If you’re a reality TV junkie like me, you’ve probably seen the TLC show “Extreme Couponing.” In the show, devout couponers score major deals, procuring items for as much as a full 100% discount. Honestly, if you aren’t seeing results after working your ass off for years on end, why would you continue? I had envelopes of CVS receipts showing totals of $0.00 for people who didn’t believe me. it took me forever to gather the coupons, then hours to organize them all. And I thought to myself “what a coincidence”. Make sure that you’re saving on stuff you’ll actually use and that your savings add up to more than the cost of couponing – otherwise, you could end up doing a lot of work for nothing. Fake coupons or fake money are not being printed. 10 Best Self Driving Car & Autonomous Vehicle Stocks of 2021, 10 Best Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks to Buy in 2021, 9 Best Electric Vehicle (EV) Stocks to Buy in 2021, 11 Best Mobile Coupon Apps to Save Money Shopping With Your Smartphone, 14 Ways to Spring Clean Your Finances This Year, What Is Supplemental Security Income – Benefits & How to Apply, 26 Best New Bank Account Promotions & Offers – April 2021. When Extreme Couponing first aired back in December 2010, I was really excited. Should you need such advice, consult a licensed financial or tax advisor. Couponers are seriously dedicated to their craft, which means you can’t expect to get the same deals unless you’re willing to put in the time. If you’ve ever wondered why, check out the reasoning below. This meant buying things like diabetes monitors, toothpaste, and cold medicine. Because of the way the show is, I no longer watch Extreme Couponing – and you shouldn’t either. This is something nobody at the time knew what these extreme couponers were doing on the show. Lastly, a major problem with couponing is that it can become a time-consuming obsession. Well, not exactly. Coupon Information Center, a watchdog group, blamed the showrunners for … Advertiser partners include American Express, Chase, U.S. Bank, and Barclaycard, among others. Besides the fact that I can't push a full cart of groceries. Many extreme coupon shoppers carry entire binders full of coupons. These printable coupons are still tracked with unique numbers and have legal usage limits. But the cameras don’t show the hours of drudgery and driving that go into making those savings happen, especially during the learning curve and early years — that’s right, years. On “Extreme Couponing,” it’s common practice to purchase entire palettes or cases of free or cheap products. While they do get those high-value coupons, they also get regular coupons. They proudly displayed their stuffed pantry purchased for $4.18. Additionally, you can get the inside scoop on what’s acceptable for redemption – and the store can even order more product so you’re not clearing out their entire inventory. Find Everything you need to know about Extreme Couponing in California here. Turns out, they’re not that extreme, so put aside your reality-show notions of getting $2,000 worth of groceries for a penny. Here’s why I stopped extreme couponing. To ensure that that you don’t take couponing too far and save big here’s an introductory guide on extreme couponing to get you started. There are a few rare paper coupons that do not have an expiration date (I’ve seen this with 3M products), but these usually are legit. After watching this show once, I realized that I was OK with how I watch TV. “Store coupons” If a coupon has the words “store coupon” at the top, it’s issued by a particular store and can only be used at that retailer. Is it possible to practically utilize coupons in California? Should you need such advice, consult a licensed financial or tax advisor. As for the show Extreme Couponing I have mixed feelings about it. One of the ways that extreme couponing can save you so much cash is finding and using high value coupons. You can’t believe everything you see on TV. Anonymous : Your title is unfair. googletag.cmd.push(function() { A new season of Extreme Couponingaired yesterday and like I expected, I am still disgusted by it. Much of the time, the best deals are for processed foods, condiments, and toiletries. It generally doesn’t make us feel comfortable, but when we sat down and examined it, we wanted to answer one question: Is selling your stockpile even legal? We strive to write accurate and genuine reviews and articles, and all views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors. With over 14 years of copywriting experience, she's created content and scripting for organizations such as GE, Walgreens, Overstock, and MasterCard. Well in my view Extreme Couponing – the TV show – is just that a TV show, made for entertainment. That doesn’t mean you can’t save money, it just means you need to be a little more savvy about it. Among other things, we may receive free products, services, and/or monetary compensation in exchange for featured placement of sponsored products or services. The problem is usually, “Is it worth it?”