I used to be really intrigued by these shows, but yesterday it kind of disgusted me. Such greed, hoarding and gluttony! So many of these people had no regard for the fact that others may come to shop for product too - they just wiped the shelves clean.
Rooms just brimming with products - that could not possibly be used before it became stale or flat (not to mention rodents or bugs in garages and sheds).
I remember watching a women once that had thousands of dollars worth of groceries she had paid next to zero for - but she was going to move from the mainland to Hawaii and MOVE IT ALL! WHAT?????? It costs me a small fortune to mail a small package across the country - let alone moving hundreds or thousands of pounds of groceries either by plane or ship!!!!! I also wondered if many items would even be allowed. CRAZY!!
I used to be a great couponer myself. I got super deals when stores doubled coupons. I would match with sales and get lots of stuff for pennies or free. Most of what I got was health and beauty, pet products, soups, and canned veggies and fruit.
Very seldom do we have coupons in this area for meat - and then it is hotdogs, sausage or bacon.
NO STORES here double any longer at all!
I rarely use a coupon now, except for certain pet food and maybe hair dye. That's about it. Most coupons we get are for highly processed items.
My personal best checkout was a local grocery who had a 2 day triple coupon event. You could triple 5 like coupons with a face value up to .75. There was no limit to how many coupons. I cleaned up that weekend. I got so much cat food and canned goods and soap, dish and laundry soup and shampoo. I think my best checkout was something like $146 for a total of $8 and change OOP.
I was a good shopper and didn't wipe out shelves, and I did visit different stores. I think I did 3 different orders over 2 days got several hundred dollars worth of goods for about $40 or less.
I was a happy shopper.
That was probably one of my last Hoorahs in couponing!!!!!
I read on FB about people saying they still do this. I just don't get it. No stores double ANY coupons here. I guess there must be places that still do.
I also don't consider mail in rebates or gas points as money off my groceries. I have to spend the money - mail in a rebate - then get money back at a later date. It will save me in the future - but it saved NOTHING today. Gas is gas - not groceries.
Instant rebates happen once in a while and those are nice. I get them most often at Sam's. That is a discount at the time of purchase.
Today, my logic is different than it was several years ago. I look for clearance, mark-downs, and sales that I use a coupon with. No trying to extreme coupon here - it just can't happen.
I guess we can all reminisce about those great couponing days of old.
Do you have any stores that double coupons still? Do you use many coupons?
You hit the nail on the head, Cheryl. I look at some of those stockpiles and think to myself that there is no way they could eat all that (insert food item) before it goes stale.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is the couponer now and even she isn't couponing very much anymore. She was not a shelf clearer though. She would rather make multiple trips to the store only getting one or two items rather than appear at the cash register looking like she cleared out the place.
Ingle's and Piggly Wiggly still double here, but I would have to drive farther to get to those stores and I don't want to drive that far for groceries and those two stores don't have the best sales for me. I believe the coupon days of old are gone too. I'm like you, I shop the sales first and rarely coupon these days.
I am glad to hear there are still some that double - that is great. I would probably do some again, if that were so here.
DeleteI agree, no since driving extra far, to save a few cents. it would just even out, and no real savings.
Good for your daughter!!!
I use some coupons but nowhere near extreme. I think I use more store load to card coupons than paper coupons and those are at Dollar General and a military commissary.
ReplyDeleteI’ve tried to belong to some of the couponing groups on Facebook. But many of them are very unethical. They promote the coupons that will scan on items they aren’t intended- like using a high value diaper coupon on a package of wipes made by the same company. They often scan at self checkouts and then they use the overage for other things.
Stuff like that will ruin all couponing for everyone.
I do so much of my shopping at Aldi and Dollar Tree now,
I rarely do deals at CVS now as I did so many in the past, I am just stocked up on those things. When things start to run out, I may go back to it, but I may not.
I abhor those that do the unethical stuff. If you can't get a deal the legit way - then you shouldn't get a deal at all.
DeleteOur Dollar Tree takes coupons now - but I don't think you can get anything FREE.
CVS wears me out - you really have to work at it. I just don't have that much excess energy!!!! LOL
The show Extreme Couponing ruined it for everyone I believe.
I forgot to say that these couponers have a cute name for fraudulently using the wrong coupon even though it will scan “glittering”
DeleteSo if you ever see someone posting about glittering and they aren’t crafting, that’s what they mean.
Ridiculous and so wrong
I shop the deals/sales. If I happen to have a coupon for an item, that is an added bonus -- if not that's okay too. All stores here, except for Hannaford's, double coupons. A long time ago (15 years or so) we had triple coupons once or twice a year, but no more.
ReplyDeleteI call all that gluttony hoarding -- not extreme couponing. Its ridiculous!
WOW Mary you are lucky to still have doubling going on as well. That is neat.
DeleteSame here - just the deals - if a coupon comes along ok.
Gluttony & hoarding in my book too!
