Are you an extreme couponer??

[yennyfire]

I've always shopped for things at the grocery store when they are on sale and have sometimes clipped coupons from the paper, but never to the extent that I saw when I watched the show "Extreme Couponing". Do any of you do this? How long did it take you to amass a collection of coupons? How many hours a week do you spend on this endeavor? Any idea of how much you save a month? C'mon, brag shamelessly, as I am on my knees, bowing to your greatness!!

Any tips for someone wanting to get started???

 

[Hospatogi]

I would love to hear from fellow PSers bout this too. I want to do the coupon thing but I can never find a manufacturers coupon for an item on my shopping list when I'm ready to buy it!

 

[yennyfire]

I was pretty pleased when I managed to get $86 worth of groceries for $34 today, but that's nothing compared to what the extreme folks manage. My hope is that I can free up some $$ for bling if I can cut our grocery bills by 70-80%.

 

[madelise]

There are forums full of extreme couponers that are more than happy to share their tips and post links to coupons.
There's also a site (I forgot which) that shows you groceries on sale at x location, then gives you recipes to make meals for the next week using those sale ingredients.

 

[minousbijoux]

I would love to take more advantage of couponing, but typically what happens is that when I finally remember to use them, they've expired

 

[yennyfire]

There are forums full of extreme couponers that are more than happy to share their tips and post links to coupons.
There's also a site (I forgot which) that shows you groceries on sale at x location, then gives you recipes to make meals for the next week using those sale ingredients.

Yeah, I've found them, but so far, they are really confusing. Hoping that the more time I spend on them, the more they'll make sense!

 

[madelise]

There are forums full of extreme couponers that are more than happy to share their tips and post links to coupons.
There's also a site (I forgot which) that shows you groceries on sale at x location, then gives you recipes to make meals for the next week using those sale ingredients.

Yeah, I've found them, but so far, they are really confusing. Hoping that the more time I spend on them, the more they'll make sense!

Haha, I found them confusing as well! That's why I don't follow! One day, though. I don't really buy much groceries now anyway. Our "The Name That Can't Be Spoken" forum also has a coupon section. They have great tips. I remember reading about one of them leaving with a REFUND of money because of the amount of $ the coupons + rebates were more than the worth of her purchase…. Now THAT'S couponing talent!

 

[yennyfire]

There are forums full of extreme couponers that are more than happy to share their tips and post links to coupons.
There's also a site (I forgot which) that shows you groceries on sale at x location, then gives you recipes to make meals for the next week using those sale ingredients.

Yeah, I've found them, but so far, they are really confusing. Hoping that the more time I spend on them, the more they'll make sense!

Haha, I found them confusing as well! That's why I don't follow! One day, though. I don't really buy much groceries now anyway. Our "The Name That Can't Be Spoken" forum also has a coupon section. They have great tips. I remember reading about one of them leaving with a REFUND of money because of the amount of $ the coupons + rebates were more than the worth of her purchase…. Now THAT'S couponing talent!

That would be my ultimate achievement! I just learned that you can take overages from coupons and apply it to produce and meat. That's amazing! We don't use tons of packaged food, so I was skeptical that I could really rack up any savings, but if I can buy 20 boxes of whole wheat pasta and end up with a $5 surplus to apply to fresh veggies, sign me up!

 

[SB621]

I wouldn't say i'm extreme but I started to coupon when we had kids. My neighbor attended a coupon class so she sort of taught me. What you really need to know is what grocery stores are around you and how they take their coupons. Many of the extreme couponers shop at specific places that will let you double or triple your coupons. Those places are few and far between.

However with that said I typically save about 30-35% off my grocery bill each month. Diapers and wipes are typically free, though I cloth diaper my kiddos so I don't buy diapers that often.

Tips:
-Call your local paper and ask how much a subscription is for the Sunday paper only. I think I pay about $35 for the entire year.
-Southersavers.com will tell you most major grocery stores what is on sale and then where you can also find a coupon for it.
-Try to always buy things with a coupon when it is on sale for extra savings. Typically most items go on sale every 8-12 weeks so you need to buy enough to get you through when it is full priced.
-Always buy what is the cheapest $ value NOT price per unit. AKA if you have a $1 coupon any size. You buy whatever the cheapest size is, even if it is smaller.
-I spend about 2-4 hrs each week couponing (going through the paper, printing coupons that I need and trying to menu plan). Most extreme couponers spent at least 20hrs a week but with a full time job and toddlers that won't happen for me. Overall I'm pretty happy with the money we have saved. It doesn't always work out all the time, but it happens enough.
-CVS or Wal-greens membership if you have one nearbye. I have gotten $100's of in free stuff from southernsavers.com by just looking at their weekly ad. Great stuff!