. When TLC premiered the first episode of “Extreme Couponing” in 2011, coupon shoppers around the country took to the web to voice their concerns about the rampant coupon misuse and fraud depicted on the show. Because I was an extreme coupon shopper myself from 2007 to 2010 – but I haven’t cut a coupon since. Yes! }); The content on MoneyCrashers.com is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as professional financial advice. This habit can quickly lead to a massive surplus of items in your home that must be rotated and organized so you can access them, and often, food products become spoiled and are wasted. Instead, the vast majority of the coupons available are for junk food, ready-to-eat meals, frozen foods, and processed lunch meats. 10 Best Self Driving Car & Autonomous Vehicle Stocks of 2021, 10 Best Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks to Buy in 2021, 9 Best Electric Vehicle (EV) Stocks to Buy in 2021, 11 Best Mobile Coupon Apps to Save Money Shopping With Your Smartphone, 26 Best New Bank Account Promotions & Offers – April 2021, 14 Ways to Spring Clean Your Finances This Year, What Is Supplemental Security Income – Benefits & How to Apply, 18 Great Career Fields for the Future (Next 10 Years), extreme couponing is definitely not for everyone, 6 Reasons Why I Stopped Extreme Couponing, Extreme Couponing Tips - Using Discount Coupons for Free Groceries, Extreme Couponing 101: How to Extreme Coupon and Save 84%+ on Groceries, SavingsAngel Review - Save on Groceries by Matching Sales to Coupons, Best Printable Coupon Websites for Groceries - Our Real-World Test, How to Save Up to $1,465 per Year Shopping Online With Coupon Codes. You could do the same, right? The mere mortal who shops with coupons definitely shouldn’t expect the same treatment. You Have a Real Job. Before you grab your coupon binder and a ton of newspaper inserts, make sure that you get all the facts about hardcore couponing and what it could mean for your shopping habits. While you may hear that you can get deals on produce or even organic fruits and vegetables, the reality is that these kinds of deals are few and far between and they don’t provide the thousands of dollars of savings that you so often hear about from extreme coupon shoppers. Does it seem weird that these people need a 1,000 bottles of Aspirin or 400 tubes of toothpaste? We appreciate you taking the time to read it. googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); They just know how to combine them effectively to maximize their savings. After experiencing success in early 2011 with its reality show Extreme Couponing, ... Of course, it's worth noting that selling body parts is illegal. I made pretty big profits when I sold my stockpile in bundles. Why does the site say Print Limit Reached when I have not printed the coupon yet? Do not buy coupons online on sites such as eBay. Jacqueline Curtis writes about edtech, finance, marketing, and small business strategy. 3. I couldn’t wait for people to see just how much couponing can help you to save money. The government should not care if it was a gift to you. Extreme couponing was a popular pastime during the recession, when unemployment and gas prices were sky-high. While we do our best to keep these updated, numbers stated on this site may differ from actual numbers. Extreme couponers are individuals that take saving to a new level. SNIPPED. I’ll admit that I’ve blamed overzealous and inconsiderate couponers for causing me inconveniences. Since I get my shows from an antenna and from Netflix, I don't get many shows like this. When people talk about the practice of extreme couponing, they throw a lot of numbers around about how much you can save on your grocery bill, and how much stuff you can get for free. I define waste as having anything you don’t need or use. We may have financial relationships with some of the companies mentioned on this website. To be a real extreme couponer, you need to have a ton of time, a large investment, and very thick skin. Why I Don’t Coupon 1. So let’s take a dose of reality. What I didn’t expect, was a show that displayed a lack of realcouponing. However, what isn’t stated is how much time they have spent on the practice. I spent an average of 15 hours a week couponing, and this was below the average (hardcore couponers spend upwards of 30 hours a week couponing!). This can be applied to many other products. Couponing also feels overwhelming. Before that I thought it was a lot of work for a few pennies – not so! Thanks! I run a site turned blog called Recipes for Natural Health and I reviewed the show Extreme Couponing from a natural health slant. There are many ways to use coupons improperly, from photocopying Internet coupons, to using a coupon for a different product than it’s intended, to sharing coupons that are not supposed to be shared. Extreme couponers always seem to know where to shop to get the cheapest price, and some of the best deals occur when a store doubles coupons. Advertiser partners include American Express, Chase, U.S. Bank, and Barclaycard, among