stats45
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Post by stats45 on May 14, 2011 14:23:13 GMT -5
Iggy, that seems reasonable though. You spend 26 hours a year on it for $1,500. At around $57 an hour, that seems cost-effective.
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on May 14, 2011 14:25:10 GMT -5
I just think this is a waste of time. I saw one of these shows, and the participants seemed remarkably proud of the amount of time that went into it. I don't think that bragging about spending the amount of time these people spent on coupons on a budget item that makes up maybe 10-15% of total expenses is a sign of good judgement. Let's say that your household makes a median wage, around $55k. This would mean you spend (on average according to the Census Burea Consumer Expenditure Survey) around $7k-$8k a year on food and personal items. Even if you get all of this for free, you are spending 30-40 hours a week for maybe $150 a week and a stockpile of goods that are of varying levels of use. This just isn't an efficient use of time. The two people I saw on the show clearly looked to be shopping addicts. One came out and said it was a way for her to justify shopping more on her income, and both made a big deal of the 'rush' they got at the checkout. This seems 'cheap' rather than 'frugal' because it seems to be an example of how little these people value their time. Again, you are assuming that this reality show is realistic or the norm; it is not.
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marvholly
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Post by marvholly on May 14, 2011 14:37:36 GMT -5
As a single person I am NOT an extreme couponer. At MOST I will do 1-2 of any single advertised deal.
Extreme couponing REQUIRES shopper to be NOT brand specific. Extreme couponers ASSUMES participants live in areas of double coupons. Extreme couponers REQUIRES participants the get multiple Sunday papers, get multiple inserts from friends, family, co-workers, dumpster dive or BUY extras papers. Extreme couponers assume all YOUR stores accept internet printed coupons. NOT true. Extreme couponers assume your stores will accept expired coupons Extreme couponers get overage-I do NOT even thought the stores WILL get coupon face value + handling charge. NONE of my stores accept other store catalinas (register rewards/OYNO) no matter what the official corp on-line policies state. Do NOT ask the battles I have had. Stores/mgrs are FREQUENTLY allowed to limit number of coupons/transaction, number of transactions per day…….or they just do it if they BLASTED well please. Cashiers are HIGHLY untrained and store mgrs do not care Stores run out of stock 1 day/less into the ad, do not get more until WAAAY after your coupons expire and give you a hassle about rainchecks (come back on xxx, truck comes in-NOT per FTC RULES!!!
This is what happens EVERY day in my area.
I just last week realized I had WAAY too much toothpaste so I dropped a bunch on my adult daughters. I have also donated to my local women’s & homeless shelters and local food pantry (were they VERY surprised). They seldom get personal care items.
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Malarky
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Post by Malarky on May 14, 2011 14:41:18 GMT -5
I do it because I am running my household like a business and coupons are the easiest way for me to reduce my overhead.
Karma for you, danacinmama.
I don't use a lot of coupons, only for those things I would buy anyway. They come in my Sunday paper and not using them is like leaving money on the table.
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stats45
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Post by stats45 on May 14, 2011 14:54:17 GMT -5
Dancinmama, I'm certainly not using the 'extreme couponer' label about people at YM. I'm sure you and others here use coupons and your time more efficiently and wisely than the weirdos on the show.
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MN-Investor
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Post by MN-Investor on May 14, 2011 14:58:05 GMT -5
Coupons are like every other scheme to save money. You have to figure out if it makes sense financially and personally for you.
Since we are all YMers, I assume that you can figure out the mathematics. But not everyone realizes, for example, that if you spend a half gallon of gas to get to the gas station which charges 4 cents a gallon less than the nearby station and you only have a 12 gallon tank, you have saved no money. Coupons require the same analysis.
But the other part is personal. Some people like the challenge and the savings can be significant relative to their income. Other people - like me - find couponing tedious. I would no more clip grocery coupons than I would make my own laundry detergent or grow my own herbs. But that's me. On the other hand, I have no problem driving a 15 year old vehicle. There are many ways to manage a budget. The key is finding what works for you!
