Extreme Couponing Vol. NT Soccer Moms, Please Enter

[ghenges]

So I was at Target the other day and this lady in front of me had a cart load of groceries and came up to about $70.  After the cashier said the total she handed over a handful of coupons and then her total came down to like $20 and some change. I was like 

and she was like

 

 

. 

I want to be like her.  Anybody coupon? Know any sites/methods that give out deals?

\

 

[cwrite78]

what happened to minimalism?

that went out the window quickly

 

[sniper]

Haha! I do the whole coupon thing. However, my ex is really into now where she saves upwards of $100+ on her shopping each time while mine is typically around $30+. I use the coupons from the Sunday paper, but she goes all out and uses those as well as coupons directly from the manufacturer and some online sources where you can print them out...

 

[ps2child]

Man I tried to mess with it but too much of a hassle imo.  Watched the show on tv though. Them joints make out with $500 worth of groceries for $80 and stuff. If anyone gets down like that, please share the knowledge.

 

[balloonoboy]

Krazycouponlady.com

Basically get the Sunday paper (buy at least 3) and keep all that junk mail you get, know your store's policy on couponing - if they double and up to how much, start using your store's card - some have deals you can add on your card from the site.

It's going to take you a good 2-3 months to see significant savings, since you haven't yet amassed a stockpile of coupons, and stores mark down weekly and these ladies scout the stores and their insets days in advance just to make sure they get the maximum amount of savings with that one trip.

Happy couponing.

 

[luong1209]

Since you're referring to Target...They often have those $5 back when you buy certain items such as paper towels.

So if you buy them 4x SEPARATELY, you'll have $20. Use that $20 on whatever you're looking to buy. Also check your local Sunday paper, there are TONS of coupons in there.

 

[ghenges]

Originally Posted by CWrite78

what happened to minimalism?

that went out the window quickly

Umm what are you talking about?

Couponing = saving money = living frugally = minimalism.

 

[night marcher01]

My girl is actually starting this. My sister and the TV show influenced her.

At first I was like

then when I watched the TV show and saw a lady buy $2000 worth of groceries and ended up only paying $25 I was like

"Yes baby, I support you! Do your thang

"

So far I been helping her out by giving her the newspaper (I get them every night for free at my work) then she collects them and uses it when we need supplies.

Actually just a few days ago she went to CVS, Walgreens and Wal-Mart and bought over $120 worth of stuffs (saw the receipt) and in the end, she ended up only spending just over 30 bucks.

 

[ghenges]

Originally Posted by Luong1209

Since you're referring to Target...They often have those $5 back when you buy certain items such as paper towels.

So if you buy them 4x SEPARATELY, you'll have $20. Use that $20 on whatever you're looking to buy. Also check your local Sunday paper, there are TONS of coupons in there.

Yea I buy all my groceries with my Target card and they take an extra 5% off the total bill. 

The one thing I have down are Busy Bone dog treats.

Reg prices is 2.94 cents per pack. Target has them 3pks for $8. On top of that I have the manufacture coupon for $1 off each then minus 5% for using my card.  I end up paying around $1.60 per pack. 

 

[dman14]

my boy started doing this. he gets his lunch for really cheap or free sometimes, lol.

 

[luong1209]

Ghenges, also look into Walgreens. I worked there for a year and a half, lots can be saved (as well as other retail  stores).

Here's the most recent example:

- I bought $8 contact solution. I get $8 coupon back, good on anything in the store (excludes prescription, alcohol, smokes).
- I use that coupon and buy necessities such as food, tissue, milk, etc etc.

Also, check out sites where you get the manufac. coupons. I'll be doing this on my own when I move out. To hell with what others think

.

 

[kramer]

Ill just never understand the whole extreme couponing thing, takes a lot of dedication and storage space seems like

 

[limonyfresh]

Some people tried to use a BOGO + 50% off coupon at the local Target and got the

 

[essential1]

To much of a hassle and effort for me to every seriously think about doing this..

 

[skateboard]

Most of the people on the show are fat soccer-moms. They use the coupons to buy cookies, soda, chips, etc. Mostly unhealthy foods. But hey, if you can save a buck, go for it.

 

[supersaiyan415]

from watching a few episodes it seems like working a full-time job but using all that money on groceries

 

[ghenges]

It's addicting..and like a game.


I haven't watched the show but it is a bit misleading from what I hear. Those people will buy ANYTHING on sale or at a discount including stuff they don't want/need. So if they pay $20 for $200 worth of groceries, sure it looks impressive but...what's the point of they don't use 80% of the stuff they bought?


I'm looking to save on stuff I use.

 

[balloonoboy]

They will buy anything on sale, but it's a method to their madness.

And plus sometimes you have to spend a minimum amount to have the discount apply, so they use cheap filler items to meet the quota.

There was one couple that did it all for the troops/Salvation Army. That's love.

