Extreme Couponing....?

[Landshark44]

My wife started watching this show, and was amazed at how much money these people save. They ring up $800, and after the coupons they spend like $32. She's been spending a few hours a week organizing coupons she finds, and has impressed me with the money she has saved. While I was skeptical at first, we have amassed some things that she has purchased for very close to free.....(toothpaste, laundry detergent..)

She has asked me to post here and ask if someone here, may have some tips to take her to the next level.....

Are there any supermarket that double $.75 or dollar coupons?

She sent me the other day, and a $105 bill went down to $40 after I handed in the coupons....Now I have more money for beer.....

[RainMaker]

My GF was talking about this. Apparently the one lady on the show was doing it fraudulently. Lets say Kellog makes an expensive cereal and cheap cereal. They'd take the $2 off coupon for the expensive cereal and use it toward the cheap one (that may only cost $2). They are able to find certain companies and certain barcodes that will trick the register into making them work.

It does seem like people are able to save a lot of money if they work at it. Coupons and sales for me have always been a time vs reward thing. I'd rather have the hour or two it would take cutting coupons over the $10 I'd save at the store. I also feel like coupons/sales get me to buy things I normally wouldn't.

I'd recommend having her browse through some of the forums out there. They are huge with people giving tips and tricks. They'll point out places to get good coupons and all sorts of stuff. There are also some great blogs that can help.

Coupon Forum :: Index - CouponForum.com (http://www.couponforum.com/)
http://thekrazycouponlady.com/

[JonInMiddleGA]

Word of warning about those coupon sites though. Try to check them out a bit with some Googling, many are simply phony coupons, other are fronts for all sorts of nasty spyware & the like. And warn her to be extremely careful before agreeing to install anything in order to get coupons/offers/etc. Quite a bit of history of browser hijacks, trojans, and other nasty crap with coupon related sites.

Consumer advice expert Clark Howard has a list of some that are supposed to be legit.

Deal-A-Day and Coupon Code Sites | www.clarkhoward.com (http://www.clarkhoward.com/topics/couponsites/)

[stevew]

What is the ratings draw on this show? If TV wasn't dead already, this would certainly be the fiery chariots coming forth to announce its arrival.

[Flasch186]

My wife's been killing it with coupons for about a year BUT she doesnt do what they do on the show. She only buys what we'll use int he very near future...

[RainMaker]

Good advice Jon, I had not thought of that.

That's one of the things that bothers me Flasch. They had this lady on the show who converted her garage into a food pantry. She had like 150 bottles of mustard. What's the point? Even if it's free, it's just a waste. It sort of borders on hoarding.

[Autumn]

This is a pretty good article about it that might give her some hints:

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/11/ff_hackingretail/

[samifan24]

This show is awe inspiring. I can't believe that these people spend that much time clipping coupons, preparing shopping lists and actually building up stockpiles that large. Crazy.

[chadritt]

What is the ratings draw on this show? If TV wasn't dead already, this would certainly be the fiery chariots coming forth to announce its arrival.

Its doing well enough that other companies are already trying to rip it off.

[DaddyTorgo]

I've got a girl I used to work with that is sort of...minorly into this. She says they take the stuff they don't use and donate it to food pantries/homeless shelters/etc.

So I guess it's worthwhile.

[SackAttack]

I've got a girl I used to work with that is sort of...minorly into this. She says they take the stuff they don't use and donate it to food pantries/homeless shelters/etc.

So I guess it's worthwhile.

Does she claim tax deductions for the charitable donations? If she does, that might be borderline fraudulent.

[DaddyTorgo]

Does she claim tax deductions for the charitable donations? If she does, that might be borderline fraudulent.

I have no idea. She's not that good a friend.

[Landshark44]

She sent me out the other day, and I got three big-ass bottles of laundry detergent and 7 tubes of colgate. It rang up around $40, but I only paid $6....

I also bought 30 32oz gatorades for less than $20...

[Ksyrup]

Saw one of the local PTO moms on FB this weekend asking for anyone's unused coupons because she was going to try this. The practice itself is pretty old (I remember seeing it from time to time in high school/college working at a grocery store), but I can't believe they made a TV show about it.

I guess it is kinda like a Martha Stewart-inspired combination of Hoarders and that Strange Addictions show.

[Chief Rum]

Am I the only one who keeps misreading the thread title as "Extreme Coupling"?

[Autumn]

Misreading? ...

[frnk55]

Am I the only one who keeps misreading the thread title as "Extreme Coupling"?
No. Was thinking the same thing. ;)

[RPI-Fan]

Does she claim tax deductions for the charitable donations? If she does, that might be borderline fraudulent.

People that have time to clip coupons don't tend to be in tax situations which make it worthwhile to itemize.

[britrock88]

People that have time to clip coupons don't tend to be in tax situations which make it worthwhile to itemize.

Lololol.

[wade moore]

Does she claim tax deductions for the charitable donations? If she does, that might be borderline fraudulent.

How do you figure? Doesn't sound fraudulant to me at all.

[DaddyTorgo]

People that have time to clip coupons don't tend to be in tax situations which make it worthwhile to itemize.

lol - in her defense she is a lawyer. First or second year at her firm, so not raking in the big bucks, but she and her wife (who's a manager at starbucks) do own their own house, so they're not exactly clipping out of necessity.

[Mustang]

I have limited time to myself so, I just can't imagine spending hours upon hours tracking deals and clipping coupons.

[DaddyTorgo]

I have limited time to myself so, I just can't imagine spending hours upon hours tracking deals and clipping coupons.

definitely not. i tried to look at circulars and do some rudimentary coupon-clipping last year and i was just like "man...i don't have the time for this!"

[Doug5984]

One of my friends and his soon to be wife started doing this- she of course doesn't have a job so can sit around all day looking for coupons.

One thing I tried to explain to him- and it fell on def ears...
They went to walgreens, racked up $180 but after coupons it was like $100 and he was so impressed. I tried explaining that just because you "saved" 80 doesn't mean it's a good deal. Walgreens charges more for everything- a 12 pack of DP is like $5, well if they have a coupon to make it $3 that's what other stores normally charge on a special so it's not out of the ordinary- so you may have saved 40% but your out of pocket cost is the same, and you wasted a few hours....and possibly bought stuff you don't need and won't use

[Autumn]

Yeah, I think the real trick is the extreme couponers manage to get things for almost zero cents. If you're spending hours to get 40% off of stuff I doubt you come out ahead, that's just what they want you to do.

The ones in the article I linked above drive all over the city buying particular products in particular places and sometimes making money!

[Ksyrup]

Yeah, if you're couponing to save 40% on 500 ounces of ketchup at Walgreens, you could probably get the same deal at Sam's Club - and get free food from the little old ladies at the same time.

[AnalBumCover]

...and possibly bought stuff you don't need and won't use

This.

Way back in college, a buddy of mine pointed out to me that he could get stuff for free by clipping coupons and looking for sales on the circulars. Little did I know he had something going there... Free stuff.

But all I could think of was "What would I do with two free sticks of Secret deodorant?"

[Pumpy Tudors]

Walgreens charges more for everything- a 12 pack of DP is like $5
I saw a movie once where a woman got a 12 pack of DP for $4.50, but she had trouble walking afterwards.

[Autumn]

I saw a movie once where a woman got a 12 pack of DP for $4.50, but she had trouble walking afterwards.

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