dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on May 16, 2011 3:49:12 GMT -5
Often, with coupons, we get free stuff. No matter what the "retail" price is, free is free. (well, we DO have to pay sales tax on it.) That's the part that I think gets missed sometimes. If I get a bunch of stuff that I wouldn't have bought anyway for free + sales tax I didn't really save any money. It cost me money. Not buying the stuff to begin with is actually free. Spending time to get the stuff for just sales tax costs me time, and the sales tax. If I was going to buy the stuff anyway, then sure, you can't really beat free + sales tax. Spending money (however little) to buy something you otherwise wouldn't have bought isn't real savings though.Here is a real life example of where you might think differently. Motrin PM is on sale for $2 and you have a $2 coupon good toward the purchase of Motrin PM. You don't use Motrin PM and don't think you'd ever have any occasion to use it. Besides, you'd have to pay sales tax on it. Bad deal, right? I'd agree. Now lets switch things up a little. Let's say that when you buy the Motrin PM for $2 and use a $2 coupon, paying only sales tax ($.19 where I live), the retailer will give you a coupon for $2 good on almost anything in the store (no tobacco, alcohol, gift cards, etc., but almost anything else). Would you buy the product then? In essence you would be paying $.19 for a $2 coupon. Okay, now you MIGHT think about it. Let's say that that same week a food item that you use regularly is on sale for $2 - sugar. You can turn around and use the $2 coupon that the retailer gave you for buying the Motrin PM to purchase the sugar. Since it is a food item, there is no sales tax (in CA anyway), so you get the sugar for absolutely FREE. In essence you paid, $.19 for the Motrin PM that you won't use in order to get the sugar for FREE that you will use. And you don't need to waste the Motrin PM. You can give it to a friend or family member if you know one that uses it or in my case, I can donate it to the local food pantry and they will distribute it to someone who needs it. It may seem wasteful, but it's a win/win for everyone. The manufacturer's product is purchased, so they're happy. The retailer makes two sales - one for the Motrin PM and one for the sugar, so they're happy. You got sugar for $.19, so you're happy. And someone in need will get the Motrin PM, so they're happy. I know it sounds completely ridiculous and it kind of is, but the people who use coupons didn't create the system - it is what it is. We just use EVERYTHING that is available to us to get the items that we need for free or as close to it as possible.
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2011 7:07:10 GMT -5
Where did you get the Safeway coupons for Franks? I'm addicted to that stuff and we do a lot of our grocery shopping at Safeway. $3.89 seems like a pretty normal price for the large bottle by the way. Dark, my Sunday paper had a coupon for $.50 off the Frank's Hot sauce. I got the 12 0z Red Hot Wing Sweet Heat BBQ sauce. It was onsale for $1.47 and my coupon doubled. So I paid $.47 for it.
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973beachbum
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Post by 973beachbum on May 16, 2011 7:41:41 GMT -5
I go back and forth on some of this. At heart I am a minimalist. Just watching the shows with piles of captain crunch under the beds or showers that can't be used because they are filled with paper products makes me nervous.
I also really like to save money. I don't stockpile things but I do have what I consider a well stocked pantry. That allows me to not buy things that are expensive that week and wait till the next week or the one after that. I will never have to give anything away because of it getting to close to the date though.
Like Cawiau I live in a very small house. With 4 of us there isn't a lot of storage either. What we have done is that all the closets hold some of the "pantry" items I am storing. All our closest go to the ceiling. The shelf is just above the clothes rod. What we did is install a second shelf above the normal one and that is used to store things like TP or paper towels, juice boxes, feminine products etc. This way everything we need is stored and no one is losing any of their closet space to do it. I also have done the bed riser thing and had the wheeled underbed storage boxes. I actually have found that more useful for things like blankets, sheets, winter sweaters type stuff. For some reason when I think of under the bed my mind just doent' thing of TP or toothpaste. ;D
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Post by alphayankee on May 16, 2011 8:57:12 GMT -5
Couponing is a choice. Many of the people depicted on the show felt that they had to make a change in their grocery budgets because of job loss or reduction of income in their family. We all have to eat, but we have a choice about what we eat and how much we pay.