others. Think about it – getting a bottle of ketchup for $0.50 is a great deal, but if that great deal entices you to purchase 30 bottles, you’ve just spend $15 on more ketchup that you may not use before the expiration date. If we are … Extreme Couponing Education: Shelf Clearing For Charity; Extreme Couponing Education: Don’t Be A Crazy Lady! You need to buy multiple newspapers to have enough coupons to get several items for free, and you need to organize all of those coupons so you can access them when you need them. If that is the question asked: It is generally legal to sell personal property that you have acquired at a discount at market price. Here are five reasons why extreme couponing is wrong and you'll never see me doing it. The similarities are actually striking in that, for example, they are both legal and by-the-rules kind of techniques that few people take full advantage of. window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; I asked Cupler for his best extreme-couponing tips for beginners. We appreciate you taking the time to read it. Just remember that the stores featured on television might offer promotions during filming only – you probably won’t get the same deal. Here's what a dentist had to say about an Extreme Cheapskates couple who shared this toiletry. extreme couponing is not only possible in Canada, it’s really fun. While I could resell them (and sometimes did), they often sat on shelves in my house for weeks or months, taking up space. of course it takes an insane amount of time, skill, and patience. Some coupons now say “limit of 4 like coupons in same shopping trip.” Some also say, “Coupons not authorized if purchasing products for resale.” The problem is policing this, and remembering which coupon can’t be used for resale. Another major problem with extreme coupon shopping is that to maximize your savings, you are limited to buying items that are on sale or that coupons are available for. It may not be made as apparent on each television show where extreme couponers are featured but if you listen closely, those who are saving hundreds on their shopping bills also spend more time during the week looking for and organizing coupons than most of us work in a … Extreme Couponing Tip: Why Photocopying Coupons Is Illegal One of the first rules a couponer learns is that photocopying ANY coupon is illegal and is punishable by fines and imprisonment… Advertiser Disclosure: The credit card and banking offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies and banks from which MoneyCrashers.com receives compensation. When you buy this stuff all the time instead of healthier foods, your health takes a backseat to saving money at the grocery store. If your Sunday paper costs $2.50 per copy and you purchase four for couponing purposes, it adds up $40 a month for the paper alone. On top of the clipping, there’s the sheer organisation and planning that goes into couponing as well. Extreme couponers display their store receipts like a badge of honor on the show, online, and in their homes. This is a bit of a lengthy post, but as you can tell, these are some things we Fabs feel strongly about. CODES (19 days ago) Extreme Couponing - Wikipedia. This might be a controversial opinion, but I appreciate it when couponers show a little restraint in the grocery store by shopping during slower hours, or by leaving product on the shelves despite the ability to buy it all due to a deep discount. Below, we cover the places where extreme couponers get their coupons… The show “Extreme Couponing” opens up a world of savings for budget-conscious shoppers, but it doesn’t necessarily paint the whole picture. It sounds like these are pretty amazing deals, right? The problem with this is that the same items go on sale and have available coupons week after week, which can lead you to buy these items repeatedly. Almost any hardcore bargain shopper can easily tell you about his or her best score; specifically, how much was bought and how much was saved. Ultimately, it may not be time well spent if you are saving thousands of dollars on things that you don’t need and shouldn’t buy. For instance, when a pasta sauce sale lines up with an available coupon, you might buy 10 jars of the pasta sauce. What can be even worse is that you may not have enough food storage in your home, and the items may start to encroach on your living space. With the debut of Extreme Couponing (season 3) tonight I wanted to make a note for those that may have found this site due to the show.I will not be watching, (see my rant here) for many reasons… but I realize that many people may find Southern Cali Saver because they are interested in saving money from coupon. This blog post is for those people who have never used coupons before and those of you who have always wanted to start using coupons but have no idea where to start. For example, in one episode, a woman wanted to buy bagged salad that cost $1. Multiple your deals exponentially! Seasoned couponers can tell you that it is possible to score great deals on healthy foods like produce, baking staples, and dairy, but it’s definitely not the norm. All Rights Reserved. It is technically stealing if you have a thousand dollar order and you get it for ten dollars. googletag.enableServices(); ... See Details. Unfortunately, what “Extreme Couponing” doesn’t show is exactly how these shoppers acquire such deals. After watching a number of episodes, I began to wonder whether “Extreme Couponing” is even close to depicting “reality.”