People, Extreme Couponing is AMERICAN

[PinkLincoln]

I'm noticing that also, I started going to metro/sobeys at like 3-5am in hopes they would be restocked. I'm the same way, I only take the few I would need, sometimes a few extra for my grams who doesn't get out much, I end up mailing alot to her. I used to be able to come home with PILES of different coupons before the show started up, now I'm lucky if I can get 2 different kinds I find many, many tearpads.. All empty

[love2travel]

I used to coupon years ago..by using coupons from save.ca...but I stopped....I am now on mat leave therefor my income is dramatically less and my husband reminded me of when I used to order coupons so I started again....
As a new couponer I am thankful for the show as I learned how to coupon to actually save money...I know a lot of people will jump and say I could have learned abt combining sales and coupon, abt getting organised and paying attention to different store sales from reading what people here post....well they are right, however I would have never found this site if it would not have been for the show that gave me the idea to try to search for other websites that give coupons and stumbled into this....
Do I agree with what everyone on that show does?...no, not really...there is a limit, however u have to set your own limit....if someone buys 20 of a kind does not mean necessarily they are just doing it because of the show....u do not know how large of a family they have or if they shop for multiple household (some people do still shop for elderly that can not go out and do it themself)....

Plus the show is called EXTREME Couponing....

abt the coupons on the tearpads...I notice a lot of them since the show started and in different stores that did not carry them last year..the lack of them may just be because more people are taking not because one person is taking them all...and if u go early in the morning be sure u are not the only one that had that idea.....

[mrsfd]

I don't know about everyone else, but I was raised with the idea that purchasing things you NEED when they were on sale was smart money management. Why would you NOT buy laundry soap or toilet paper now, on sale, when you know you will need it down the road..........
Buying 100 bottles of mustard, when your partner doesn't like it, just because you get it real cheap is just.....well...stupid!
I work for a living and value the money I make. i try and be responsible with that money and if it means "stocking up" on body wash when it's on sale just makes sense.
My mother canned and froze food thruout the year. in fact she still does. Does that sound stupid? We eat it. When I want pickles, she's got them.
Thruout centuries people put things by, for leaner times ahead. Put something by for a rainy day..... Get shampoo now for $1, not later when it's $5! If I end up with 5- 1 bottles, who cares?
That's probably why people are in so much debt...Buy a bigger house NOW or a nicer car NOW, why not? BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO SAVINGS!!!!!!

Just because you can...Does not mean you should.

Were all different. Whats good for me (My little stockpile), does not hurt anyone... To me it just makes sense / cents. Look after the pennies and the dollars look after themselves...

(Can I use anymore sayings)

[dougal]

I'm always on the lookout for fellow couponers in the aisles looking through their binders or coupon wallets and unless they look pretty intense I'll say something about those 'crazy couponers' and flash my binder with a smile. And it's usually a pretty good convo starter in line up when people always ask- " Do you watch that show on TLC..." ohhhh yaaahhh. I actually met a fellow Smart Canuck in the granola bar aisle at WallyWorld as we sifted through our coupons and shared some websites. Never did get her name, but I know she's on here

[Lil*Mama89]

I am an aggressive couponer but a very timid shopper

hahah I am the same way I've only recently started couponing and I have tons!! But I havent used any yet, but I will soon! I just like to compare prices around before I do my purchases to get the best deal possible.

[Sanrio]

coupon pads are mostly empty. Cashiers are taking much longer time to reading coupons than before. More importantly, it's hard to use coupons now. More and more interesting rules/policies now than before.

[Jeckyla]

I think there are ups and downs to the show. I am a newbie, I'll admit that fully. I saw the show and thought "I wonder what I can do up here in Canada", and thats how I stumbled onto this awesome site

I instantly felt bad. Lots of people on here don't like the show and don't like the attention it's brought to couponing. I completly understand that. Especially the verteran couponers (lol) who have been flying under the radar for years. I feel like being new labels me as someone who saw the show and wants a piece of the savings. I only wish I had started doing this years ago when my first was just a wee baby. To think of all the money I would have saved on diapers and wipes makes me want to pull out my hair!! I also felt bad to find out that companies (like P&G) have changed coupon wording because of the extra attention brought on by the show.