I never HAD to coupon. My DH and I support our family of four on an income well over $100k. I made a choice to try couponing because I wanted to cut our grocery budget and pursue a debt free lifestyle. I took our grocery budget from $1000-$1200 per month to less than $500. We eat mostly organic and hormone/antibiotic free protein. We eat some processed food because, lets face it, we're busy and sometimes convenience trumps scratch. I don't believe it has harmed us as we are a healthy, active family.
Couponing has a severe learning curve (dancinmama and the other gals on the GC try to alleviate that a little for the newbies), but it does get easier with time. I know A LOT of people who have tried couponing and deemed it "too hard," "too time-consuming," etc. But they have given up within a short amount of time, a week or a month. I was one of the foolish ones that spent MORE than my regular grocery budget when I first started couponing. But I stuck with it and slowly, month by month, my grocery spending dropped to its current level.
I spent a TON of time on planning and executing shopping trips when I first started out. I was working full-time, pursuing a graduate degree (15 hours per semester), and raising a two-year old. I spent at least 15-20 hours per week on coupons. But, the time spent started dropping as I stuck with it. I needed to chase down less deals as my stockpile grew, so I could be pickier about what I pursued.
Right now, I spend 1-2 hours every Saturday evening planning my trips (using SouthenSavers.com). Then, bright and early Sunday morning, I do my rounds of the drug stores and maybe a couple of grocery stores (about 5 miles total driving distance). It takes around 2 hours total. Then, if there is a particularly good deal that week, I MIGHT make a few stops on my way to or from work during the week. I still have time to indulge my obsessive reading hobby, take my kids to the park, and take long walks on our local greenway with my family. I don't feel like I give up anything other than a leisurely Sunday morning for my couponing hobby.
If I buy things I don't need for the rewards, I donate to my local food bank, battered women's shelter, and goodwill. Once a year, I also participate in my community's yard sale and make around $1000 on my excess stockpile and household items.
Couponing has become a small part of my overall lifestyle. I consider myself to be a Semi-Extreme Couponer. I have made choices to fit it into my lifestyle, but it hasn't become my lifestyle. It's all about balance and doing what works for me.
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on May 16, 2011 9:35:58 GMT -5
Where did you get the Safeway coupons for Franks? I'm addicted to that stuff and we do a lot of our grocery shopping at Safeway. $3.89 seems like a pretty normal price for the large bottle by the way. Dark, my Sunday paper had a coupon for $.50 off the Frank's Hot sauce. I got the 12 0z Red Hot Wing Sweet Heat BBQ sauce. It was onsale for $1.47 and my coupon doubled. So I paid $.47 for it. That's right!! A new Franks coupon was in yesterday's inserts, but that's not the one that I used. angel: You're lucky. No such thing as a doubled coupon in our neck of the woods (and this is an EXTREMELY high cost of living area). ![:(](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/sad.png)
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RoadToRiches
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Post by RoadToRiches on May 16, 2011 10:11:58 GMT -5
I just can't make myself to do it. I tried lol...I don't get paper at home. I went to most of those coupon websites but I couldn't find anything on there that I actually needed. I don't buy junk, box food which most of the coupons were for. I also can't imagine to store rolls and rolls of toilet paper or hundreds of tootpaste.. that's just freaking crazy. It's a different type of hoarding and I don't care what anyone says. Storing so much crap just to have it is HOARDING. Except, a person is not hoarding garbage but stuff instead. lol I can just picture a look on my friend's face if they came over and opened up a room and there is stuff just everywhere LOL
I buy stuff WHEN I need it. I buy FRESH food and nothing packaged. Being single dude, it would cost me more in time to look for that 50 cents savings lol...I go grocery shopping once a week and spend maybe 60 bucks..70-80 if I need household stuff which is once in a great while.
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2011 10:24:19 GMT -5
I was one of those people who said that couponing wasn't for me - that I ate mostly homemade foods and that it was a hassle. I tried to take on too much in the beginning and get everything for free - things that dancinmama warns against. I'm still not good at it for groceries (although the meal planning techniques have helped) but now that I've gotten the hang of it the techniques are awesome for household goods and clothing.