. How To Extreme Coupon In Florida – Tips In A Real World . I used to be an extreme couponer. Some of the show’s shoppers appeared to be using coupons for products they didn’t buy (and later admitted doing so) or used hundreds of coupons that are limited to one or four … When Does It Make Sense to Hire a Tax Attorney? Filter By Time All Past 24 hours Past Week Past Month. Christy Rakoczy earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester and her Juris Doctorate from UCLA School of Law. If your coupon prints without a barcode, this is usually a sign that there is an issue with java on your computer. Plenty of hardcore bargain shoppers purchase extra copies of the newspaper to ensure that they have multiples of each and every coupon, and the cost of newspapers can add up over time. I'm a strategic shopper. Often, I’d shop at drugstores like CVS, Rite-Aid, and Walgreens, which are prime retailers for extreme coupon shoppers. Coupons are made for the casual shopper, not the extreme type. To get the amazing, free deals, it seems like you need A LOT of time, which is a main reason why I don’t coupon. Here are some tips on selling your stockpile. I have been couponing for three years and I’ll tell you when your husband is out of work and dying of leukemia and did DIE and you are left with a limited income and three kids to support- you do what you need to do. Extreme Couponing Often Leads to Stockpiling and Hoarding. She had a $0.50 coupon, and the store happily doubled it, therefore allowing her to take the salad for free. These items (especially diabetes monitors) often can be acquired for free with coupons – the monitors are free because the test strips are expensive, and the manufacturers want to get you hooked. Why do my coupons print without a barcode? 13 Best Cash-Back Credit Cards – Reviews & Comparison, 8 Best Low APR Interest Credit Cards – Reviews & Comparison, 19 Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards – Reviews & Comparison, 15 Best Hotel Rewards Credit Cards – Reviews & Comparison, 12 Best Gas Credit Cards – Reviews & Comparison, 12 Best Credit Cards for College Students – Reviews & Comparison, 26 Best Small Business Credit Cards – Reviews & Comparison, 10 Best Secured Credit Cards to Rebuild Credit – Reviews & Comparison. To truly experience significant savings, you can’t have just a coupon or two – you need to get the coupon inserts every week. Extreme couponers also combine coupons (using strategies like coupon matching) effectively to maximize their savings and get coupons from a wide range of sources. References to products, offers, and rates from third party sites often change. Coupons always will have an expiration date in the upper right-hand corner. During the program Extreme Couponing, the couponers were shown in various stages of collecting coupons, including dumpster diving and going to their neighbors' to collect the newspaper weekly coupon inserts.Then they would casually cut piles (and I mean piles!) Printable coupons 2019 need a barcode so that they can be scanned at the store. This is a bit of a lengthy post, but as you can tell, these are some things we Fabs feel strongly about. Buying multiple papers, organizing the coupons, reading up on the deals, making shopping lists, going to multiple stores, and checking out while using 100 or more coupons can take huge amounts of time. Do you envy those other people you see online that is posting all the fantastic savings they have achieved and the tons of FREE products they are receiving? I personally feel like if people were really doing this and I know some who are, the stores are going to limit coupons. Watch Queue Queue. In her syndicated couponing column, Cataldo wrote that there has been an “Extreme Couponing effect.” After the show began airing, coupons became less valuable—”Manufacturers that previously offered $1 coupons now offer coupons good for $1 off on the purchase of two items”—and grocery store chains introduced tougher restrictions on coupon usage. Most of them were engaging in coupon fraud while they were doing their episode and possibly prior to them being on the show. It also depicts the subjects embroiled in some serious ethical issues, all for the sake of building their “stash.” Sure, sometimes the shoppers are purchasing items for an upcoming church supper, the homeless shelter, and stationed troops – but this is not the norm. This used to be a big issue for CVS, as the company would send out $4 coupons to new customers, who would then share the coupons on Internet forums to be used by countless people each week. Some of