 

[erinl]

sarahbear listed all the best tips!
there are lots of websites and databases that can you alert you when items go one sale.

I think you can save a great deal of money by watching fliers, knowing the patterns of your local grocery stores, mailing in rebates, etc.

However, I do think if you eat healthfully, coupons are not going to score you free grocery tabs. Produce and basic, non-big name staples do not generally have a lot of coupons. Usually it is the prepackaged processed foods that you get the huge discounts. Also cleaning products. It seems like those extreme couponers have huge stockpiles of air fresheners and toothpaste, not potatoes or broccoli!

 

[yennyfire]

Thanks Sarah and Erin! Those are some great tips! I've started a binder to organize things and am having a couple of friends save their inserts for me, so I should have a decent pile of coupons.... Now I just have to hope that those items go on sale before the coupons expire!!

 

[ponder]

sarahbear listed all the best tips!
there are lots of websites and databases that can you alert you when items go one sale.

I think you can save a great deal of money by watching fliers, knowing the patterns of your local grocery stores, mailing in rebates, etc.

However, I do think if you eat healthfully, coupons are not going to score you free grocery tabs. Produce and basic, non-big name staples do not generally have a lot of coupons. Usually it is the prepackaged processed foods that you get the huge discounts. Also cleaning products. It seems like those extreme couponers have huge stockpiles of air fresheners and toothpaste, not potatoes or broccoli!

Exactly, very few of the things I buy on a regular basis even have coupons and when I do have a coupon I can get another brand for less than using the coupon.

 

[diamondringlover]

I am not a extreme couponer, but I do clip coupons and I do stock up on stuff that is on sale, for example laundry detergent, because I dont care what brand I use I always buy what it on sale and whatever I have a coupon for..I do not stock up on stuff that will expire before I use it all...I have managed to get our monthly grocery bills under control (around $120 a week for a family of 3 of which 1 is a teenage boy), hubby was doing the shopping and we were spending at least 50 to 100 more per week when he was shopping...I do have a good stock of food right now..but here lately where I live there is very little going on sale of the things I actually use, so my stockpile is going down..thanks for the tips in this thread I will have to check out Southersavers.com. I live in a rural area and there are very few stores that I have access to so that does limit my shopping and I have a lazy paper delivery guy, I dont always get all the coupon inserts, I think I will have to start buying a extra Sunday paper just for the coupons!

 

[zoebartlett]

I do't have the patience to be a regular ol' coupon clipper, let alone an extreme couponer. It's too much work to save a few bucks.

 

[rosetta]

I do't have the patience to be a regular ol' coupon clipper, let alone an extreme couponer. It's too much work to save a few bucks.

+1

I also think it doesn't work out much if you eat a lot of basics: our groceries are mostly veg, fruit, milk, eggs, fish and grains. One large bar of cholocate I bought 2 weeks ago is still there. Its just the two of us, I think our grocery bill less than $70 per week and we eat high quality food. I think it would be different if I had a family to feed.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

I've watched a few of those shows too. You need another room for all the stuff people get. So much of it is unwanted in my house. I go to about 5 different stores in my area to do my shopping. I have the time and utilize the sales in each of the stores, or I get canned goods at one store(Aldis( and my meat at another, coldcuts at another and so on. This works very well for me.

I seldom use coupons, but do check the sales.

About 15 yrs ago all the stores had double and triple coupons. Some people I knew used to bring in their receipts to show they only pd 12.00 for for 200.00 in groceries. They were really good at it.

I think I would prefer an extra freezer for sale items, but there is only 2 of us , so it doesn't really pay.


Ill check out that website too.

Annette

 

[yennyfire]

I already have 2 extra freezers because I like to cook double recipes whenver possible to have available for meals when I'm busy and don't have time to cook, so if I re-organize it a bit, I should have a decent amount of space left over for a "stockpile".

I also buy mostly fresh things (meat/poultry/veggies/fruit/dairy), but I started a list of the things I do buy that would be eligible for coupons and I was suprised at how long it was: pasta, cereal, rice, cheese slices, tomato products (paste, crushed, sauce etc.), granola bars, pretzels, popcorn, almonds/nuts, paper products (toilet paper, paper towels, tissues), dishwasher detergent, laundry detergent, hand soap, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, bodywash, toothbrushes, deoderant....the list goes on. My point is, even for those of us who have never bought a frozen/boxed meal in their lives, we all still use quite a # of products that are coupon eligible.

I hate to throw $$ away and if I can cut our grocery bills (coupon eligible) by 80%, why not? I have a feeling that once you get the hang of it, you can do it in a few hours a week. If that's extra $$ for bling or retirement or vacation, I'll be thrilled!

