Extreme Couponing

[Reese1]

Originally Posted by Mom to Hot Rod

I used to cashier at a grocery store and was amazed at what some people would save although nothing like on the show. I started to really hit the coupons thing then and I really managed to save a lot of money without much effort. I used to have then energy to go to the different grocery stores to catch the sales and I still do between 2 stores now but not as often as I probably should. At best I did manage to save $58.00 out of $90 some dollars--I was a happy camper.

I don't mind stocking up on paper goods but the food stuff is a bit nutty. I do go to Sam's club and get the bulk items. I like not having to run out for tp or papertowels. It saves me time and effort, which is valuable to me.

You gotta wonder though, if these people are spending 3, 4 or 5 hours shopping and then however long it takes to checkout...their dairy and meat items have got to be spoiling. I don't understand why they don't break it down into smaller checkouts like paper products, non perishables, produce and regerated items. I know that as a cashier, it would have been a whole lot easier for everyone, especially if a coupon didn't scan correctly. That was always a nightmare.

I don't mind stocking up on paper goods either. We buy bulk on those from Costco.
I didn't see a lot of dairy and meat items on the show. Mainly boxed and can goods.

[Reese1]

Originally Posted by celstu1

yeah, for me too.. planted that seed to at least keep a look out and use the coupons I actually DO have!
That woman with the mustard, she bought all those bottles because with her coupons and the deal she was PAID $.10 a bottle. So she MADE money buying the mustard. But now what? She has 62 bottles and no one can buy any? It's RUDE! Even her husband was like 'uumm leave at least one or two" and she was like "oh yeah, I forget other people need this stuff too" and laughs. These women buy things they don't even need or use because they MAKE money on it with their coupons. That to me is SAD. What about the people who do use those things, you left them with NOTHING!

It's rude, sad, and stupid! Unless you donate to those who can use it!

[psugorilladdr]

They have stuff everywhere. I like to use my shower, not have it for paper towel storage. I was thinking it was going to be for normal-non-hoarding people. They are hoarders. It's crazy. My husband would kill me if I put a shelf in our bedroom for food. 70+ bottles of mustard, why?!? I just want to save money on the groceries that I buy, not buy in MASSIVE bulk. There aren't any stores around here that do the double/triple coupons either.

[Reese1]

Originally Posted by psugorilladdr

They have stuff everywhere. I like to use my shower, not have it for paper towel storage. I was thinking it was going to be for normal-non-hoarding people. They are hoarders. It's crazy. My husband would kill me if I put a shelf in our bedroom for food. 70+ bottles of mustard, why?!? I just want to save money on the groceries that I buy, not buy in MASSIVE bulk. There aren't any stores around here that do the double/triple coupons either.

Yes, the one that bothered me was the lady that had like 6-7 kids. She has items stuffed in all her kid's closets, under their beds, etc..
That's stupid. Her house looked tiny for the amount of kids, let alone cramming groceries to the ceiling.

[linz06]

Originally Posted by Reese1

Yes, the one that bothered me was the lady that had like 6-7 kids. She has items stuffed in all her kid's closets, under their beds, etc..
That's stupid. Her house looked tiny for the amount of kids, let alone cramming groceries to the ceiling.

That bothered me too. I think kids need to have some space of their own. I was watching with my bf and one of their kids had hundreds of rolls of toilet paper under his bed and I said "I used to keep my Barbies under my bed" They are just taking over every possible square inch of their homes and that's sad. Their kids don't even get their whole closets because they stash in there too.

[yorkietalkjilly]

I don't save coupons and would rather pay the price on an item than spend all that time searching for, cutting and printing coupons and the standing at checkout as the clerk works through them with the line behind steaming!

I spent 40 minutes in line one time behind a woman with 4 kids and a handful of coupons, which she searched through item by item while all behind her in line waited and waited one cold, rainy night after work. I'd worked all day, had little sleep the night before, my back was aching and I hadn't eaten in 8 hours but as my basket was full and I needed the groceries, I had to stand there and wait while the process went on endlessly. On top of all that coupon mess, she questioned every other price they rang up and runners had to go check. Maddening experience.

I understand the extreme couponers are extremely efficient and have all their coupons lined up by item sometimes, etc., but it is just not for me. If I get a coupon and stick it in my wallet, I don't see it again until I am cleaning out my wallet after the expiration date!

[JESSY_RN2B]

Its a stupid show imho. They are a little short of hoarders and the time and effort put in outweighs the benefits.

