Did you watch TLC’s Extreme Couponing? Those of you who were on Twitter or Facebook last night know I was watching! We had a great time during the show chatting about the first two episodes.
I am so happy this show is inspiring people to want to be more prudent shoppers, and I am happy to help you get started couponing or help take your couponing to the next level. However before we begin, I want to point out several inaccuracies in last night’s show:
- You can not do 18 separate transactions or even 5 for that matter. Not only will stores not allow this practice, but it is completely unnecessary. I regularly save 80% at the grocery store in one transaction and with no double coupons.
- You should never clear the shelves. Again, this is completely unnecessary. Sales and coupons come in cycles, you will see mustard on sale again. You do not need to purchase a lifetime supply simply because you have the coupons. Think of your friends and neighbors who might also like to get a few of the deal for their families.
- You should never use a coupon to purchase a different product than the one described on the coupon. This one wasn’t as obvious to spot while watching, but viewers have taken still shots of the show and one of the shoppers was seen doing this. Misusing coupons in this manner is fraud.
- Most stores will not give overage, particularly from coupon doubling.
- Most stores have limits on rain checks. They will often let you get multiples of a rain check, but 10 items is certainly not the norm.
- The cashiers are not going to cheer for you at the end of your transaction. You may get the occasional impressed cashier or fellow customer, but truthfully the only noise you are likely to hear is the tapping foot of the angry person behind you in line.
Remember this is a “reality show” and we all know the important word there is show, not reality. These shows are fun to watch, but they are by no means a how-to. I do not enjoy preaching couponing rules from my soapbox, but these abuses hurt all of us. The more people who take advantage and bend the rules to suit themselves, the harder stores and manufacturers make it for all of us to save money.
So now that we have covered how NOT to coupon, let’s look at how we can save big money! You really can save around 70% or more on your groceries!
Here’s How:
The one word you heard over and over on the show was “stockpile, stockpile, stockpile” and there is a reason for that. Stockpiling is THE difference between a casual couponer and a serious couponer! Sales come in cycles. When an item is at its rock bottom price, buy enough to last your family until the next sale (approximately 3 months). This will look different for each family. A family of four is not going to purchase as much as a family of nine. There is a reason the second couple had such a big stockpile; they are feeding seven kids! (Alright, I am a little biased because I know Tiffany, but it’s still true.)
- For more information on stockpiling : Read Stockpiling: A Peek Inside My Pantry! and Watch: Stockpiling in Small Spaces.
You can’t coupon without the coupons. You don’t need to dive in dumpsters or devote an entire room to your coupons. Just build a reasonable coupon stash.
- Read about how to get coupons and how many you need in: Building Your Coupon Stash and How Many Sunday Papers Should You Buy?
Once you have your coupons, you need to know when and how to use them.
- Click on the ‘Stores’ tab in the navigation bar to find all the grocery, drug and national chain stores covered here at The Prudent Patron.
Learn more in our Couponing 101.
And for those of you who want to save money, but have no interest in couponing, check out our new sections on how you can save without coupons at Aldi and with Amazon’s Grocery Deals!
Related Posts:
Everything I Need to Know about Extreme Couponing I Learned in Kindergarten
Extreme Couponing: The Secret to Taking Your Couponing to the Next Level
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
amen! My normal rate of saving is about 80% – I never clear a shelf, I never buy more than I need to get me to the next sale, and I never misuse a coupon…..
and for goodness sakes why would ONE person need all that mustard?
Yeah the stores that double the coupons at their own cost
would NOT be cheering you on to the tune of apx. $500-800
Manufacturers do not pick up the doubled cost…
Yea, there really is no reason to buy 70 bottles of mustard. Exactly, think about other people that may want some of the stuff you just cleared off the shelf!
lol @ cashiers cheering for you. That has yet to happen in real life.
It did happen to me once. I price matched toothpaste at Walmart and picked up 19 tubes for nothing. It even covered the tax. The cashier waved around my receipt to everybody. I felt like the coupon queen!
I’ve had other people watch impressed too. I always make an effort to tell them my transaction will take a bit so they can get in another line if they want.
The other inaccuracy is making it sound like you got “all that” for $10 or less. That is NOT counting in the cost of a clipping service and shipping, which you would have to use to buy that quantity. While it’s still impressive, you did not spend $5.97 on the entire transactions…
I agree the the folks who have already commented; especially when the husband says “I don’t eat mustard”. Clearing the shelf was so thoughtless and playing to the camera.
One thing I’d like to add is that I’m uncomfortable with the second family who duplicated their shopping list, going in together but through the cash register separately to avoid not being able to double every coupon. There’s a reason the store made this policy change. I couldn’t help to say “cheaters” when I saw what they were doing.
This is “hoarding”. SINFUL
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