I focus on one store for household goods - Rite Aid. On Sunday I cut out the coupons from my newspaper. Rite Aid offers coupons for surveys and for watching videos. The coupons will be like $3 off your purchase. I let my laptop run the videos while I read the newspaper. Yesterday I had the ad and needed ibuprofen for DS, who was sick. Using the couponing methods I got 2 boxes of salonpas, the ibuprofen, 4 boxes of ziploc bags (I don't wash them!), 2 nail clippers, cuticle cream, and two containers of dishwasher detergent for $14, plus $4 to use on my next purchase. These were all things I was running low on. It took about a half hour of my time and I use a Rite Aid next to a grocery store so I'm not wasting gas
It's not for everyone but a little effort can make a difference. I just don't like buying things full price!
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Post by bobbysgirl on May 16, 2011 10:42:47 GMT -5
I find both sides of this thread interesting. One thing I was thinking about while reading is the opportunity/resource cost for all of these goods. Do you think that people buying multiple amounts of goods that they won't use (free or not) has an resource cost to society? Would prices be lower for everyone if some weren't getting "free" goods? Or do you think manufacturers would just continue to have high prices and pocket the difference? AD: Cost would not be lower if we use coupons. Stores make 14 cents on every coupon they redeem, so they love them. An item might be 2.00. Materials for the manufacturer don't cost as much as when they set the price, so a coupon goes out. Now they still make money, and even more from those that don't use the coupons. Their profits don't suffer in the least. There are times the manufacturer will tell the store to sell an item BOGO, the store gets a credit from the manufacturer. Now if there were no coupons at all, I'm inclined to think the manufacturer most likely has share holders, so prices would go up anyway to increase dividends. So it goes very deep, all the way to the shareholders.
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8 Bit WWBG
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Post by 8 Bit WWBG on May 16, 2011 10:47:37 GMT -5
I do want to check out the show, but my time here has given me a much more learned perspective on anything the show will probably illustrate.
Firstly, I am NOT happy that the show is being aired, because I think it is going to encourage coupon amateurs and cause a lot of problems. If the stores really are bending their rules just to get on the show, then I don't want to be there when average joe tries to replicate one of the tricks and gets into an argument with the staff.
I have managed to make money a few times. I bought 4 bags of cat treats, and got 75c/pop applied to my bill. What I fear is someone buying out all the stock of a store. The mustard is quoted often as an example. Now I know that everyone here "always leaves one on the shelf" but I'd hate to be the guy who just wanted some mustard, and it was all gone because someone who doesn't even like mustard bought 40 bottles so she could get $20 off her bill.
I did hear some stores will allow you to order and reserve a quantity. At least that way, you don't clean out the shelf.
I also agree that most people will NOT achieve the instant success because they will skip learning about the fundamentals. I wholeheartedly agree with the weaknesses listed on page one... especially the one about coupons enticing you to spend more than you might because of increased quantities. Someone who is just starting out may fall hook line and sinker for that, then wonder why they aren't saving money.
Finally, as I've said over and over, the paper rarely has gems. For every one coupon for breakstones sour cream, I have to throw away 5 for pillsbury triple-bleached goo. For every $1 off muir glen tomatoes, I toss several coupons for gorton's fish sticks. I don't have a dog, I don't have any elderly residents... yeah.
Now, what I do clip can save me money. Even if you had to pay $1.50 for the sunday paper, if you can save $10.50 thanks to coupons, you'd make your money back in full.
