Stores Confront Extreme Couponers’ Tactics

I find these types of people fascinating. The people that make it to the tv shows spend 60-80 hours per week clipping, collecting, organizing and preparing. Then they claim they only paid a fraction of the actual value of the items they purchased.

If you are a stay at home mom, I can buy that story. But for the rest, they have jobs and that is couponing. They are just paid in product instead of dollars.

I find these types of people fascinating. The people that make it to the tv shows spend 60-80 hours per week clipping, collecting, organizing and preparing. Then they claim they only paid a fraction of the actual value of the items they purchased.

If you are a stay at home mom, I can buy that story. But for the rest, they have jobs and that is couponing. They are just paid in product instead of dollars.

A former boss provided me with advice that I still carry with me - "When it comes to labor, you are either charging someone else for your labor or you are charging yourself." The net gain of the coupon life is drastically different once you deduct the labor invested. Simply, free's a subjective term.

And I don't know about the stay at home mom part. In that situation, I think the couponing labor is being deducted from the mothering labor. I know my mom didn't have time for another job when she was busy staying at home with my three siblings and me.

I find these types of people fascinating. The people that make it to the tv shows spend 60-80 hours per week clipping, collecting, organizing and preparing. Then they claim they only paid a fraction of the actual value of the items they purchased.

If you are a stay at home mom, I can buy that story. But for the rest, they have jobs and that is couponing. They are just paid in product instead of dollars.

This is the main reason I have reduced my usage of coupons. I found I was throwing so many more coupons away that I had spent time clipping and organizing. Now I go to the forum look for the deals only clip the ones I really will use, I spend alot less time and save the same money in the end.

It seems like such a waste of mental effort. A woman in my neighborhood does this, and she has the same education level I do. Seriously, you earned a post-graduate degree to clip coupons?

What a great opportunity to donate these items to the tornado victims/Red Cross. Some of them have got to people who get a thrill getting all these items free. Some may secretly want to rid themselves so they can make space for new items. Just a thought. My husband does the couponing but he quickly learned that we only need one back up of frequently used items. When he first started couponing and we had to discard a lot of condiments, he caught on. Two people don't need very much. Especially when you eat out.
Coworker up in Indiana said that storage containers would be a big help. I thought about that after I bought other things and gave them to the Voice Tribune folks who collected Sat. But anything helps, whether here or the next storm.

It seems like such a waste of mental effort. A woman in my neighborhood does this, and she has the same education level I do. Seriously, you earned a post-graduate degree to clip coupons?

I really don't think it matters what education you have to enjoy saving money. I am/was an RN and I used to go to an Internal Medicine Doctor, a female, would frequently spend part of my visits talking coupons...she was also a young Mother who loved to save money as well.

Bev, sorry, I didn't mean to offend; saving money is obviously something anyone can enjoy.

I was replying to the thread about extreme couponing, not using some occasionally to get a good deal. That is, people who treat it as a job. My neighbor easily does this 20 hours or more a week. That's about the same amount of time I work in my own business. To me, that's a big waste of a doctoral degree. It's the equivalent of you as an RN or the physician you work with using coupons INSTEAD of practicing medicine. If they want to do that, fine, and I hope they enjoy it; it just seems like a waste. Sorry I wasn't clear.

Wow...I guess I had no idea what an "extreme couponer" really was when I posted this...I thought they were just these soccer moms with the big accordion binders who slowed down the grocery line for 10 minutes and pissed everyone off in the process (somehow it seems I am always getting in line behind these people)...But TV shows, free food, 200 of this, 200 of that, 20 hours a week clipping coupons...I guess I had no idea -that- kinda stuff went on.

[Robin Garr]

I guess I had no idea -that- kinda stuff went on.

viewforum.php?f=16

I guess I had no idea -that- kinda stuff went on.

viewforum.php?f=16

Well...Bless her heart, I'm pretty sure Annemarie was just passing that stuff along as a public service of sorts...I never got the impression she was actually filling a mini-van with Crest toothpaste...least-ways I don't think she did. <sigh> I wish Annemarie and Heather and Bill were still here...I miss them.

Anyway...so there was a TV show about this couponing stuff ? Is it still on ? I gotta see this stuff in action.

Bev, sorry, I didn't mean to offend; saving money is obviously something anyone can enjoy.

I was replying to the thread about extreme couponing, not using some occasionally to get a good deal. That is, people who treat it as a job. My neighbor easily does this 20 hours or more a week. That's about the same amount of time I work in my own business. To me, that's a big waste of a doctoral degree. It's the equivalent of you as an RN or the physician you work with using coupons INSTEAD of practicing medicine. If they want to do that, fine, and I hope they enjoy it; it just seems like a waste. Sorry I wasn't clear.

Not offended and I totally agree with the idea of the person who devotes their life to it ...something is wrong...I just like to make a game of it from time to time and using the forum I let the others do the work for me

I guess I had no idea -that- kinda stuff went on.

viewforum.php?f=16

Well...Bless her heart, I'm pretty sure Annemarie was just passing that stuff along as a public service of sorts...I never got the impression she was actually filling a mini-van with Crest toothpaste...least-ways I don't think she did. <sigh> I wish Annemarie and Heather and Bill were still here...I miss them.

Anyway...so there was a TV show about this couponing stuff ? Is it still on ? I gotta see this stuff in action.

Here you go, Steve. http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/extreme-couponing/
( Viewer Alert: Be warned- it's really scary....).

Deb

Here you go, Steve. http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/extreme-couponing/
( Viewer Alert: Be warned- it's really scary....).

Deb

Whoaaaaaaaaa...That's some scary stuff. I had no idea.

Now erase it from your mind. Be careful what you ask for next time....

Deb

Now erase it from your mind. Be careful what you ask for next time....

Deb

Earse it my butt...I think I'm scarred for life. That one cougar/lady looked like she'd kill ya over a free box of Rice Crispies. Day-um...those are some pretty intense individuals.