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on May 14, 2011 15:03:20 GMT -5
I have been running the numbers for DH's upcoming retirement. The numbers told me that in 2010, we spent $10,500 on food, gas, entertainment, eating out, and clothing. We also purchased a dishwasher and a widescreen TV with that money and we live in an EXTREMELY high cost of living area. The total would have been higher if DH had been able to take enough time off of work to go on a cruise, but about mid-year the scope of his job changed and he simply could not take a week or two off at once. I can't tell you what I saved by using coupons because I do not use a spreadsheet to track my savings, but I can tell you that between credit card reward points and rebates, I "earned" $2000 of that $10,500. And you do not need to spend a lot of time to get big savings. With the advent of the internet, bloggers do all the work for you. They tell you what is on sale at each of the major drug chains and grocery stores in your area; and they tell you what coupons are available for those items and where to find them. All anyone has to do to get the savings is 1) get their hands on two or three sets of inserts from the Sunday paper; 2) find a blog that covers the stores where they shop; 3) make a list; 4) clip the coupons the blog tells them they will need; 5) go to the store and buy the items. If you are careful, you spend a little bit more time to figure out how to get the biggest bang for you buck when you get a "rewards" coupon, but that is pretty much all there is to it. ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png)
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Gardening Grandma
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Post by Gardening Grandma on May 14, 2011 15:04:18 GMT -5
There are many ways to manage a budget. The key is finding what works for you!
Well said, MN. Sometimes couponeers seem to have an almost religious fervency and seem unable to comprehend that their choices don't necessarily make sense for everyone.
We don't even buy the Sunday paper... I read the New York Times (and others) on line.
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on May 14, 2011 15:19:22 GMT -5
Coupons are like every other scheme to save money. You have to figure out if it makes sense financially and personally for you. Since we are all YMers, I assume that you can figure out the mathematics. But not everyone realizes, for example, that if you spend a half gallon of gas to get to the gas station which charges 4 cents a gallon less than the nearby station and you only have a 12 gallon tank, you have saved no money. Coupons require the same analysis. But the other part is personal. Some people like the challenge and the savings can be significant relative to their income. Other people - like me - find couponing tedious. I would no more clip grocery coupons than I would make my own laundry detergent or grow my own herbs. But that's me. On the other hand, I have no problem driving a 15 year old vehicle. There are many ways to manage a budget. The key is finding what works for you! MN-investor: It definitely is not for everyone and I have said that many, many times. And you are EXACTLY RIGHT, without an understanding of what it really is, people can end up WASTING A LOT OF MONEY (usually because they desire to have a stockpile overnight so they spend way to much to get it). My goal in talking about couponing at all is so that people realize that it is an option that has financial benefits (so that more of YOUR MONEY remains YOURS), that not all couponers are like the whakadoos that are portrayed on the show, that it is not as time consuming as some may think, that not all coupons are for junk food, and that the benefits can make it very worthwhile when it is done right. Good job on keeping a car for 15 years. ![](http://us.social.s-msn.com/s/images/emoticons/thumbs_up.gif) We drive our cars until they die too. Many people are not willing to do that.
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on May 14, 2011 15:54:34 GMT -5
There are many ways to manage a budget. The key is finding what works for you! Well said, MN. Sometimes couponeers seem to have an almost religious fervency and seem unable to comprehend that their choices don't necessarily make sense for everyone. We don't even buy the Sunday paper... I read the New York Times (and others) on line. gardeninggrandma: I completely agree that sometimes people can appear to be overzealous (myself included) when it comes to talking about the use of coupons because they know first hand the possibilities for real savings and how big a difference it can make in peoples' budgets - especially people who REALLY NEED to find ways to cut back. Many people write it off due to speculation rather than actual experience. A huge red flag (and I don't even know if you said this) is when someone claims that coupons are a waste of time because they are all for junk food. And as MN-investor said, it does not make mathematical sense for everyone. If a person can make $50 an hour at something else, it certainly would not make sense for them to spend an hour on the internet and clipping coupons to save $20 - but rarely does anyone use that as the logic as to why it's "not for them". As a SAHM not producing any income and with time to spare, I took what Ben Franklin said to heart - "a penny saved is a penny earned". I did not make money, but I sure as heck could save it. My DH and I have always been a financial team. His job was to make the money. My job was to hold on to as much of it as possible AND to invest it and make it grow. The goal has always been early retirement for DH so that we could spend more time together in our golden years watching the sun set and sipping on margaritas. DH plans to take early retirement next year at age 55. Hey, where are those coupons for tequilla!! ;D
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MN-Investor
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Post by MN-Investor on May 14, 2011 16:14:29 GMT -5
Karma for you, dancinmama.