When it was just me and DH, our bills were pretty low so it probably didn't pay to coupon since I was also working full time, but now that we have kids (and always seem to have a couple extra hanging around), we spend quite a bit on groceries each month. I'm going to give it a try and see how it goes. I'll keep you posted, though it may take me a few weeks to build up my coupon supply!

 

[Missy]

No, I have never watched any of those coupon shows and just don't think I have the energy or organizational skills necessary to do that. We belong to Costco and we get coupon books and that is the extent of my coupon use lol. And only because the cashier at Costco automatically takes off whatever is included in the sale and we don't have to cut or hand in the coupons from the book. I admire all of you who take the time and energy to do this. Maybe one day I can get motivated and organized enough to try...


Good luck Yenny!!

 

[justginger]

I feel like I could really get into couponing - I love saving money! - but they don't have coupons in Australia. At all. They have fliers that come out advertising what's on sale each week, but neither the stores or the actual brands offer coupons for possible additional savings.

Such a bummer. I could totally fill my entire garden shed with toilet paper.

 

[yennyfire]

I feel like I could really get into couponing - I love saving money! - but they don't have coupons in Australia. At all. They have fliers that come out advertising what's on sale each week, but neither the stores or the actual brands offer coupons for possible additional savings.

Such a bummer. I could totally fill my entire garden shed with toilet paper.

Wow, no coupons???

 

[MyDiamondSparkles]

I used to be a sort of extreme coupon'er. When the kids were younger and I was a stay at home Mom I had more time to clip coupons and organize them all. I even subscribed to the Tightwad Gazette (does anyone remember that?????)! I hardly ever use coupons anymore--I just don't have the time due to my crazy work hours. In fact, I'll just admit it, I'd rather shop at the gourmet grocery store and pay more, only because I can shop more quickly there (not as crowded, not as big). I've got to finish the marketing in 30 minutes--not 2 hours. Plus a lot of the stuff I buy rarely has a coupon--such as fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. And I'm picky about shampoo, toothpaste, toilet paper, etc.

My twin sister is waaaaay big into coupons. She could seriously be on that show, and in fact, I think she is better at it than most people on the show! Seriously! She dumpster dives for coupons, she sells coupons on EBay and trades coupons (who knew there was such things!) for items she doesn't use such as baby formula. She joins forums and groups to find out and post about deals. She says she never pays for toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, mouthwash or toothpaste, etc--she gets it all free. She gets so much free (she has an arsenal of food and stuff) that she often packs it up and donates it to the local food banks. My kids absolutely love her as she makes the best care packages! She organizers all of her coupons in a 3 ring binder with those divided plastic inserts and always has it in the car with her. She shops at several different stores to get the best deals. She told me that she spends about 20 hours a week on collecting, sorting and general coupon-ing tasks. So really, it's become a hobby or a part time job for her--if that makes sense. She works full time too--I don't know how she makes time for it all, but she really seems to enjoy it. I told her just last week that she needs to open a Facebook group and share her info with others as the forum she thought was the best source of info is closing or has closed.

 

[SB621]

True coupons are hard for produce and meat. There are certain things you just can't get with coupons. But it has been at least 2 years since I have had to purchase diapers, wipes, toothpaste, soap, toothbrushes, shampoo/ conditioner, ceral, eggs, tp, medicine etc. So by saving money in that area I can spend more on organic produce and meats. I honestly wish I could be better at couponing as it is actually quite a high walking out of the grocery store with free stuff or heavily discounted.

 

[erinl]

There are electronic means to coupons at some grocery stores-- you sign up your store card and the discount is automatically taken off. Also, target stacks coupons--meaning you can use their coupons(they are online and they also mail them if you sign up) and you can also use manufacturer coupons at the same time. I have actually had a few purchases there--mainly expensive venus razors and the like, in which I stacked coupons and also received a gift card for the purchase.

Costco doesn't accept manufacturer coupons but they have store issues coupons. you can really save with those!

 

[yennyfire]

I used to be a sort of extreme coupon'er. When the kids were younger and I was a stay at home Mom I had more time to clip coupons and organize them all. I even subscribed to the Tightwad Gazette (does anyone remember that?????)! I hardly ever use coupons anymore--I just don't have the time due to my crazy work hours. In fact, I'll just admit it, I'd rather shop at the gourmet grocery store and pay more, only because I can shop more quickly there (not as crowded, not as big). I've got to finish the marketing in 30 minutes--not 2 hours. Plus a lot of the stuff I buy rarely has a coupon--such as fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. And I'm picky about shampoo, toothpaste, toilet paper, etc.