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on May 16, 2011 10:59:54 GMT -5
I just can't make myself to do it. I tried lol...I don't get paper at home. I went to most of those coupon websites but I couldn't find anything on there that I actually needed. I don't buy junk, box food which most of the coupons were for. I also can't imagine to store rolls and rolls of toilet paper or hundreds of tootpaste.. that's just freaking crazy. It's a different type of hoarding and I don't care what anyone says. Storing so much crap just to have it is HOARDING. Except, a person is not hoarding garbage but stuff instead. lol I can just picture a look on my friend's face if they came over and opened up a room and there is stuff just everywhere LOL I buy stuff WHEN I need it. I buy FRESH food and nothing packaged. Being single dude, it would cost me more in time to look for that 50 cents savings lol...I go grocery shopping once a week and spend maybe 60 bucks..70-80 if I need household stuff which is once in a great while. indebt: It is interesting that you even tried. I guess there is something about it that makes people curious. I can totally understand though; it's not for everyone. I tell people that all the time. You might consider me a hoarder, but to be honest with you - if I did not use the stockpile method of buying what we will use, at the lowest cost possible, most of the storage space in my home would be empty because I am not a fan of storing a bunch of old stuff on the off-chance that we MIGHT need it some day. In almost every other sense of the word, I would consider myself a moderate minimalist.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on May 16, 2011 11:06:00 GMT -5
I'm trying to coupon more, $1.00 is still $1.00. I found a coupon on the diaper box from Walgreens and I picked it off, it's good till December so we are going to save it for the next box of diapers. I'll probably end up using it to get diapers for daycare. Combined with our Walgreen's card that coupon can make a decent dent in diaper costs. For me it is hard because I have skin issues and DD has ecxema so I have to be very very picky with what types of detergents/soaps/shampoos etc that I use. Like I'd love to buy detergent at Alidis but since I don't know what brand it is comparable to I can't use it. I tried saving and using generic Hy-Vee detergent that said it was comparable to Purex and DD ended up with a rash. So it can be a challenge for me to find deals on those things which is where a lot of the savings are to be had. It isn't impossible, but having to be picky really limits your couponing deals. ![>:(](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/angry.png)
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Post by bobbysgirl on May 16, 2011 11:09:21 GMT -5
I just can't make myself to do it. I tried lol...I don't get paper at home. I went to most of those coupon websites but I couldn't find anything on there that I actually needed. I don't buy junk, box food which most of the coupons were for. I also can't imagine to store rolls and rolls of toilet paper or hundreds of tootpaste.. that's just freaking crazy. It's a different type of hoarding and I don't care what anyone says. Storing so much crap just to have it is HOARDING. Except, a person is not hoarding garbage but stuff instead. lol I can just picture a look on my friend's face if they came over and opened up a room and there is stuff just everywhere LOL I buy stuff WHEN I need it. I buy FRESH food and nothing packaged. Being single dude, it would cost me more in time to look for that 50 cents savings lol...I go grocery shopping once a week and spend maybe 60 bucks..70-80 if I need household stuff which is once in a great while. INDEBT: Your debt could be paid off quicker if you had an inclination to coupon.
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RoadToRiches
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Post by RoadToRiches on May 16, 2011 11:26:16 GMT -5
Yeah.. maybe shortened it by a week! lol
I did my math.. I tried this whole couponing thing. Didn't work.
I understand for people with families and kids.. hey if you can save up tons on your dippers and things, why not, right? But to stock up on 10 year supply of cat food or tee-pee. That's just nuts in MY opinion.
I am talking about crazy couponing here.. not what normal people do when they look in a paper and find a coupon for something that they need.
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dancinmama
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Post by dancinmama on May 16, 2011 11:37:59 GMT -5
I do want to check out the show, but my time here has given me a much more learned perspective on anything the show will probably illustrate. Firstly, I am NOT happy that the show is being aired, because I think it is going to encourage coupon amateurs and cause a lot of problems. If the stores really are bending their rules just to get on the show, then I don't want to be there when average joe tries to replicate one of the tricks and gets into an argument with the staff. I have managed to make money a few times. I bought 4 bags of cat treats, and got 75c/pop applied to my bill. What I fear is someone buying out all the stock of a store. The mustard is quoted often as an example. Now I know that everyone here "always leaves one on the shelf" but I'd hate to be the guy who just wanted some mustard, and it was all gone because someone who doesn't even like mustard bought 40 bottles so she could get $20 off her bill. I did hear some stores will allow you to order and reserve a quantity. At least that way, you don't clean out the shelf. I also agree that most people will NOT achieve the instant success because they will skip learning about the fundamentals. I wholeheartedly agree with the weaknesses listed on page one... especially the one about coupons enticing you to