
  • mommared53
    mommared53 Posts: 9,543 Member
    Yankee, where do you get your coupons from? Seem the sites I go to have mostly the same coupons as each other and pretty much the sames coupons over and over. I need a larger varity of coupons.


    I get my coupons from the sunday paper(usually redplum, smartsource, and p&G inserts), redplum.com(they dont have the same as the newspaper inserts does, smartsource.com, on my 2 cheapmamas blogspot we have a Coupon Savings Center, powered by coupons.com, target.com (LOVE shopping at target, You can stack a regular coupon with one of their store coupons:)...And pretty much anywhere else. I love "peelies" Peelies are coupons you see on product in stores! Also! If there is a product you LOVE but can never find coupons for, I suggest emailing them! Alot of times they will mail you some nice, high value coupons:)

    Thanks for the suggestions. I'm going to start buying the Sunday paper and see what they have in there. My son still thinks I'm a little nuts to be so excited about couponing. :laugh:
  • Learning2LuvLindsay
    Learning2LuvLindsay Posts: 1,142 Member
    bump
  • chris0912
    chris0912 Posts: 242 Member
    After reading the articles in my local paper from the mother of super couponing, I was determined to try and do this. Unfortunately, none of my local grocery stores are tracked on the websites that do this, so I would have to go to each of my stores (4-5) once a week and track the prices on items I use manually! A whole hell of a lot of work!! I was really excited to watch the show, thinking I would get some different tips, but have you noticed the types of foods these people are buying? Almost exclusively processed and sugar-laden items! That doesn't work with my new healthier lifestyle. I mean, did you see the overweight couple who had enough chips and candy to last a year? It's kind of disheartening to see that manufacturers (and stores for that matter) only offer really good sale prices and coupons for the items that are the cheapest to produce and the worst for us! When was the last time you saw a coupon for fresh produce?
  • mommared53
    mommared53 Posts: 9,543 Member
    After reading the articles in my local paper from the mother of super couponing, I was determined to try and do this. Unfortunately, none of my local grocery stores are tracked on the websites that do this, so I would have to go to each of my stores (4-5) once a week and track the prices on items I use manually! A whole hell of a lot of work!! I was really excited to watch the show, thinking I would get some different tips, but have you noticed the types of foods these people are buying? Almost exclusively processed and sugar-laden items! That doesn't work with my new healthier lifestyle. I mean, did you see the overweight couple who had enough chips and candy to last a year? It's kind of disheartening to see that manufacturers (and stores for that matter) only offer really good sale prices and coupons for the items that are the cheapest to produce and the worst for us! When was the last time you saw a coupon for fresh produce?

    I saw that one and I was thinking the same thing.
  • pink_and_shiny
    pink_and_shiny Posts: 1,036 Member
    Yankee - I'm definitely going to find your Facebook page and follow you. I just this week signed up for the my Sunday paper, and I got a deal on that too because I found a coupon code for $9.88 for 52 weeks of Sunday only service. That's $0.19 a copy! What kind of binder/card inserts would you recommend? Right now I've got my coupons organized by store, but that doesn't work for me anymore since they were separated out according to the sales at each store.

    chris0912 - You're absolutely right. Seeing what some of these people bought is absolutely sad. There was another larger gal on the show who bought 30 Butterfinger candy bars simply because they were free. Really, honey? Free is fabulous, but unless you plan on giving away 28 of those as Halloween candy, you don't need to buy that many.

    I have no space nor want to get the giant hoard of groceries. Shelf stable grocery goods only last for so long and like you said mommared53, deodorant dries up! I mostly want to get my hands on three or fours of things, because that's really all I can handle in my storage area. :laugh:


    There's a lot of buzz about a RedPlum coupon for Nivea body wash right now, it is $3/1. Nivea body wash is currently priced $3.04 at target and is on rollback at Walmart for $3.00. So you'll either get it free or pay less than a nickel for a bottle! OH, and there's also a current Target coupon that is $1/1. So while I'm not sure what Target's take is on stacking coupons that valued more than the cost of the item, but there's chance they'll PAY YOU $0.96 to take the soap home!

    I've yet to recieve my RedPlum insert, so I'm hoping I get one, and my Mom has promised to give me her coupons. I'm wondering how many neighbors I can get to give me their inserts, and I'm also wondering if I can ask the mailman for his extras (if there are any).
  • kelika71
    kelika71 Posts: 778 Member
    bump
  • pink_and_shiny
    pink_and_shiny Posts: 1,036 Member
    Got my husband to watch the first episode last night...he was impressed with what they could do! And agreed that Joanie (Krazy Coupon Lady) was the coolest and most normal one. That she stockpiles for her family, not because of impulse or greed (like the first couple who bought 150 Butterfinger bars just because), or fraudulently uses coupons (like J'aime...read this article! http://www.jillcataldo.com/node/16170).

    Yay for the new episode in 6 minutes!
  • pink_and_shiny
    pink_and_shiny Posts: 1,036 Member
    How's everyone doing in their couponing? Hope it is going well!

    I ran into a little snafu today. Well, two, but one was my fault...I didn't read the ad completely and the items purchased weren't included in the promotion, but it's OK, I still got a great deal.

    The other one though kind of rubbed me the wrong way and I'm thinking of calling the store manager to see if the checker was correct. I purchased two packages of fresh chicken breasts. I had a store coupon for buy one get one free. I was also going to use two manufacturers coupons for $1 off each package. I then had a store doubler coupon, which would make each mfg. coupon worth $2. I've done research and found that using a coupon on each item, even though one is rung up as free, is correct and legal. That instead to think of the math as 50% off each one instead of one full priced and one free. So anyway I'm checking out and the cashier says I can only use one mfg. coupon since one of the chicken packages is free, and that she can't put my coupon towards something that is free. I told her I'd used two coupons on two items during a BOGO promo before, and she wasn't having it. Whatever, I let it slide. I was still getting a good deal, but I could have saved another $2.
  • Brandicaloriecountess
    Brandicaloriecountess Posts: 2,126 Member
    No stores here double so I wouldn't get as good of results. Also I don't have the time they devote to it.
  • pink_and_shiny
    pink_and_shiny Posts: 1,036 Member
    OH and one more good thing that happened today...I bought 3 Tylenol Precise products at $8.49 each = $25.47. Rite Aid had a promotion where you earned $10 +UP bucks when $25 worth was purchased. First, scanned my club card. At checkout I had a $3 off $15 purchase coupon which I've learned I need to use first in my parade of coupons. Then, I used 3 $5/1 Tylenol Precise mfg. coupons. That made my total $7.47. I brought that down even more with $4 +UP bucks I redeemed, making my subtotal $3.47. Grand total after tax was $5.66. :drinker: Cheers!
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