Thursday, April 7, 2011

Extreme Couponing

Do I endorse Extreme Couponing?
If you opt to be an Extreme Couponer I won't condemn you for it... I completely endorse the determination of a family that goes to EXTREMES to help themselves.  I consider myself an extreme couponer.  To save the kind of money that I save (and it's ALOT) how could I not consider myself to be an extreme couponer.  I'm not looking to pay retail... I'm not looking to save 50% on my grocery bill anymore ~ I'm looking to save 80%, 90% or more and quite frankly there would be times that we would go without if I didn't have that mentality.  From a different perspective ~ I am completely comfortable with a $200 return on a $20 investment.    

I think of laundry detergent... money spent on laundry detergent is money that goes "down the drain".  Of course I want clean clothes for myself and my family.  However, I don't want to spend upwards of $20 on a large bottle of Tide laundry detergent.  That $20 is money that I could be using toward something more meaningful... such as paying down my debt... that $20 is money I could turn into $200 with a little imagination.

I feel like there's a very important tid bit of information that's left out of the TV series Extreme Couponing AND left out of the online conversations about it.  I think the Extreme Couponers featured are practicing a method that I frequently use... that method is purchasing items that may not be wanted, needed or used...  I often "buy" things that I may not want, need or use in my household.  It's a part of what I do to utilize the coupons to their fullest potential.  It doesn't mean that I'm doing something fraudulent nor does it mean that those items go to waste...  it means that I'm going to the EXTREME.  I'm taking it beyond 1 or 2 coupons it means that I'm utilizing every resource available to me...  

For Example:  (This is an example of an old sale)
Some of you may remember me posting a picture a a gazillion Butterfinger candy bars that I acquired for FREE... Let me tell you the story behind the candy bars...

They were on sale at Rite Aid 2/$1.  I had almost 40 coupons for $1/2.  The sale at Rite Aid was similar to the sale that they're advertising now ~ spend $20 on (specified) candy and get $10 +UP Rewards.  I used ALL 40 of MY COUPONS... making the candy bars COMPLETELY FREE... there was NO OOP (out of pocket) expense.  I received $20 in +UP Rewards... Essentially, Rite Aid paid me $20 to "purchase" Butterfinger's...  

Did I need that many butterfinger's?  No, I didn't.  Did I need the laundry soap that I bought with the $20 +UP Rewards?  Yes, I did... and if I had the opportunity to do it again, I would.

With that said, I'm compelled to relay that not a single candy bar went to waste... I shared with my friends, I shared with my family... and right now ~ with our economy in the state it is in and the uncertainty I feel that comes along with the fragile state of the economy ~ I consider myself pretty damn lucky to have the knowledge and ability to be able to utilize my coupons to benefit my family and the families around me.  Not to mention, I'm thankful EVERY SINGLE DAY that I'm not standing in the line at social services looking for a place to live.    

To maintain my desired percentage of saving's I need those OVERAGES (such as FREE Laundry Detergent) to make up for the meat, vegetable & fruit items that I can't find coupons for.



Do I have a stockpile?
You betcha.  I have a stockpile of canned goods, paper towels, dishsoap, laundry detergent, deodorant, body wash, shampoo, pasta, pasta sauce, tuna fish, etc. and I'll continue to grow and build my stockpile.  That is a personal decision.... a decision that I am comfortable with and a decision that my family is comfortable with. 

Is my stockpile overtaking my house?
Not yet but it's getting pretty cluttered in my office and when I look around it makes me smile.  I smile because I know that during times like this... SPRING BREAKUP (logging family terminology)... when it's raining outside and the ground is saturated so bad that my husband can't get into the woods to drag logs... I won't run out of dish soap... I may come close to depleting my stockpile... but before I run out completely... we'll have time to figure something out.           

