This is my pantry.....no it's not... I'm just kidding...it's REALLY my garage....ha ha ha GOTCHA....no it's not... it's my basement!
Fooled you again!! It's really an example of Extreme Couponing as shown on the new hit TLC show of the same name.
I'll never be an Extreme Couponer (is that a word...who cares....it is now!) but I am proud to say that I received some coupons in the mail today from save.ca, one of the few Canadian sources for quality coupons. The reason I selected a few coupons was so I could get the FREE BOX OF VECTOR CEREAL that was on offer. People in this household could live on Vector cereal, in fact, they frequently do!
I also selected a $5.00 off coupon for Aleve as we also get a lot of headaches and a $1.00 off coupon for Sunlight Laundry detergent. Perhaps all the laundry we do around here gives us a headache, I don't know, but at least we'll have clean jammies on while we eat our free bowl of Vector!! There were other coupons too but I only selected ones I know I'll make use of; otherwise what's the point? Do I really want to turn my garage or basement into a storehouse of goods I'll never use but just need to HAVE? Nope, not me, a simple streamlined life is what I want that includes clean underwear, no headaches and lots and lots of cereal!
Yah I don't get it... I use the odd coupon here & there,.. But mostly not. The one show I saw had a woman buying like 17 bottles of Maalox even though she didnt need/use that product, but it was "too good of a deal" to pass up. WTH!?
ReplyDeletesome expect a big crisis and want to stockpile. some are obsessed I guess. I really think couponing will change and make it harder for those 'regular'users.
ReplyDeletethat being said , the past 2 weeks I've bought sunday papers and have All You magazine(from wal-mart that has some coupons and articles) I made 2 trips to 2 walgreens all on the way home from Weight Watchers using some coupons/sales/register rewards some items give. I got what I wanted and/or could use eventually. I can see it becoming addictive for those with time on their hands LOL but I don't plan on overstocking on stuff.
Susanna
Carla I think some buy stuff for the rewards(walgreens) ECB(CVS) or overage(walmart). Walgreens and CVS let you use one of their coupons stacked with a manufacturer coupon. for instance: they have a sale price of 2.99 and an in-store coupon for 50 cts off and you have a manufacturer coupon for $1 off so the price is 1.49 and the product gives a coupon for 1.50 in ECB or register rewards to use on another trip. you've essentially 'made' a penny and have free product to use or donate. some get even better - something they have no interest in whatsoever gives a $3 register reward and they have coupons/sales making the product -0.50 so there's 50 cents left over so you can add a candy bar to the shopping cart and only pay the difference plus you may get a register reward or ECB - people have learned to do this with the cleaning products and toothbrushes/toothpaste. I don't have time for all of it but CVS and walgreens both put in their ads 'coupon in paper' or something like that.
ReplyDeleteNow the extremes have TONS of coupons and say one coupon is 1.00 off and walmart sells the item for 99 ctns..that's a penny per item/coupon...multiply that times 100 of the same item with a coupon and they have $1 to spend on something else. Some cashed in big-time using 100's of coupons for mccormicks seasonings - the company gave $1 off coupon on spices/rubs but forgot to say 'excluding seasoning packets' and walmart in some areas sold taco seasoning for 50 cts - each coupon gave the person 50 cents to spend on something else - one woman posted how she got 50 pkgs at one trip with coupons to match and ended up with ground beef and all the fixings for tacos! walmart allows 'overage' on the same trip. it takes some work but some are making out like bandits - esp those who have access to extra coupons.
Susanna
I stopped at Walmart on my way home from work tonight to pick up a few things. Of the 9 things I bought I had 9 coupons(this is only because we needed deoderant, cereal, razors). The cashier looked at me and said "God I hate that show"..I just giggled and agreed.