spend more than you might because of increased quantities. Someone who is just starting out may fall hook line and sinker for that, then wonder why they aren't saving money. Finally, as I've said over and over, the paper rarely has gems. For every one coupon for breakstones sour cream, I have to throw away 5 for pillsbury triple-bleached goo. For every $1 off muir glen tomatoes, I toss several coupons for gorton's fish sticks. I don't have a dog, I don't have any elderly residents... yeah. Now, what I do clip can save me money. Even if you had to pay $1.50 for the sunday paper, if you can save $10.50 thanks to coupons, you'd make your money back in full. wewillbackgowron: First, I have to say that I've never seen anyone who has 68 or 70 karma. ![???](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/huh.png) I like all of your points and you haven't even seen the show, with one exception. The mustard purchase and similar purchases made on the show ARE NOT REALITY. Most, but not all, of the featured shoppers do nothing but search for the items in the store that week that are the most expensive pre sale and coupon and which will be the least expensive after sale and coupon and they, mostly or only, load up on those items. The woman who bought the mustard has a husband who blurted out on the show that he doesn't even like mustard which proves my point. She probably donated all the mustard, but trust me - if the cameras had not been rolling, she would NEVER had made that purchase. The show even shows the price BEFORE scanning their loyalty card as part of the real total. When I consider what I save (on most items), I only consider what I saved due to coupons; not what I saved based on the stores overinflated everyday prices. I think you are entirely correct. A lot of amateurs are going to jump on the bandwagon and waste a lot of money. I saw it just last night at Walgreens. I went to check out as a gal and her husband were completing their purchase. The cashier was scanning several coupons as I approached. I said, "Smart gal" - until her total was $19+. She hesitated when the cashier told her the total, but paid it anyway. Then I noticed that she was holding a printout from the internet. She and her husband did not take their purchases out to the car; they stood right next to the cash register and were trying to figure out what went wrong. IF I had not been in a hurry, I might have offered to help them, but I KNOW that there was a major screw up in what they were trying to emulate vs what actually happened at the register. The gals on the Grocery Challenge (me specifically) are constantly WARNING the newbies to GO SLOW because if they don't, they will end up WASTING MONEY - the exact opposite of why they're giving couponing a try in the first place. Sometimes they listen and sometimes they don't. Couponing is not rocket science, but because of all the wacky incentives that are offered all at once, sometimes it does take a bit of gray matter to pull everything together to achieve your goal. As far as the paper rarely having coupons that are gems, that is more true for food than non-food items and, I guess for some, that is even questionable; but for the most part the greatest savings comes from non-food items.
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stats45
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Post by stats45 on May 16, 2011 12:24:41 GMT -5
Dancin: I really didn't say it is a waste of time in total. Would it be a waste of time for me? Yep. Would I tend to think it was a waste of time for anyone who spent 30-40 hours on it? Probably, but I also recognize that people have different life circumstances.
You live so close to your places, have a clear plan, and seem to be extremely efficient. Sounds like a good use of time to me. That isn't going to be true for where everyone lives. It also might not make sense depending on what percent of household income is spent on 'couponable items'. I think it is great if your strategies (and others) help people become more financially secure.
I'd still always encourage people who need to pull out of debt or want to save more money to think carefully about valuing their time and thinking about what is economically optimal.
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Post by bobbysgirl on May 16, 2011 12:40:29 GMT -5
Yeah.. maybe shortened it by a week! lol I did my math.. I tried this whole couponing thing. Didn't work. I understand for people with families and kids.. hey if you can save up tons on your dippers and things, why not, right? But to stock up on 10 year supply of cat food or tee-pee. That's just nuts in MY opinion. I am talking about crazy couponing here.. not what normal people do when they look in a paper and find a coupon for something that they need. LOL I'm glad you saw the humor in the statement.
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ohmomto2boys
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Post by ohmomto2boys on May 16, 2011 13:26:18 GMT -5
This was me 2 yrs ago. Spending $1100 mth for a family of 4, we are now down to $500 consistently. It didn't happen over night. It took some time to figure the deals out, collect coupons, and build a small stockpile.
I figured since I had the luxury of working part-time, I should spend some time saving our family $.
The biggest expense each month now is fresh fruit, veggies, milk, yogurt (always coupons), cheese (usually coupons).
I'm not an extreme couponer by any means, however, I don't pay for toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo/conditioner and some other things and I pay very little for Charmin (husband is brand specific), papertowels, shaving cream/gel, mouthwash, etc.
We spend the bulk of our $500 month on the fresh foods and I can't believe how fast 2 little boys can put it away!!! I'm in lots of trouble when they are teenagers.......
