Not So Extreme Couponing

So have you jumped on this band wagon yet? If not, do you think you will? Ya, neither did I. Didn't seem worth it. 50c off here. 25c off there. $1 off... if the item is a billion dollars to begin with. What's the point, right? Then that show aired... you know what show I mean. The show where these crazy women have rooms dedicated to shampoo, toothpaste and cereal? And other rooms for stock piles of things they will never use? And the HOURS they say they dedicate to it?!? 30+ ? INSANE!!!

Or so I thought.


Last month I took a coupon class hosted (but not actually taught) by a chick who was on that show. She had learned a better way to coupon and had hooked up with this website that made it much easier and faster. Now this is not a blog to push the website or the class I took, however, I will attach a link to the website if you decide you want to give it a try.

Now, I am not an "Extreme" couponer by any means. However, I do see growing a stock pile of certain items we use on a continuous basis or of expensive items as they go on sale, to save us the money. Sure that list includes shampoo, toothpaste and cereal. Who wouldn't rather go into the closet and grab a tube of toothpaste when you are out instead of going to the store or going without until you can? Especially when the tube in the store is $4 and the one in the closet was only 50c or ... better yet... didn't cost you anything. Seriously.

Now, I can not condone making furniture out boxes of cereal or making your kids sleep in your walk-in closet so you can store all your body wash and toilet paper in their room. Nor will I back your choice to buy a spit load of cat food when you don't even own a pet. That is definitely going over board. (Well, unless you earned money on the deal and you plan to donate all the kitty vitals to a local shelter or something... then, ya. Go for it!)

I can hear you mumbling..."But what about the hours! I don't have kind of time!" Ya, who does? Seriously. I do NOT know how they dedicate so much time to it. I mean don't they have blogs? Twitter? Facebook to keep up with? Oh ya, and the kids. *sheesh* I am right there with ya. And let me tell ya, the amount of time (with this particular website) was the big selling point. There are others out there that go about it the same way. Pretty much these sites do all (or most) of the match ups for you. All you have to do is make your list and go! LOVE IT!

Good Question! What are "match ups?" Match ups are when you match your manufacture coupons up with current sale prices and/or store coupons. Recent personal example: Target had a sale on Sharpies. 2 in a pack for a $1. Target also had an online coupon for $1 off any Sharpie product. You do the math. Yup.... free.! Easy. Now, if I had a manufacture coupon for Sharpie ... if Target aloud it... I could have made money on the deal! I don't think Target does though. However, Walmart does! And THEY have recently had many items that were cheaper than the manufacture coupon was worth. Walmart allows you to apply it towards you entire purchase, or... if you have nothing else... gives it to you IN CASH! Paying you to shop. How can you pass that UP?!?

Now, is it always like that? No.

Is it the norm to buy $1000 worth of groceries and toiletries for $5? Definitely not.

The more realistic goal would be to aim for an overall savings of 50%. That way, you aren't totally disappointed when you don't see the register screen scrolling and dinging like you won in the casino as it peels off your savings. And, you are more excited when you do 60% or better. Remember, on the show, you always hear those gals saying "I've never done this big of a coupon trip before. I've never saved this much before." And for good reason. It's. Not. The. Norm! So, please. Lower your expectations. After all, if you were doing THAT well with your couponing... You would be on the show. Right?

Question in the back? YES! Thank you. Can't forget good ole' California! No. Stores in CA do NOT double/triple/quadmillionduple their coupons. Wish they did. I'd be in heaven. And YES! It is possible to do well with out them. I am happy to say, I save about 70% on average. Now, keep in mind, those trips are coupon trips. I plan them out and tailor them as needed to keep my costs down. However, then I can cross the items I purchased off my regular shopping trip list for quite awhile. The other thing I do is use funds (separate from our main account) that I have saved up to do my couponing with, when I can. I would never put my family (further) in the poor house in order to score on a good deal on toilet paper!

Well... not unless we were all to agree to eat nothing but cereal and tuna for that week. ;0)

Here's that website. Do NOT feel obligate to go. They aren't paying me. If so, I would be teaching the classes "hosted" by a previous TV coupon queen. http://grocerysmarts.com/index.html If you do go, have fun with it. Because if it's not fun, it's not worth it.

Note to GrocerySmarts.com: Sure! I'll take your sponsorship check. Anytime! I'll apply it to my coupon fund. Happily. ;0D

PS: Spell Check does not recognize "couponer" or "couponing" as words. I foresee a couple new words added to the dictionary next year. ;0)