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BFP:11/1/11 EDD: 7/3/12 M/C:11/22/11 8w1d
BFP: 5/23/12 EDD: 2/2/13
XP: Extreme Couponing
The episode of Extreme Couponing comes on tonight at 9pm on TLC. The lady featured on the episode is from Bethesda, MD. She goes shopping at the grocery store and when she gets to the register her $550 bill goes down to $6.
I use coupons but not to this extent. I buy stuff on sale but not everything in my cart has a coupon. I don't tend to buy things I don't need. I would love to save hundreds of dollars but I don't want a pantry full of hundreds of cans of ravioli.
Do you watch this show? Do you clip coupons?
BFP:11/1/11 EDD: 7/3/12 M/C:11/22/11 8w1d
BFP: 5/23/12 EDD: 2/2/13
This discussion has been closed.
Re: XP: Extreme Couponing
I just started DVRing the show so I'll be interested to watch tonight. I used to clip grocery store coupons but I found that the amount of time and energy that went into it wasn't worth it for me. Also, most of the time it seems like if you just use a regular manufacturer's coupon on an item, the price ends up being the same as the generic brand which is what I usually buy. It seems like to really save money you have to stack deals along with sales, etc. which requires a lot of coordination. Sometimes just keeping up with grocery shopping and making meals is enough of a challenge for me.
I do however always look for deals, coupon codes, etc. when buying things online or at stores. I also keep an eye out for coupons for large ticket items.
Oh I definitely look out for the deals and coupon codes for big ticket items too. I also buy the store brand items instead of name brand.
I need to clip more coupons and become a smarter shopper at the grocery store but it does take a lot of time and effort. I read an article about how it takes her 5 hours to get ready for 1 shopping trip.
BFP:11/1/11 EDD: 7/3/12 M/C:11/22/11 8w1d
BFP: 5/23/12 EDD: 2/2/13
I didn't know that this show existed...but I don't watch much tv, so that's not surprising!
But I do need to use more coupons. I think I would get the most out of them for things like paper products and soaps/detergents. I try not to buy much in the way of prepared/processed foods and unfortunately, there never seems to be coupons for fresh fruits and veggies :-(
also, I agree with the quantity being an issue. I saw a news story on super coupon users a couple years ago and the family's basement looked like a costco, they had SO much food stockpiled...I had to wonder if they would ever actually use it all.
Amen! The only coupons I really pay attention to are the Costco ones (and you don't even have to clip them - it's more like a sales flyer). I do a lot of shopping at MOM's, where they keep clipped coupons at the register and will actually go through and see if you bought anything that applies!
In my Google Reader I follow a few couponing blogs. Before I got shopping each week I take a look at the match-ups for Giant or wherever I am heading and bring those coupons (either printed online or from the Sunday paper) along. Typically I save about a third of my grocery bill each week. Usually it's on items like yogurt, cheese, paper products and condiments.
The thing with those shows are, who eats that much processed food? It's frightening. I'm much more of a perimeter of the grocery store shopper. No matter how cheap Hamburger Helper or Toaster Strudel gets, I am still not purchasing it.
As to how they get that many coupons - they dumpster dive, have special arrangements with stores/the newspaper for inserts, or buy them in bulk online. For the show, some of the stored suspend their normal coupon limits to allow filming which seems a bit disingenuous. Also some of the deals if you look online involve multiple trips through the register line. Buy product X with Y coupons gets Catalina or register rewards then buy product Z with reward and other coupon...
they've been interviewing these women on a bunch of talk shows (we have a TV in the mother's room) and basically they spend hours couponing, they do not have a job outside the home, THIS is their job (plus, does the TV show pay them??). One woman said "we saved $40K" (I don't remember if it was last year or since she started couponing). Well, I make more than $40K in a year so I'm OK not couponing.
I haven't seen the show, but I've definitely noticed that in newspaper inserts. So many of the coupons are for pure crap. Granted, we buy crap every now and then, but it's sad that the manufacturers and grocers push that with coupons instead of like, celery, or something.
I totally agree with this. we try to eat as little processed food as possible so most coupons don't help us. Plus, i am definitely not dumpster diving for them!
They always have great deals on late season fruit and veggies as well - if I had the time and energy to learn how to preserve that stuff I would!! Not enough hours in my day though. I'm grateful that financially we can survive without me having to spend hours planning my store trips, but I understand that some people have to do it. It seems with this show it's more of a game for them than a neccessity.