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ohmomto2boys
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Post by ohmomto2boys on May 16, 2011 13:27:42 GMT -5
Oh......there is no way in he!! that I would park my car outside to house toiletpaper in my garage.....that is just crazy!!!
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8 Bit WWBG
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Post by 8 Bit WWBG on May 16, 2011 14:12:31 GMT -5
...:::"but for the most part the greatest savings comes from non-food items.":::...
I do agree with this. I clip many more non-food coupons than food ones.
...:::"The mustard purchase and similar purchases made on the show ARE NOT REALITY.":::...
Look back at my original point. I expressed worry about needing just one of an item that someone else used to reduce their bill. Recall my cat treats example. If I'd had enough coupons, I totally would have bought as many as possible, then either given them to my 4-legged children or donated them. Your thread and your friends blogs chronicle these deals, so they are out there. If I made acquiring the coupons, and being at the store on time priorities, I could clean the shelves too.
I was very proud of myself for figuring out a good listerine deal. It was something like using a combination of a $5 off $25, a $4 off 3, and a sale price that got me. Any time there is a good mouthwash deal, the shelves almost always get picked clean.
Another great one was when DF and I each got a coupon for a free bottle of herbal essences for joining their facebook group. We waited until Herbal Essences was B1G1 and we walked out of the store with 4 bottles of HE for $0.00 OOP.
Oh and I forgot to mention, the trick I hated being publicized the MOST was how one woman uses multiple computers to skirt print limits. While I realize that is easy to figure out, I feel like it encourages greed and makes it much more likely that people will print the limited deals just to get them.
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Post by soon2bmomof3 on May 16, 2011 14:19:33 GMT -5
Back to the show, I think the two people I liked the most on the show were Nathan and Phyllis(?). Nathan was the one that donated the 1,000 boxes of cereal to his church and food banks on the first show and then to the troops in one of the later shows. I think Phyllis is the one that was a retired nurse and walked 7 miles every week around her neighborhood in PA to collect coupons. Her stockpile didn't seem so extreme or crazy.
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Post by soon2bmomof3 on May 16, 2011 14:26:22 GMT -5
I read an interview between Nathan and one of the ladies from The Krazy Coupon Lady website (one of the ladies, Joanie was also on the TLC show) and he answered some questions regarding the donations... thekrazycouponlady.com/2011/04/14/mr-coupon-nathan-engels-tlcs-most-extreme/Oh, I also like one of the couples in the later shows that cleaned out their whole stockpile for donation (it showed them and a bunch of volunteers with about 4 U-hauls).
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herekittykitty
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Post by herekittykitty on May 16, 2011 14:33:06 GMT -5
I posted this on page 1. I have not seen any responses to the points made here Extreme Couponing: 5 Reasons to Steer Clear1. Most food-related coupons are unhealthy. Couponers saved more than $3.7 billion in 2010 thanks to 50 cents off here and $1 off there. But most of those coupons went towards unhealthy products. We rarely see clip-and-save options for fruit, meat or organic foods. Instead, most coupons in the food category are for processed foods and snacks - otherwise known as “junk” food. 2. Some coupons promote spending, not saving. Last year, more than a quarter of all coupons for consumer packaged goods - items like cleaning supplies, toiletries and pet food - required us to buy two or more items to get the discount, according to marketing services firm Valassis. These deals entice us to spend more than we should. 3. Coupons encourage us to buy products we normally wouldn’t. Many manufacturers and retailers create coupons for new products that they want to introduce to the market. There’s nothing wrong with trying new products, but buying something just because we have a coupon can be a frivolous way to spend. 4. To some, coupons offer a false sense of security. A popular - though, debatable - claim among some coupon advocates is that money saved with coupons is potentially equal to or greater than money they could earn working. A Wall Street Journal reporter did some math last year and figured couponing is equal to making $86.40 an hour - a conclusion that sparked many a high-five in the couponing community. Others disagreed with the Journal’s calculations, however. And if couponers are opting out of the workforce because they think coupon-cutting is a more productive use of their time - well, that’s a pretty narrow-minded way of looking at life, says Dr. Ted Klontz, financial behavioral consultant and author of Mind Over Money: Overcoming the Money Disorders That Threaten Our Financial Health. He’s found that people who are obsessed with couponing trust that as long as they have a stack of coupons - or are in pursuit of more - their financial life is safe. But they are misled, says Dr. Klontz: “If they actually spent that time and energy on their jobs or getting a job, it would be a significantly better overall outcome for them … they would probably be better financially.” 