I have my reasons...
Just as those featured on Extreme Couponing have their reasons for stockpiling I have reasons.  Life has become HARD... I'm often reminded of the days when I could walk through the grocery store without putting much thought or consideration into what I was throwing in my shopping cart... right on the heels of that memory is the memory of the time I ran out of dish soap and didn't have a nickel, a pop can or a bit of change to go buy a bottle.  The BIG worries that take over my mind at night are bad enough... it's the small worries that compound the bigger stresses... We've all had them ~ we all have them... and somehow it just takes the smallest, tiniest or minute thing to make the whole ball of yarn unravel... the small worries that push you over the edge.  That's why I stockpile... there may be things in my life that are uncontrollable but running out of dish soap isn't going to be one of them.   

Extreme Couponing isn't for everyone.  It is alot of work and it does take a lot of time and dedication.  The word "obsession" has been thrown around quite a bit in the last 24 hours (referring to Extreme Couponing)... If it is an obsession... so be it.  My obsession helped one of my very dear friends today.... she stopped by my house... she doesn't have a nickel to her name after paying her car & mortgage... she has no money for those very basic household items... she needed laundry soap, body wash, shampoo & deodorant.  My "obsession" will help her make it through the next week until she's paid again...  My obsession didn't fix her long term need but it gave her one less thing to worry about when she lays her head on the pillow tonight. 

What are your views on Extreme Couponing?   

6 comments:

  1. That was very well put Brandy... You know my stand on the show Extreme Couponing but the more I think about it the show is different than the life of an Extreme Couponer. (hopefully that makes sense) The "show" is just that and this is our lifes and life styles whether they where chosen out of nessesity or prefrence. I completely understood when you bought those candy bars and would have done the same thing, of course I will take someting out of the store if there is overage or they are going to give me money to buy the things that don't have coupons. Like you said above. Very well put and I for one am proud to learn, share, and help others with you! Tasha

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  2. I think I need a spell checker, lol sorry :)

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  3. WELL I DON'T CARE WHO LIKES IT, AND WHO DON'T. I AM GREATFUL FOR ALL THE WORK YOU PUT INTO IT, DON'T THINK I DIDN'T GO TO BED THE OTHER NIGHT AFTER WE WENT SHOPPING, WITH A SMILE ON MY FACE, WHEN MY TOTAL WAS $500.00 AND AFTER COUPONS....$150.00 WHO THE HELL WOULDN'T WANNA DO THAT, AND IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU, I WOULDN'T BE WHERE I AM, I AM THANKFUL. AND TO PEOPLE THAT ARE ABLE TO GET FOODSTAMPS MAYBE THEY SHOULD BE DOING IT.
    I KNOW I AM NOT GOOD AT PUTTING EVERYTHING TOGETHER, BUT I SURE AS HELL WILL KEEP BUYING ALL THOSE PAPERS, I WILL STILL LOOK THROUGH MAGAZINES I WILL GRAB ANY COUPON THAT I CAN FIND. I KNOW IF ANYTHING HAPPENED TO MY HUSBAND AND HE COULDN'T GO TO WORK, WE ARE STILL GOING TO EAT, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE CLEAN CLOTHES AND WE WILL BE CLEAN. BY THE WAY ANYONE THAT THINKS ITS IGNORANT, WELL YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT THAT.....KEEP THE COUPONS AND THE SALES COMIN....BTW SOMEONE THREW I CONTAINER IN MY YARD TODAY FROM CROSBY, WELL TO WHOEVER THOUGHT THE NEED TO LITTER IN MY YARD...THANK YOU IT HAD A $2.00 COUPON OFF A TRAY PIZZA...LOL
    THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK DAUGHTER
    I LOVE YOU !!

