Since TLC began airing it’s new series “Extreme Couponing”, people are asking if that is what I do. My answer: “Well, yes and no.” Do I get multiple items for free or very low prices? Yes. Do I use my coupons when items are on sale so that I can save hundreds of dollars? Yes. Do I spend hours clipping coupons and scouring grocery store ads? No. Do I have a stockpile? Yes (but it is more like a few months worth of items, not many years). Do I dumpster dive for my coupons? No. See why my answer is what it is?
Here’s what my ‘extreme couponing’ shopping trip looks like: I create a customized shopping list using grocerysmarts. (A free website that matches the current grocery store sales with coupons and where to find them. It also tells me if it is a rock bottom price or not, so I know when to stock up. (I buy enough to last my family until it goes on sale again.) Then I print my list, clip my coupons, and head to the store. This takes me about 20 minutes tops! I also get 5 Sunday newspapers delivered to my door (for a fraction of the newsstand price) and use the 5-minute-method for organizing them. Shopping this way has saved me hundreds of dollars each month on groceries. I spend less that $100 a week for a family of 5 and that includes paper products and toiletries! So I guess my way of couponing is not so much extreme as it is practical – leaving me time to do what I want to do.
Feel free to email me or give me a call if you’d like to schedule a free class for you and your friends to learn the ‘tricks of the trade’.