5. Couponing can become an addiction. At best, coupons can help us save money on healthy foods and household products we would buy normally. At worst, the pursuit can affect our mental health. “There’s a line between being prudent and having the activity take control of you, instead of you controlling it – whether its couponing, exercising, eating, whatever,” says Dr. Klontz. He says the obsession with saving money can take over people’s lives, destroying marriages and other relationships. “There’s a point to which couponing makes sense, and then there are people who step over the line. They fall into the category of what we would call financial hoarding disorder,” he says. If coupon hunting is beginning to occupy more and more of your time - to where you’re neglecting other, more important things, like our well-being, family and job - or if your loved ones are complaining that you’re spending too much time on the web or circulars surfing for coupons, you may have a problem. moneywatch.bnet.com/saving-money/....g=content;c ol1 OK, I first have to admit that I love a challenge, and I love shopping. I also love to be able to donate to others and help support my parents and my sibling & family. I love coupons because I am not brand loyal for most things, and in many cases I can get things for free that my family will use or I can donate. I know I would have done it to help anyway, so why not save money? In response to the points posted, again, I have to admit I am not into organic...the closest we get is Silk soymilk, and I do find and use coupons for that. I have also found coupons for fresh fruit when you buy cereal. I give the cereal to my nephews and give my husband the bananas! Certainly, some q's can promote spending with "buy 2 get $1", etc. You have to stop and think whether or not you will need or use 2, or whether someone you know and love can use one. In regards to #3, can't a special sale do the same thing? If I want to try something, I am going to try it whether or not it is on sale or I have a q...I'm not that hard core. I am also not brand loyal, so if I need pasta and I can get Mueller's free instead of paying for Ronzoni, I will do it. I put sauce on it anyway! #4 I am a fairly highly paid salaried employee...I can't easily hire myself out for some extra hours making what I make, nor do I get overtime. I check the web and cut my q's while I'm watching tv, since I can't stand to do just 1 thing at a time. There is no way I am making $84 an hour doing this, but I enjoy it, regardless. #5 Anything can become an addiction, carried to the extreme...eating, drinking, gambling, smoking, sex, etc. If it is harming your life or relationships, you need help, although I haven't seen any coupons for therapy yet!
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herekittykitty
Established Member
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 22:17:25 GMT -5
Posts: 319
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Post by herekittykitty on May 16, 2011 14:39:06 GMT -5
Mom had S&H Green stamps. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S&H_Green_Stamps. Blue chip stamps were a competitor. You collected stamps, put them into books, then got stuff in exchange. I don't remember what Mom got. I just remember licking the stamps. Thanks! I was born in 84 so I guess they were phased out before my time! Dear Lord, I feel really old now!!! Thanks a lot! ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png)
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dancinmama
Senior Associate
LIVIN' THE DREAM!!
Joined: Dec 18, 2010 20:49:45 GMT -5
Posts: 10,659
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Post by dancinmama on May 16, 2011 15:01:01 GMT -5
Dancin: I really didn't say it is a waste of time in total. Would it be a waste of time for me? Yep. Would I tend to think it was a waste of time for anyone who spent 30-40 hours on it? Probably, but I also recognize that people have different life circumstances. You live so close to your places, have a clear plan, and seem to be extremely efficient. Sounds like a good use of time to me. That isn't going to be true for where everyone lives. It also might not make sense depending on what percent of household income is spent on 'couponable items'. I think it is great if your strategies (and others) help people become more financially secure. I'd still always encourage people who need to pull out of debt or want to save more money to think carefully about valuing their time and thinking about what is economically optimal. stat: Thanks for your response. ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) Yes, I am very fortunate. The place I pick up my coupons as well as my two grocery chains, CVS, and Walgreens are all within a mile of my home. I don't have to do a lot of running around to get the job done. There are other stores across town, but I generally do not bother with them unless I'm going that way to run another errand. Organization is key and the gals on the Grocery Challenge do go out of their way to teach newbies how to get and be organized so that the task is not so time-consuming AND so that coupon crap does not take over their homes. Things like errand bundling and organizing your storage space are key, in addition to not clipping coupons until you are going to use them.