these laws are really going to make you scratch your head and wonder why the law was established in the first place. Introduce yourself, explain which coupons you’d like to use, and the amount of products you want. Extreme couponers get their coupons from a number of different sources, from coupon apps to websites, newspaper inserts, stores, and many other places. It was a time-sucker. CODES (2 days ago) Extreme couponing is an activity that combines shopping skills with couponing in an attempt to save as much money as possible while accumulating the most groceries. Using coupons is a popular and easy way for shoppers to cut the cost of groceries, personal care items and other household products, but couponing is not without its rules and regulations.It is important for couponers to understand the guidelines and stay within the legal … The idea that you can use a store’s BOGO coupon, then take another 10% off from a… googletag.pubads().setTargeting('subcat', []).setTargeting('category', ['savings']); googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); I had dinner with family friends last night who had recently started extreme couponing. © 2021 Money Crashers, LLC. Here are some tips on how to extreme coupon in florida . Furthermore, you might get an attitude from cashiers or managers who don’t appreciate your method of shopping. This video is unavailable. When I was a coupon shopper, the goal was always to get enough into an order to use a money-off coupon. And though clipping coupons from the newspaper and downloading coupons … Time. In the show “Extreme Couponing,” shoppers are always shown interacting with cheerful cashiers who are more than happy to scan hundreds of clipped coupons, even applauding when the final total is just pennies on the dollar. Real extreme couponing only requires a blend of common sense, shopping savvy and organization. Each store has different policies on how many coupons are allowed for each item or each transaction, and you might be turned away when you try to redeem too many. However, the fact is that someone, somewhere, may get in trouble or have to pay for your improper use of a coupon. It may seem harmless to use a coupon to buy the wrong product or a sample size instead of a full-sized version. Unless you’re shopping with a camera crew following you around, you may experience a variety of roadblocks. Grateful and considerate couponers use their coupons to get the best discounts without affecting other shoppers, while extreme couponers do what they can to stretch their money, regardless of how it affects others. However, if you’re planning a big shopping trip during which you expect to purchase a large quantity of the same item, or if you plan to save more than 50% off your total bill by using coupons, it’s best to call ahead. of coupons and make their grocery list to head to the stores. Extreme Couponing – The monthly purchase for under $ 10. MoneyCrashers.com does not include all banks, credit card companies or all available credit card offers, although best efforts are made to include a comprehensive list of offers regardless of compensation. My understanding is that this is still a mostly free country where a store can accept a roll of toilet paper in exchange for $50 worth of groceries if they are willing. YouTube. When other couponers headed in to claim the same deal, store owners pointed out that the show was done for promotional reasons only, and coupon doubling was not allowed. CODES (7 days ago) Coupon Industry Fights Illegal Extreme Couponing (4 days ago) Although Extreme Couponing might be unrealistic for the average person, the coupon industry does want you to save money. That’s great if you’re in the market for a bunch of new toothbrushes for your family, but you could end up spending money on unhealthy foods and stuff you don’t need and won’t use. (29 days ago) Legal Sites Have tlc extreme couponing episodes | Pets Coupon 2019. She lives in Utah with her husband, three kids, and an overzealous springer spaniel named Penelope. Although Extreme Couponing might be unrealistic for the average person, the coupon industry does want you to save money. There’s really no problem with using manufacturer’s coupons at the store. Some people find that time is better spent earning money as opposed to saving money grocery shopping. Extreme Couponing Tip: Why Photocopyi... One of the first rules a couponer learns is that photocopying ANY coupon is illegal and is punishable by fines and imprisonment. Here’s why: There are now limits on coupons at some grocers. The first diary I see when I logged on this morning was about extreme couponing (apparently banned as spam). © 2021 Money Crashers, LLC. 10 National chains that allow you to use coupon stacking for huge savings. All from only a few extra hours work a week. The TV program always shows the couponers sitting down and clipping coupons in piles, and even going house-to-house to collect inserts and sheets of coupons. I spent hours scouring sales papers, company websites, and handfuls of coupon books to match deals.