My twin sister is waaaaay big into coupons. She could seriously be on that show, and in fact, I think she is better at it than most people on the show! Seriously! She dumpster dives for coupons, she sells coupons on EBay and trades coupons (who knew there was such things!) for items she doesn't use such as baby formula. She joins forums and groups to find out and post about deals. She says she never pays for toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, mouthwash or toothpaste, etc--she gets it all free. She gets so much free (she has an arsenal of food and stuff) that she often packs it up and donates it to the local food banks. My kids absolutely love her as she makes the best care packages! She organizers all of her coupons in a 3 ring binder with those divided plastic inserts and always has it in the car with her. She shops at several different stores to get the best deals. She told me that she spends about 20 hours a week on collecting, sorting and general coupon-ing tasks. So really, it's become a hobby or a part time job for her--if that makes sense. She works full time too--I don't know how she makes time for it all, but she really seems to enjoy it. I told her just last week that she needs to open a Facebook group and share her info with others as the forum she thought was the best source of info is closing or has closed.

That's amazing mds!! Your sister sounds like she has a great system in place! I hear you about preferring to shop at the gourmet stores. It's more pleasant all around. Maybe when college, weddings, retirement is all taken care of, I'll feel more able to do that. For now, I want to save as much as I can!!

 

[April20]

I used to do a lot of couponing. I used GroceryGame.com and subscribed to a list for the stores I frequent. They tracked the sales and told me when it was the "lowest" price for the 12 week cycle (prices generally have a 12 week cycle). It really worked, especially for household items and health & beauty. It took about six weeks to have most of the coupons listed. I didn't buy dozens of papers, I usually bought two.

I quit about three years ago when we moved and I didn't have the space I used to, plus I had enough stockpile to lay off it for a while. Just this week, I ran out of deodorant. I went to buy some and was horrified to realize that's it's about $3 regular price! I never paid more than 25 cents. I'm also out of conditioner, though I still have some shampoo. I'm also finally on my absolute last bottle of laundry detergent. I still have some dishwasher tabs to use up.

We don't eat processed foods, so unless coupons were for things like butter or cheese or cereal (for DH), food deals don't draw me.

 

[yennyfire]

April, it sounds like you did what I hope to do...stock up on personal care items at really good prices! I'm impressed that you did it with only 2 papers a week!

 

[Lady_Disdain]

I feel like I could really get into couponing - I love saving money! - but they don't have coupons in Australia. At all. They have fliers that come out advertising what's on sale each week, but neither the stores or the actual brands offer coupons for possible additional savings.

Such a bummer. I could totally fill my entire garden shed with toilet paper.

Wow, no coupons???

In my experience, coupons are very much an American thing. They are inexistent here as well and very rare in the European countries I lived in.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I am not sure the time it would take would be worth my while. I buy items when they are on sale and buy most canned and packaged foods from WalMart where prices are already low on name brands but I buy generic on some. I honestly do not think coupons would save me anything because I don't think there are any stores around me that double or triple them. When you add in the extra gas to go to multiple stores and the extra time, it's not worth it to me.

 

[webdiva]

I usually stock up at Costco or Target - Costco automatically takes the coupons off for you and Target prints out coupons at the cash register, which I use on the next trip. Fresh & Easy's emails send you $10 off coupons, so I use those, too.

However, most grocery coupons are offered by large companies like Proctor & Gamble, etc and I try to limit the amount of overly processed food we buy. There are no coupons on fruits and veggies! We do get flyers from the local grocery stores so you can plan which meats and produce you can save money on, and we also shop at ethnic grocery stores where prices are up to 75% cheaper than the grocery store!

I DO love saving money on online purchases and started an online coupon site (I'm not sure I can mention it here, but I'll remove if it's inappropriate) called http://www.chippmunk.com We test all coupons to make sure they work (a super pet peeve of mine!), only show you coupons that apply to how much you're spending and also show comparable coupons from other stores. I'm the person that everyone calls when they need a deal, so it was just a natural extension of what I already do! I even bought my diamond on sale from GOG! LOL

 

[GliderPoss]

I feel like I could really get into couponing - I love saving money! - but they don't have coupons in Australia. At all. They have fliers that come out advertising what's on sale each week, but neither the stores or the actual brands offer coupons for possible additional savings.

Such a bummer. I could totally fill my entire garden shed with toilet paper.

Wow, no coupons???

In my experience, coupons are very much an American thing. They are inexistent here as well and very rare in the European countries I lived in.

Yep no coupons in Australia. Occassionally you might get a flyer in the mail for discount pizza etc but I've never ever seen or heard of any other coupons. Just an American thing as far as I know...