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dancinmama
Senior Associate
LIVIN' THE DREAM!!
Joined: Dec 18, 2010 20:49:45 GMT -5
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Post by dancinmama on May 16, 2011 15:04:46 GMT -5
I read an interview between Nathan and one of the ladies from The Krazy Coupon Lady website (one of the ladies, Joanie was also on the TLC show) and he answered some questions regarding the donations... thekrazycouponlady.com/2011/04/14/mr-coupon-nathan-engels-tlcs-most-extreme/Oh, I also like one of the couples in the later shows that cleaned out their whole stockpile for donation (it showed them and a bunch of volunteers with about 4 U-hauls). soontobemom: Thank you for the link (and karma). I think this will clear up a lot for many people.
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2kids10horses
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 20:15:09 GMT -5
Posts: 2,759
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Post by 2kids10horses on May 17, 2011 8:49:23 GMT -5
Dancin,
The way you do it sounds exactly how my wife does it. We live in a rural area, and our grocery store boices are limited. We do have a RiteAid, thank goodness. But whenever we need to go to the city, we stop along the way, and pick up the specials from each store. We were doing this even before we started couponing.
Actually, we first couponed years ago when my wife first started being a stay at home mom. We mainly did the newpaper inserts. We would get the "double Sunday" editions so as to get two sets of inserts.
Then we move to the country, and they didn't have the Sunday newspaper, and the Krogers, Publix that have the deals, so we stopped couponing.
But, a couple of years ago, with the advent of the larger dollar internet coupons, the store loyalty cards, and the blogs that consolidate the info, AND the fact we need to make weekly trips to the city, couponing made sense again.
Also, the thift stores for clothing are just completely amazing. We didn't know about them until we became landlords. There was one in the area of town where we had a couple of rentals, my wife went in, and was astounded at what was for sale, and how cheap it was.
We don't coupon because we can't afford to not coupon, we coupon because why spend a lot of money for stuff when you can spend less money for the same stuff.
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skubikky
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 7:37:12 GMT -5
Posts: 3,044
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Post by skubikky on May 17, 2011 10:00:19 GMT -5
Dancin, The way you do it sounds exactly how my wife does it. We live in a rural area, and our grocery store choices are limited. We do have a RiteAid, thank goodness. But whenever we need to go to the city, we stop along the way, and pick up the specials from each store. We were doing this even before we started couponing. We also live in a rural area. The closest RA is 7 miles away and Wegmans, CVS, et al are 12 miles away. But.....I work in the city(30 miles away) and pass all stores(Wegmans, 4 RAs, CVS, WAGS. WM etc) on my way home and do many deals on the way home from work. So it's efficient for me to hit them . Usually go to RA on Sunday mornings on the way to church. P.S. No comments about my beautiful QH-Mustang.....she's not a NAG! ;D
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NomoreDramaQ1015
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 14:26:32 GMT -5
Posts: 47,533
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on May 17, 2011 10:02:52 GMT -5
One of the local supermarket chains has a coupon for sugar at $1.17. ![](http://serve.mysmiley.net/party/party0006.gif)
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cme1201
Junior Associate
Tennis Elbow, Jock Itch, and Athletes Foot, every man has a sports life!
Joined: Apr 6, 2011 13:55:07 GMT -5
Posts: 5,503
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Post by cme1201 on May 17, 2011 10:08:47 GMT -5
Small local grocrey store had 5lb bags of rice, White (yeah not healthy yet the kids love it), Long Grain Wild, Brown and Yellow rice, 5lb bag for .79c each, I may have gone overboard.
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Gardening Grandma
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 13:39:46 GMT -5
Posts: 17,962
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Post by Gardening Grandma on May 17, 2011 11:13:42 GMT -5
Small local grocrey store had 5lb bags of rice, White (yeah not healthy yet the kids love it), Long Grain Wild, Brown and Yellow rice, 5lb bag for .79c each, I may have gone overboard. Cleaned out the shelf leaving it empty for the next person? ![???](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/huh.png)
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