Extreme Couponing Show**Update pic heavy**

[JulieNKC]

I wouldn't mind couponing for and stocking up on toiletries, cleaning, and baby supplies. Especially diapers. Those things are expensive, and I try to mostly buy those on sale and with coupons. As far as food though, I would rather spend more time growing more healthy stuff in my garden than spend it clipping and shopping for junk food. None of the stores around here double coupons, although some stores like target let you use one of their coupons and a manufacturer's coupon at the same time.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I watched some of that last night. Crazy! This one woman actually walked away with a gift certificate from the store since she ended up with a negative balance. Where do you find all these coupons?

 

[Kaitie09]

My mom does it sometimes. My aunt is even better. She is friends with that lady that started the craze, and she taught my aunt everything. My aunt normally gets money back from the grocery store. About 2 yrs ago, my mom did one of these shopping trips. It took us about 4hrs, and 3 overflowing carts. The bill came to be about $700, but she only paid $50. Everyone was watching, and she got a couple marriage offers. She chose things that were non-perishables. We still have boxes of laundry detergent, boxed food (stuffing, shake and bake, etc.), shampoo, deodorant, bath wash, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and a ton of other items. We don't have a huge room to put everything in, so she couponed knowing what we needed and used. My cousin just had a baby about 7 months ago, and have never had to pay for diapers, shampoo, wipes, and any other of the baby supplies you can get at the grocery stores. I have no clue how she does it, but I don't think my aunt has ever spent over $20 in the past 3 years on anything you can get at a grocery store, or CVS(great deals!)

 

[areyoumymother]

About 10 years ago we lived in CA and the grocery stores at the time would double sometimes triple coupons. I wouldn't call my savings extreme but to cut my bill in half was not uncommon. Now that my children are grown the need is not as great and we are in TX now and they don't double coupons I have not been the coupon fiend I once was, it definetly was rewarding and fun

It sure did come in handy with one income for a family of 4 in CA !

My suggestion to the 'hoarders' would be to either donate their items (like the gazillion mustard bottles) to the local food pantry's, there are a lot of suffering families out their right now that don't have the means to spend 3$ on 10 deodorants when that $3 could get a gallon of milk for the kiddo's. Do they need the deodorant, yes, do they need the milk more, probably.

I also think of our service men and women abroad who could really benefit from a care package filled with deodorant, toothpaste, lotion, etc.

I guess my point is ..... If it were me I would definitely be sharing the wealth

 

[jwg423]

I haven't seen the show, but a friend of mine is into couponing now, and I keep asking her if she is really saving money if she is buying stuff that they wont use just to say that they only paid $50 for $150 worth if stuff...
I don't get it, she still has to buy the groceries that they will use????

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I saw a few episodes of this show and thought it was interesting. I don't think I would ever go to those extremes, but I would love to learn how to find/use coupons. My family doesn't get a newspaper really, but are there websites out there that offer coupons? Also, on the show they all had manufacturers coupons for free items. Where the heck do they get those?

Also, I noticed these people had HUGE stockpiles of things, many of which had expiration dates! What do they do with all the food before it expires? Sometimes even soaps and shampoos and whatnot will go bad if you don't use them within a couple of years. That one guy I saw had more stuff than could last him a lifetime! I wonder what he does with all the excess. I saw he was donating some to soldiers, but he still had so much!

 

[Henicillin]

Back in the dark ages of the '90s, when stores used to double and triple coupons, I'd do pretty well, saving maybe a third on my bill. Now, however, I can manage to score maybe ten or twelve bucks off in total for coupon purchases, usually on cleaning supplies, some toiletries, and pet food and supplies. I don't use most of the stuff for which there are coupons, since I tend to buy ingredients or store-brand items.

Now, when there are coupons for staples I'll happily use them. For example, Goya's website had some nice ones for canned beans and for their dried beans and rice mixes last week. However, I can't see myself going nuts clipping coupons for hours on end and driving all over Heck's half-acre just to buy seventy-odd bottles of mustard. That'd take away time from the chickens, and from BYC!

 

[Chickens_in_a_nutshell]

They sure get a lot of stuff for a few pennies but I find it ridiculous that they buy stuff that's just gonna go to waste. It's mostly processed food anyway.

 

[Sierra pachie bars]

I went to use a coupon today. Someone had cleared the shelves. They bought over 32 bottles . I think that is a bit much. Total bull for people go clean a shelf. I mean if your going to use, I have myself bought 12 boxes of cereal once. But with 14 nieces and nephews who visit and my two boys and daughter we do use it. I do save a lot of money. And I get more. I takes time and getting use to. I wont clean a shelf even if I have the coupons to do it because its wrong. I mean what one earth would I do with 50 mustards ? I do not have a baby , but can print my limits for baby items. I often toss those coupons away. I would gladly trade with someone who could use the baby stuff. My daughter gets a kick out of coupon shopping. So we do it together. Today she picked me up several milk and cookie coupons.

If you got the time, its worth it. But i only buy and use coupons for items we use.

 

[Carols Clucks]

One of my friends has been following the show and decided to get in to it as well.

So far the only good thing I think she has picked up was a bunch of clearance paper towels she got for a good price. The rest of the stuff she got is pure junk food. She has a child with a serious medical problem that really needs a parent that is being very diligent about healthy eating and teaching the child what is healthy and not. Unfortunately, they are busy eating all the junk food they have purchased on the cheap. She just had to take the child for a longer diabetes study.

Frankly, that right there is the true cost of the coupon clipping for that family