At the same time I am so happy to have discovered coupons. I have always loved saving money and getting a good deal. I meal plan and read fliers for the week to save as much as I can. Now I feel like I am saving even more. I spend a few pennies per laundry load and it feels great. I can save money and put things away for when times get hard. I feel like I have bought insurance for a few bucks.
Thank you SC for being as gracious as you have been to all the newbies flooding in. I <3 you guys!

[NeonTulie]

I agree with you... Ive been couponing for the last 15 years and now since the show Im spotted with a spot light and a red bullseye... The coupon pads are almost always empty now and harder to find ones that you KNOW should be there... The soberys near my house is open 24/7 so I go into the night and pick up what I can find if any... then I ask if the coupons are being replaced... most of the time they just havnt gotten to it yet. I have however had to drive to a few different shops in completely different areas in order to find coupons I knew where out there... sad thing is I'm seeing people take the coupons right off the bottle of juice and stuff and not just 1 or 2 their take what they can grab as fast as they can... Gives us all a REALLY bad name if you ask me. Its called being considerate and abiding by the written and unwritten rules of life. My daughters have grown up with couponing and when they help find coupons even THEY know not to touch the ones actually ON the items not unless were buying it. Its really sad and if people keep abusing our sytem were not going to have the privelidge anymore.

Consideration and moderation people... we will never get to pay $0 for all our groceries...

[Xirena]

I don't know about everyone else, but I was raised with the idea that purchasing things you NEED when they were on sale was smart money management. Why would you NOT buy laundry soap or toilet paper now, on sale, when you know you will need it down the road..........
Buying 100 bottles of mustard, when your partner doesn't like it, just because you get it real cheap is just.....well...stupid!
I work for a living and value the money I make. i try and be responsible with that money and if it means "stocking up" on body wash when it's on sale just makes sense.
My mother canned and froze food thruout the year. in fact she still does. Does that sound stupid? We eat it. When I want pickles, she's got them.
Thruout centuries people put things by, for leaner times ahead. Put something by for a rainy day..... Get shampoo now for $1, not later when it's $5! If I end up with 5- 1 bottles, who cares?

That's probably why people are in so much debt...Buy a bigger house NOW or a nicer car NOW, why not? BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO SAVINGS!!!!!!

Just because you can...Does not mean you should.

Were all different. Whats good for me (My little stockpile), does not hurt anyone... To me it just makes sense / cents. Look after the pennies and the dollars look after themselves...

(Can I use anymore sayings)

I agree with you there.

My mom taught me to stock up on things you need that don't expire, like paper and cleaning products, toothpaste and personal care products and (since three out of four family members were female) tampons. Actually I did get a good haul on tampons and liners last month and stocked up enough to last 6 months

I have seen a few episodes of Extreme Couponing here and there and I will admit that I have been more attentive to coupons now. Prior I was just waiting for the sales and paying those prices; never thought of using coupons on a sale price. And I have to say that they do take it to the extreme. Saving money is one thing, but buying something your family is not going to use simply because it's free is wasteful when someone else can have it. I did really like the guy that bought $1000 worth of stuff using coupons and donated it to the US military in Iraq (?). That was very kind of him. But the sisters who bought and stocked up on diapers when neither have kids....I'm sorry but there are a lot of people out there who could use them and can't afford them. And announcing it on TV may make manufacterers rethink their coupon campaigns.

[Xirena]

Oh. I dont know if it's just me and/or I may have missed a fair number of episodes...but I did notice that the majority of the couponers I watched were from Washington state. Did anyone else catch where these people were from? I have a friend who lives in El Paso, TX and she stated that it's almost impossible to extreme where she is because most places there rarely double/triple coupons. I think it might also depend on region as well.

[quebecqueen]

I also have been couponing for years on a smaller scale. When I saw the ORIGINAL show in January I also thought ''let's see what I can do here in Canada''. I did not think it was at all possible to save that much but figured I would give it a shot. Like I said I've been couponing for years but I never found the right way of doing it before the show. Before SC I would use a few coupons at my usual grocery store and save a few bucks here and there.

Then when I discovered SC I found the ''Light''. Using coupons along with specials never dawned on me and SC showed me the ''real'' tricks of couponing. I always checked flyer everyweek and ran after specials but never thought of using my coupons with the specials and never thought of checking online for coupons. SC showed where the coupons where hidding other than store shelves and I leant lots since January.I will never shop the way I use to and never shop without my coupons anymore.

