Extreme Couponing for the Average Person

TLC's "Extreme Couponing" premiered last night.  I am really quite intrigued by these people who get hundreds, even thousands of dollars of groceries for close to nothing.  Many of their coupons, when combined with store specials and doubling get them free items.  One lady even claimed the store paid her a dollar per item to take the stuff off the shelf.  They spend hours every week scouring online forums, coupon circulars, & store specials looking for the best deals.  Stockpiles of groceries are stored in their garages & will last them for years.  As inspiring as this is, will couponing really be worth the effort for my family?  Will it make my life simpler?

A few years ago I got bit by the coupon bug.  I subscribed to the Grocery Game, a service that for $5/month did the homework for me.  I just chose my favorite grocery store and they published online what coupons to use with store specials for the week for max savings.  I actually did quite good.  I always recouped my $5 and I think my biggest savings was $50, maybe even $80 in one grocery bill.  I stopped using the service for a couple reasons.  First, I figured out how to do some of it myself.  I go to Vons.  They publish their weekly specials online (we don't get a newspaper).  I would take my coupons (given to me by my parents who do get a newspaper) & compare them with the specials.  I did quite well doing that.  I also stopped because I was finding that the products I was getting the best deals on were not that healthy.  If you want to eat a healthier diet, shop the outside edges of a store, where the fresh produce, meat & bakery items are.  Most of the coupons are for processed foods in the center aisles. 

There are a few other things I have questions about.  I don't know about you, but I haven't found any stores in my area that double coupons.  I think Ralph's used to.  Let us know if you know of any!  Also, I don't know how they are able to use so many coupons at once!  They are buying hundreds of one item with hundreds of coupons.  Some couponers even buy mass quantities of coupons from coupon cutting services!  I just pulled out some coupons from my coupon organizer & they say "limit one coupon per purchase."  Doesn't that mean one per customer or is a purchase considered one item?  I saw a post on a Facebook forum from a lady that said she is elderly (props to her for being tech savvy & using Facebook!), only has Social Security for income & relies on coupon deals to get groceries.  Often when she gets to the store all the product is gone, apparently from the extreme couponers that bought hundreds of the item.  Reminds me of the time I went to Target & was so excited to have coupons in hand to get a free item - I think it was a jar of peanut butter.  It was all gone.  Please, save some for the rest of us!

I still want to save money with coupons.  I don't want to have to get to the store the minute it opens in order to make sure I get the deal before the hoarders do.  Nor do I want to drive all over town to different stores to get the best deals on the few healthy, personal care or cleaning products I use that have coupons.  That would probably cost me more in gas alone! So, here's how I'm going to simplify my couponing process.  I will cut coupons for the products my family actually uses, look at the specials online & plan out my grocery list.  I also google for online coupons I can print out.  For example, if I am out of laundry detergent & don't have a coupon for it, I will google for it & see of one comes up.  In addition to Vons Club savings, they also have e-coupons that you can find on their website & upload to your Vons card.  Other stores may have similar e-coupons.  I also have products I occasionally  buy at Costco & Target I will look for coupons for - Costco only takes their own coupons, no manufacturer coupons.  That's all I'll do.  I know I won't be saving as much as these extreme couponers, but I will be saving some, and that gives me great satisfaction.