My mom was the same way. Dad earned the money (he was a physician) and Mom was very frugal. Between them they managed to pay for all seven of us children to attend private colleges plus they saved enough for their retirement. Dad passed away a few years ago, but Mom is in a very nice nursing home. Mom is 89 and does not have to worry about money. (BTW, I'm excited for Mom. She's going to her 70th class reunion from college in a few weeks!)
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on May 14, 2011 16:34:16 GMT -5
Karma for you, dancinmama. My mom was the same way. Dad earned the money (he was a physician) and Mom was very frugal. Between them they managed to pay for all seven of us children to attend private colleges plus they saved enough for their retirement. Dad passed away a few years ago, but Mom is in a very nice nursing home. Mom is 89 and does not have to worry about money. (BTW, I'm excited for Mom. She's going to her 70th class reunion from college in a few weeks!) MN-Investor: Good for your mom. My dad is gone too, but my mom is 85 and is still living on her own and in fairly good health. She and my dad had gone back to the mid-west several times to attend high school reunions (they dated in high school). I hope that she will go the next time that they have one.
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Post by bobbysgirl on May 14, 2011 16:50:52 GMT -5
And I don't want to hear about organic food only. Look for 12 organic coupons on my site in the past 10 days or so. Confession: I did print your Driscoll's coupon the other day. Thanks. ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) LOL HONEY. I'm happy to help!
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Post by bobbysgirl on May 14, 2011 16:53:36 GMT -5
"And I don't want to hear about organic food only. Look for 12 organic coupons on my site in the past 10 days or so." How many of those coupons are for fresh produce or meat or milk? All of them. Fresh veggies and milk. Go back to last week's posts to grab some.
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Post by bobbysgirl on May 14, 2011 16:56:08 GMT -5
I'd love to get diapers for free, I should figure out how to do it. Not only does my kid use them I donate them to local pregnancy support groups and food banks. There's an incredible need for diapers. I gave my daughter 4 jumbo packs of diapers for Christmas that I paid zero for. Watch Rite Aid and match coupons.
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Post by bobbysgirl on May 14, 2011 17:17:43 GMT -5
We complain when there are SAHM's who use food stamps and watch shows all day. At least these ladies are contributing to their household. The normal couponer is not depict on the show. That 150.00/ week adds up to 7800 a year.
I fell in love with the family whose dad was sick for 18 months and couldn't work. Their food budget was 80.00 month for 7 people. She didn't go for food stamps, she found a solution to her problem. I commend her for her ability to solve a problem for her family without assistance.
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Gardening Grandma
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Post by Gardening Grandma on May 14, 2011 17:22:15 GMT -5
All of them. Fresh veggies and milk. Go back to last week's posts to grab some.
Clicked on the link 1) Simply Organic seasonings (Packaged dry seasonings - and I would not pay extra for the "organic" on anything processed) 2) Simply Organic mix - (a mix is processed foods)
If there are coupons for fresh produce/nonfat milk/ hormone free poultry I'd be interested. I found nothing of the kind.
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Gardening Grandma
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Post by Gardening Grandma on May 14, 2011 17:25:20 GMT -5
I'd love to get diapers for free, I should figure out how to do it. Not only does my kid use them I donate them to local pregnancy support groups and food banks. There's an incredible need for diapers. I gave my daughter 4 jumbo packs of diapers for Christmas that I paid zero for. Watch Rite Aid and match coupons. I used cloth diapers and washed them. Didn't buy baby wipes either - they didn't exist - another manufactured "need". I simply used a wet washcloth and washed it with the diapers.
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Post by bobbysgirl on May 14, 2011 17:27:41 GMT -5
All of them. Fresh veggies and milk. Go back to last week's posts to grab some. Clicked on the link 1) Simply Organic seasonings (Packaged dry seasonings - and I would not pay extra for the "organic" on anything processed) 2) Simply Organic mix - (a mix is processed foods) If there are coupons for fresh produce/nonfat milk/ hormone free poultry I'd be interested. I found nothing of the kind. GO BACK TO LAST WEEK. Or the side bar has the Organic Express coupon as a most visited post.