Yes from time to time I get overage on my basket and get to save 80-90$ on a grocery but getting a full basket for free everyweek. Never! Lots of people get the wrong idea form the show and think that we all buy 125 boxes of stomach pills or 1000 boxes of cereal.

I have a pretty big stock pile and am very proud of the savings I've gotten since January. But 1000 boxes of cereal heck no! Shelf clear?? No and No! Those ways are the American ways. Get all you can and leave nothing for your neigbour!

I think that since the show, there has been an increase in couponers but I did not notice anything here in Quebec. I figured that since I am in a very French province not alot of people have seen the show. ( now don't hate me because of my French comment! I know there's lots of Anglophones in Quebec but generally there are wayyy more Francophones than the later).. And just so people don't think I'm against French speaking Quebecer's. I am pure bread 100%French on both parent's sides. I just happened to Marry a Newphy so i speak way more English at home then French..I am just saying that there are more french speaking Quebec residents than English ones..

Just my thoughts..

Edit: I did not want to insult Newfoundlander's as well.. Just in case bashing was on it's way..

[Lunamoth]

I don't know about everyone else, but I was raised with the idea that purchasing things you NEED when they were on sale was smart money management. Why would you NOT buy laundry soap or toilet paper now, on sale, when you know you will need it down the road..........
Buying 100 bottles of mustard, when your partner doesn't like it, just because you get it real cheap is just.....well...stupid!
I work for a living and value the money I make. i try and be responsible with that money and if it means "stocking up" on body wash when it's on sale just makes sense.
My mother canned and froze food thruout the year. in fact she still does. Does that sound stupid? We eat it. When I want pickles, she's got them.
Thruout centuries people put things by, for leaner times ahead. Put something by for a rainy day..... Get shampoo now for $1, not later when it's $5! If I end up with 5- 1 bottles, who cares?
That's probably why people are in so much debt...Buy a bigger house NOW or a nicer car NOW, why not? BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO SAVINGS!!!!!!

Just because you can...Does not mean you should.

Were all different. Whats good for me (My little stockpile), does not hurt anyone... To me it just makes sense / cents. Look after the pennies and the dollars look after themselves...

(Can I use anymore sayings)

I have a small stockpile of things that I know we will use and use before they expire. Bodywash, toilet tissue, paper towel, etc are always stockpiled in my house because I don't see the point in paying full price. We bought fixer-uppers and lived in them while we worked on them, until my little one was born with a disability and time is valuable. We were going to do that until we were at 0 mortgage from the money we made from the sale of each house. We were lucky though and ended up with a monthly mortgage rate lower then the cost of renting a small apartment. The show is called Extreme Couponing and it shows people who are willing to do extreme things for tv. It wouldn't stay on the air very long if it was following people like me and my stockpile. It helps show people like me tricks but also creates questions of "Do you really need 40 bottles of mustard if no one will eat it?". Nothing wrong with a stockpile and saving money but when you need to build a room for your toothpaste like in one show, then maybe a food bank might be a nice place to donate to. Then again it is not my money or house but that is what I would. Everyone is different.

[nettielou]

i've noticed people taking half the coupon pad... today my DH found some coupons and asked me how many we needed, i looked at him in shock and laughed... told him to take 3 never more unless we use alot of the item... i was shocked because he thought the coupon binder was funny... until he saw the savings... he's a fan now... we saved $62 dollars on our $250.00 grocery bill. This was only my first time couponing on this level... yay!

[mrscspit]

So extreme couponing definitely made me realize that you can use coupons, and save money.

I truly had believed before I watched the show that all coupons were for was marketing high priced products. I also believed you could save more money buying the no name brands of everything else.

I am very sorry to the people who have been couponing for a long time, this show will change couponing completely in North America and unfortunately people are greedy, inconsiderate, ignorant and so on....
I also want to thank the people who have been doing this for a long time to shed some light the whole matter.
I've always been frugal but I was also ignorant to use of coupons before (I just didn't think they were worth looking at or using...)

But now I collect and trade and use coupons, and it has already improved my family's life.

I <3 coupons!

(Also, to many it will be a fad, you need to make an effort to use coupons properly)

[glenglen]

hopefully in the future the coupons will be seen as more acceptable than they are now as everyone is using them then we won't have the red light on us,I just hate it when people ask are you an extreme couponer or as one cashier asked me are you one of those ahhhhhhhhhh.