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  4. ok where the heck is th 'LIKE ' button here ?? lol .. after thinking about the REAL things that i was upset about OR DISAGREE WITH i have to have to correct a few of my comments .. My problem actually lies with the ppl ... not the extreme use of coupons or buying what not needed to get what you need cheaper ( bc i do that too ) but actually the ppl that their stockpiles are SO LARGE that it will take them 5 yrs. to put a dent in it , butthey keep going AND BUYING THE SAME PRODUCTS just bc they can .. just bcthey want thathigh of saving 98 to 100 % .. i just wish they would try the HIGH of seeing some one else in need smile and truly be grateful when you offer them enough supplies and food to get them by for a few weeks ( some of those ppl could help another family for a yr and not put a dent in their stockpile .. i mean why wouldnt they if they still keep buying the same products every week .. ) example .. the lady that had to buy all 71 bottles of mustard at .30 each bc it was a good deal , even after her husband said " i dont eat it .. " he wanted to leave some on the shelf bc he knew they didnt need it all but she didnt want to .. it wasnt a product that was free or made her money , and it was something she didnt use much of at all , shegave off the impression that she didnt donate or help anyone ,( so i am confused as to why she had to have so many , she pd around .30 each for something that she didnt use much of ..) she just had to have the deal and the stockpile it was her high . . i am not trying to judge , or be negative in any way , and i know everyone has their own ways and reasons , ijust got upset with the greedy or selfish ppl , not the fact or the ways they used coupons .. (lord knows i love to coupon shop and will often end up with things i dont need or use just bc the coupon made me money , and often times i willbuy in quanities things i dont use if they r free JUST bc they r free and i know some one will use them , it gives me a chance to help some ne else with out taking muc more than a couple dollars away from my family .. that is my favorite thing and my " obession " ( as some call it ) with couponing .. so i guess i should try to not be so quck to judge th ones that just keep it ALL and keep buying just to buy .. and instead pray for them , that someday they will find the HIGH in helping friends , family , and neighbors .. ( i wold probably have to move out of my house if i kept everything i bought with my trips couponing since 2008 lol .. ( i actuallywas able to quit for a yr and half and the only things i ran out of was tp , pp , and got down to 2 bottles of dishsoap.. :) .. so i am sorryif i came across like i was against EXTREME couponing bc i absolutely am not , i should have thought about what was really bugging me about the show b4 iposted .. ( it wasnt the show , or the extreme use of coupons after all it was just selfish ppl .. ) lol ... faith ..

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  5. i too need a spell checker tasha ! lol .. sorry .. i hope that was understood, i was not talking about any of us here on our group being selfish , it just came across that way to me with a few on the tv show .. ( if i could have a room like theirs i would , and i would love it bc i would have a room for fiends to go through :) lol .. faith

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  6. LOVE THE FEED BACK GUYS!

    I think the FOCUS of the show is THAT IF YOU are an EXTREME couponer you can get away with paying little or NOTHING for household items ie: groceries, cleaning supplies, etc. ~ The intent of the show isn't to portray the hardships & the struggles it takes to get to the point of becoming an extreme couponer... I think that'd have to be a different show entirely.

    All of us that are lucky enough to have the know how to save that kind of money on our grocery bills know how time consuming & how much initiative it takes to build a stock pile (like the one's featured on the show)... it doesn't happen overnight... we're ALL PROUD of our stockpiles no matter how large or small... we all get that high or rush at the register... oh crap ~ I don't have $300 with me... and secretly we're all saying (hopefully to ourselves cause if not I'm pretty sure the cashier is just scared and wants us the hell out of the store) please let me calculations be correct please let my calculations be correct...

    There is ALOT of information left out of the show... how many times have we all added "fillers" to get our purchase to $25 at the DG? We don't know the underlying reason for the mustard... Was it a filler... did the wife know that and just blow it off because it was something she didn't have time to or know how to express... or was that part cut... you know how we can give our husband's that... "listen I'm the wife, I've got this under control, Iknow what I'm done tone and look"... esp. if we know there are other people watching. The husbster's know when to follow our leads by our body language...

    There isn't any question that TLC isn't doing a very good job at teaching people how to coupon... but I don't think that was the intention for the show anyway...

    As far as the stockpile's featured on the show... who knows, maybe they do give some of it to friends and family... again, those things weren't really highlighted alot... BUT, on the other hand... do you think any of your friends/family would show up and ask for a loaf of bread if TLC was at your house filming your stockpile? I'm not sure mine would.

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