 

[wallyhopp]

Beware. Many are straight scamming companies with SKUs and coupons that shouldnt work that in fact do work.. Some say if the computer picks on it, its all good. They change stuff around, pasting one coupon onto others...

Not one place around my way doubles, triples, allows doubles..

Where are some of yall shopping?

 

[uptownsdotnetstacky]

I need manufacturer coupons

 

[Kev93]

I don't think there is anything wrong with couponing. I mean they are in circulation for a reason right? To take advantage of the savings for a certain item. But when you start to do it compulsively for thrills, you should chill.
But definitely end up with some savings next grocery store trip on snacks.detergent, and hygienic items.

 

[calibeebee]

These people make my life a living hell. I work in a grocery store and long story short, it makes my job very difficult. Glad people are saving money but at the same time I wish to christ I didn't have to deal with the mess it makes for me

 

[the nomad]

You could say Jonathan Hood's mail-in-rebate addiction began before he was even old enough to drive. 

Ten years ago, at age 15, Hood tagged along with his father on a mission to score Black Friday deals on a few video games. 

"My dad kind of got me hooked," he told Business Insider. "We stood in line early in the morning and I found out then I could get the games I wanted for either really cheap or for free [with mail-in-rebates]." 

Over the next eight years, he would perfect the craft to the point where he could cover his $95/month cell phone bill exclusively with rebates. 

Most companies send rebates in the form of prepaid debit cards  while about a third use cash or checks, he said. Almost all the rebates Hood uses are "free-after-rebate" offers, which means he's refunded the full amount.

"I haven't made a payment on my T-Mobile  bill without using a rebate debit card for probably two years now."

But it was a month ago that he achieved his greatest feat so far: Using rebates to cover almost a semester's worth of tuition at Auburn University, where he's studying for his PhD.

"Tuition for this semester was $4,500," he said. "I paid over $2,500 of it with prepaid debit cards [from rebates] and a little over $1,000 of it with rebate checks." 

He estimates he entered between 200 and 250 prepaid debit cards into the University's online bill pay system. After all the rebates were counted, he was left with less than $1,000 to pay out of pocket. 

"On a weekday, I usually have about two or three debit cards or rebate checks coming in," he said. "[Stores] usually have at least one item come up online that's free with a rebate, usually two or three. I'll purchase the item, save the UPC code and mail it in with the receipt." 

He shops exclusively online, trolling message boards on deals site Fatwallet.com  to find rebate offers he may have missed. It was tips from Fatwallet members that led him to deals at Newegg.com  and Frys.com  that helped cover his tuition.   

There's nothing speedy about the process. It takes as many as four and a half months before he even sees a rebate, and some companies have strict guidelines for rebate submissions. Forget to circle the proper item on your receipt in some cases and you could instantly be denied.

"I've only ever lost one rebate," he said. "The company went out of business." 

Hood, who works full-time as a computer programmer, developed a special computer program to track outstanding rebates and alert him when they are past due. 

Over the years, he has purchased Bluetooth headsets, laptop accessories, and other gadgets. To sweeten the deal, he uses a cash-back credit card to earn an extra 2 percent back on his initial purchase as well. Once he has purchased the items and mails in his rebate form, he often sells the product online to make extra cash. In some cases, he donates items to his church.

Here's how the math adds up, per Hood's calculations:

"My average rebate takes 11 minutes to fill out and cash, and is for $40. My envelopes and pens were free after rebate, so their cost is negligible. For this $40 rebate, I use a 2% cash-back credit card to purchase the item ($0.80 profit) and receive anywhere from 0-5% using FatCash from Fatwallet or a similar service. Stamp price is $0.45. Then, I turn around and sell the item on eBay  for an average profit of $11.91 after shipping and taxes per item."

With this semester's tuition paid off and no outstanding student loans to worry about, he's already started stockpiling another fund to cover next year's expenses. 

"Currently, [the fund] has $160 in it, but it will probably grow quite a bit in the next couple of days," he said. "I'm expecting about $600 more in rebates." 

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/a-ge...ely-with-mail-in-rebates-2012-9#ixzz29Hh0YNFJ

Reading and UNDERSTANDING the fine print is fundamental.

 

 

[Bert.]

It's addicting..and like a game.



I haven't watched the show but it is a bit misleading from what I hear. Those people will buy ANYTHING on sale or at a discount including stuff they don't want/need. So if they pay $20 for $200 worth of groceries, sure it looks impressive but...what's the point of they don't use 80% of the stuff they bought?



I'm looking to save on stuff I use.

exactly, they buy useless stuff for the sake of saving 90%.

i want to do it but seems like they dont have coupons for most of the stuff i buy ive been telling my mom to get the sunday paper to get coupons and save but she doesnt care

 

[illfrozn]

Yes, sometimes they purchase items that they do not necessarily NEED or want, but a lot of times, those things are given away to family and/or donated. Nothing wrong with that ...