I use to use coupons and was able to get some great deals. I think those extreme coupon shows opened the eyes of stores and food companies. I love a good deal, but I was disgusted by what I saw on the show. Really, who thinks it's okay to "purchase" 100 boxes of cereal and only pay a couple of dollars. Ridiculous plus it ruined coupon shopping for everyone else.
ReplyDeleteMeijer will send coupons every couple of months and it usually contains a coupon for a free item. I do most of my pantry building through loss leaders and clearance.
That is how I build my pantry as well and with clearance sales and manager mark downs. I mean who doesn't love a good deal? But enough is enough! Also gardening and canning.
DeleteNo way someone's family could eat a 100 boxes of cereal before it got stale!
Yes Mam, they ruined it for everyone!
My stores never allowed more than 3 coupons per item so there was no shelf clearing unless there were only 3 left lol. I think my best deals were on toiletries and paper products. I shared my loot with my mom. But it's been nearly 15 yrs. since those deals. Now, I'm content with 50¢ toothpaste cuz that's as good as it gets with very little competition.
ReplyDeleteWow, that was pretty strict on store policy - but only fair so all people could get product.
DeleteI totally understand - a cheap deal now is a find and makes me excited.
We just do what we have to, to stay frugal now.
we've gone into those websites that offer hundreds of grocery coupons you can print off on your computer. Don't do it anymore because most of the stuff on there is for items we don't use. Is is worth spending all that time just to get a 25 cent coupon for Bounty paper towels?
ReplyDeleteThe only grocery in our nearest town does still double coupons to 50 cents. And they give a 4% senior discount on Tuesdays, so that's when I go. Overall, their prices are mostly higher than Walmart, but I only go to walmart when I absolutely have to. There is a Dollar General in that town also, but I only go there when absolutely necessary also.
I NOT thrilled with shopping - PERIOD!! Yes, I'm a female - my husband LOVES to shop. This kind of relationship can cause an argument now and then!
Many of the stores around here will not accept home printed coupons. If it isn't from a flier or blinky they won't take them.
DeleteI love to grocery shop - just much on shopping for other stuff. That's funny - maybe you should assign him to grocery shopping duty!
All I can say is you so blessed to get those Aldi coupons. There isn't one store left that doubles so I just watch for good deals. We eat better too.
ReplyDeleteThat was coupons for last fall - didn't mean to mislead. We get them each fall before the holidays!!
DeleteSame here. No doubling - just closely watch for deals!
I know a woman who was on that show that had 9 people under 19 living in her house (hers, his, ours and someone else's.) She did use the stockpile and also helped family and friends who needed help. But I completely know what you mean. Plus she has told me that the show shop was not a "regular" shop. Yes she left with a hundred dollars worth of stuff for less then 10, but usually didn't do that well.
ReplyDeleteI am sure there were large families that really did use the items. I also saw a couple shows where they did the huge shops and donated it all to food pantries and church pantries. Those were wonderful.
Deletethere is always a n exception to anything. There are many big families that consume a lot. It just seemed like most of the people they showed were hoarders of sorts.
Glad to hear that what we saw on the show wasn't normal!
Hi! Like you I find that most coupons are for food we don't eat. Nancy
ReplyDeleteYep. I use very few any more.
DeleteCheryl, you know about some of my great deals on pull-ups, and toilet paper already from year's past. Those couponing days are gone. I don't do the electronic ones - Ibotta, or Check 51 or others, and the newpapers sure don't have good coupons like they used to. My best coupon now is for Nexium (usually a short dated $5 off). If CVS has it on sale or is offering $5 in Extra Care Bucks, then I will get it there, and the savings is worth it. If not, I will get it at the grocery store for a slightly lower price to start with. But I continue to look everywhere for the lowest price. I picked up 8 rolls of 1000 sheet Scott toilet paper for $5 at Goodwill one day. Don't know that there will ever be anymore tp there again, but I will look.Have a great day, Norma
ReplyDeleteNorma we have all had our great deal days. You did get a lot of great stuff at one time.
DeleteYes, you can watch the ads and use high dollar coupons and do well. I find that with CVS I just don't want to take the time to play the games.
It shouldn't have to be so hard to save a buck!!!!
Who would have thought to look for TP at Goodwill? That is a find.
Sadly the great days of couponing are probably gone forever, because 'some' folks got greedy. It is a shame.
I'm to the point now in my stockpiling life that I buy when things are on sale and plan menus around what I have. For example- this past week all I bought was the deal at Kroger for butter ( limit 5) for $1.99 each. They are normally $4.19. So I bought five to throw in the freezer. Everything else for the week is coming from the garden, freezer, pantry etc. A few weeks ago there was a sale rice at Kroger that ended up being .49 cents a bag.I bought 5 bags. I still have to buy milk almost weekly but besides that it varies based on on sales and some weeks I don't go at all.
ReplyDelete