ReplyDeleteI really dont keep a stockpile of things. I usually have a back up of one or two but NEVER will I become a shopping hoarder
Judy
I love coupoing but I think they go way overboard! when my stockpile hits 10 tubes of toothpaste, I tke a break ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks Susanna for giving us a more inside view than we get here in Canada where coupons are far and few between. I never really understood what "stacking" was and how you can end up with money to spend on other things by stacking. If a person had the time (and some do) you could really "cash in"!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Susanna for giving us a more inside view than we get here in Canada where coupons are far and few between. I never really understood what "stacking" was and how you can end up with money to spend on other things by stacking. If a person had the time (and some do) you could really "cash in"!!
ReplyDeleteyep I think stacking and overage will soon be a thing of the past but that's just my opinion. Kroger grocery story already stopped doubling and tripling and some say it's because of the showbut I don't know.
ReplyDeleteI don't have the time nor the access to enough coupons to make it worthwhile...this lady on frugalliving.about.com works for a newspaper so it's insert heaven for her! she gives good advice on how to coupon though.
scored a free Nivea body wash - $3 and had a $3 coupon(someone told me about this deal!) and used coupon for nestle crunch bars and dannon greek yogurt..then at grocery store used 2 50 ct off coupons for rosarita refried beans they had for 88 cts can and an instore coupon for 77 ct dr pepper/a&W rootbeer(limit 4)
I don't go extreme an I'm on/off in doing coupons but every so often I find some deals I can use but no way I'm stocking up on 10000 pkgs of taco seasoning LOL!
Susanna
I use coupons - always. And when I buy more than we need, because it is a deal "too good to pass up", I either give it to someone I know or send it to the local food pantry's.
ReplyDeleteI would absolutely love one of these extreme couponers to do thier magic and help a food pantry or feed a poor community. That would be fabulous.
I think that its insane how much stuff the people on that show have. That's a full time job in itself. I will use coupons sometimes but I won't spend hours planning and expect to pay nothing for my groceries. I hope that they donate a lot of it to charity.
ReplyDeletePeople still use coupons? Why do I never see these? My mom used to clip coupons all the time when I was a kid but I haven't seen a coupon in years can't I can think of.
ReplyDeleteI'm always up for a good deal, but I can't watch this show. Some of these people seem to be hoarders in a socially sanctioned fashion. It's absurd. One person had enough body wash for 21,000 showers-more than enough for a shower a day for 57 years! If you donate it to charity (as some of them do) or buy what your family will use in a reasonable amount of time, I guess that's cool, but some of these people have stuff stashed everywhere in their homes. One woman described that it felt like the walls were closing in on her (and they literally were, as she had shelving everywhere!) Perhaps I'm just jealous, as we Canadians can't do these extreme things, but I can't see myself ever engaging i the hours and hours these folks spend planning their trips either!
ReplyDeleteI found a blog online once when i was bored LOL and this guy didnt' really care what he ate so the combos are kinda icky sometimes plus he didn't cook so was learning but he fed himself on $1 per day limiting himself to 2 coupon inserts and started with a certain amt too seems like - but he managed to get couons for 1 ct overage on cream cheese and kept maybe 6 out of the bunch he got and used overage for oatmeal and bananas, tortillas, etc - some comments were angry like 'maybe someone else would've liked to have used those blinkie coupons(ones at the store display) isntead of him taking 100's) I found it interesting though I doubt I could eat that way since I like food for the sake of food LOL!
ReplyDeletecheck out frugalliving.about.com's forum - there's a coupon thread forgot the name of the section but it's not the general - more like 'chat' section and there's at least 1 lady from Canaad on that forum - Jackie I think. It's fun to read through. also there's a blog I halfway follwed - a few yrs ago she fed herself and 3 daughters on $800 per year - oh and a couple of dogs too! she did cash in with her blog with swagbucks links, etc that gave giftcards but she pretty much says what she used and still keeps up wtih good deals. She's local near Houston, TX - Katy I think is the city. but her blog is jane4girls though her name's Erin I think! it's interesting but very long since she did this back in 2008 or2009.
I've had fun checking out the blogs you link to - a few I've really gotten into like the 'we may be poor' and the retired in Texas and head over heels in debt..I check the others out too sometimes.
susanna
Susanna