Seems like they have no time to be normal folks. Some dont work and consider it their job.

I watched a few episodes but I was not impressed. Now I moved on yo those storage garage auctions.....LOL I do like that show.

[psugorilladdr]

Originally Posted by Reese1

Yes, the one that bothered me was the lady that had like 6-7 kids. She has items stuffed in all her kid's closets, under their beds, etc..
That's stupid. Her house looked tiny for the amount of kids, let alone cramming groceries to the ceiling.

That's the one that bothered me too! I can't believe anyone would want their house to look like that. It would drive me crazy.

[shoefelmeyer]

I have been watching this show. Great tips. But, I won't ever stockpile like that. Seriously, food items do have an expiration date. Unless they are also stockpiling to donate the majority of the food items, why bother.
I know times are tough for most people these days. But this is going to the extreme.
I LOVE to use LOTS of coupons. And I have managed to find some really awesome deals where I can get ALOT of stuff for free or very low cost. But never would I ever stockpile to those extremes. If I get extras of things, I normally share with my adult children to help them out.
My latest was last week, getting Purex laundry detergent for FREE from Walgreens when it was on sale for $1.99 and I had $2.00 off coupons. I shared with my Mom and my youngest Daughter.
I try to shop places like CVS and Walgreens matching coupons with sales, and getting extra care bucks or register rewards, I use these to go along with the sales. I try NOT to spend more than my extra care bucks or register rewards. I only buy paper goods, cleaning supplies, laundry supplies, personal care items this way. Nothing that will expire or in a quantity that will expire. Who wants to use old, expired stuff? Not me!
I would rather see these women on these shows donating the majority of the food they get for FREE, since it all has a short shelf life. It would be very wasteful, to be throwing things that were stockpiled and never used.
I don't buy extra newspapers or anything for the coupons I use. I just use what arrives in our Sunday newspaper, coupons printed off the internet or coupons loaded onto the grocery store cards,etc. I do spend an hour or so on Sunday, matching coupons with the sales ads and checking couponing blogs for match ups. That is about all I put into it.
I save ALOT of $$$. Always have saved.
And there has only been one time I can remember buying several hundreds of dollars of groceries for less than $2.00 after coupons.... in the 1980's!
I would rather have our home for living and enjoying. Not filled up like those homes on Extreme Couponing. That has to be a form of "hoarding" what is seen on that show.
I look forward to watching more of these shows, to try to pick up tips. But that is about all I am interested in learning.

[AlicetheYorkie]

That show is fascinating to me, but I could never see myself actually doing it. I get a headache just making a grocery list LOL. I think the one lady who had her little kid inside a recycling dumpster digging for clippers was completely off her rocker. Cool show to watch though and has made me cringe a bit more at the checkout

edit: oh ya, dh watched it with me and told me i should start spending the time I spend on YT and FB to start clipping coupons and save us some money LMBO

[RachelandSadie]

finally watched and it was NUTS, i wish i would just do it ONCE and live off the food for 5 years

[jencar98]

The one guy I've seen on there before and thought it's great, at least he does donate much of what he buys to care packages for the troops. I thought it was rude and greedy for the two ladies to buy all of the store's supply of dental floss.

[Ladymom]

Originally Posted by jencar98

The one guy I've seen on there before and thought it's great, at least he does donate much of what he buys to care packages for the troops. I thought it was rude and greedy for the two ladies to buy all of the store's supply of dental floss.

And diapers since they didn't have children!

They spend 20 hours a week couponing. Talk about needing to get a life!

[jencar98]

Originally Posted by Ladymom

And diapers since they didn't have children!

They spend 20 hours a week couponing. Talk about needing to get a life!

OMG...I didn't catch that they didn't even have children. 20 hours a week is bad, but one lady on there spends upwards of 70 hours per week couponing.

Ah well.....TLC has their next candidates for the Hoarders show. We'll probably see them on that show in a couple of years, someone helping to clean up all their rotted food, cobweb covered diapers, and dental floss

[linz06]

Originally Posted by Ladymom

And diapers since they didn't have children!

They spend 20 hours a week couponing. Talk about needing to get a life!

I said to my bf, "Watch, I bet they'll end up not having any kids" and my bf said "Or, they'll have kids and they'll have some allergy to that kind of diaper or baby wipe and then they're SOL" lol.... Really, I couldn't buy things that I don't NEED. No matter how much money you're saving, it still seems a waste to me.