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Gardening Grandma
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Post by Gardening Grandma on May 14, 2011 17:27:56 GMT -5
In addition, in order to print out a lot of those coupons, you have to agree to sign up to receive more email "offers"... filling up your mailbox with more cyber junk mail. then you have to sift through all those "offers" to see if ANY of them will work for you. Fresh Express is offering coupons for their organic items when you sign up for their newsletter.
www.freshexpress.com/I rest my case.
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on May 14, 2011 17:29:48 GMT -5
In addition, in order to print out a lot of those coupons, you have to agree to sign up to receive more email "offers"... filling up your mailbox with more cyber junk mail. then you have to sift through all those "offers" to see if ANY of them will work for you. Many couponers use what they call a "junk email address" - one different from where they receive their important and personal email.
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Gardening Grandma
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Post by Gardening Grandma on May 14, 2011 17:30:33 GMT -5
GO BACK TO LAST WEEK
I don't see any link to "last week" or any past date...
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Gardening Grandma
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Post by Gardening Grandma on May 14, 2011 17:32:09 GMT -5
In addition, in order to print out a lot of those coupons, you have to agree to sign up to receive more email "offers"... filling up your mailbox with more cyber junk mail. then you have to sift through all those "offers" to see if ANY of them will work for you. Many couponers use what they call a "junk email address" - one different from where they receive their important and personal email. more time spent - checking two email accounts
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Sum Dum Gai
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Post by Sum Dum Gai on May 14, 2011 17:33:03 GMT -5
Not really, I don't coupon and have a junk email address anyway. Besides, you don't have to check it, you know it's all junk mail anyway.
You don't think I sign up for anonymous message boards with my real email address do you?
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Gardening Grandma
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Post by Gardening Grandma on May 14, 2011 17:33:59 GMT -5
Besides, you don't have to check it, you know it's all junk mail anyway.
Well if you set it up specifically for coupons, you DO have to check it. That's the point.
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on May 14, 2011 17:42:04 GMT -5
Besides, you don't have to check it, you know it's all junk mail anyway. Well if you set it up specifically for coupons, you DO have to check it. That's the point. Using coupons is simple, but you do have to do SOMETHING to get the savings. It's obvious that you're not interested and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that; but why spend so much time on a thread about coupons?
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Post by bobbysgirl on May 14, 2011 17:45:56 GMT -5
Never mind GG.
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Gardening Grandma
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Post by Gardening Grandma on May 14, 2011 17:53:50 GMT -5
Besides, you don't have to check it, you know it's all junk mail anyway. Well if you set it up specifically for coupons, you DO have to check it. That's the point. Using coupons is simple, but you do have to do SOMETHING to get the savings. It's obvious that you're not interested and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that; but why spend so much time on a thread about coupons? I don't think that I spend any more time on the topic than the coupon queens who feed their families and diaper their kids bottoms for nothing...... I do believe that those who claim to do so, are either not being entirely honest about the amount of time involved or feeding their families junk - probably both. Trader Joes does not "do" coupons. They consistently have lower prices than the chains and a great selection of organic produce, dairy and hormone free poultry and meat.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2011 17:57:45 GMT -5
I went to Winn Dixie today, and what did I find . . . on several wine bottles there were hangtags for "$! off your next grocery purchase/no wine purchase necessary." I got 5 since they expire 5/31, but that's $5 in my pocket for buying what I buy anyway. There was also the Cinco de Mayo form I mentioned, but I already did that. I also found $1 off Instant Breakfast (my husband buys one of these a week) and $1 off produce if I buy the microwave bacon I buy because my husband hates the smell of bacon frying.
Dancinmama and the other couponers on here are simply saying that you CAN save $$$ couponing. Most of us aren't "extreme" couponers but rational ones. I don't eat specifically organic food with or without coupons. The real savings is on non-food products. I haven't bought aluminum foil, paper plates, ziplocs, air fresheners, dishwashing detergent, shampoo, deodorant, razors, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and so on in YEARS for more than a few pennies. All of these are stuff I use, and I have room to store the excess.
That said, I don't coupon as much as I once did. Real couponers don't. They get their small stockpile and wait for the next big sale. But that doesn't mean you can't save $$$ that way.
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2011 17:59:52 GMT -5
I used cloth diapers and washed them. Didn't buy baby wipes either - they didn't exist - another manufactured "need". Most daycares won't allow cloth diapers or wipes. I chose to go for convenience and save what money I could by using coupons and deals.
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