Extreme couponing?

[*AQuietPlace*]

I've done it a few times, but it's just way too much work. I have friends who do. They can get $150 worth of groceries for $20.

I didn't feel good about doing it, though. It's not the way stores and manufacturers intended coupons to be used - stores can't afford to continually lose money like that. Many stores are now halting or cutting back on their coupon acceptance, and it's because of people doing this.

[Sherri]

Originally Posted by *AQuietPlace*

I've done it a few times, but it's just way too much work. I have friends who do. They can get $150 worth of groceries for $20.

I didn't feel good about doing it, though. It's not the way stores and manufacturers intended coupons to be used - stores can't afford to continually lose money like that. Many stores are now halting or cutting back on their coupon acceptance, and it's because of people doing this.

The stores shouldn't lose money. They turn the coupons in for reimbursements. At least that's the way they did it years ago when I worked in a grocery store.

[*AQuietPlace*]

Originally Posted by Sherri

The stores shouldn't lose money. They turn the coupons in for reimbursements. At least that's the way they did it years ago when I worked in a grocery store.

Not on the coupons, but it's when they double and triple them. The store pays for that. Some stores for a while were tripling 75 cent coupons! You could get a lot of stuff free when you got $2.25 off! But the store ate that extra $1.50. I know the products don't cost them the full price, but if you're getting it free, they're not only not making a profit, they're losing what they paid for the product.

I have some friends who are extreme couponers, and they have at times walked out of the store with a completely loaded cart, and the entire thing was free. They used the triple coupon thing, and only bought the products that ended up being free.

I know that sounds awesome and really thrifty (and the few times I did it, it really does feel exhilarating) but in the long run it's not a smart practice. Because, as has happened in my area, the stores will stop offering the triple coupons, or limiting them to the 25 cent coupons. So you end up completely losing the program.

[ForeverBlessed]

I do not have the time or patience. I have used a few coupons before and got things really cheap because of the triple amt taken off, but only once or twice. I only use a coupon if it is a name brand that I use and it is almost handed to me. I only buy for 2 weeks at a time and never stock pile anything. I shop Aldi's, Walmart and Kroger and I know exactly where all the products I use are the cheapest and trust me, I have raised a family on a shoestring. If it works for some that is great. I think for some it is entertainment..so whatever floats their boat. I don't have cable, so haven't ever watched the TV show.

[Jason B]

Originally Posted by Sherri

The stores shouldn't lose money. They turn the coupons in for reimbursements. At least that's the way they did it years ago when I worked in a grocery store.

Often times when a large amount of coupons are turned in, the manufacturer will only honor so many, and I have seen large companies such as Pepsi outright reject hundreds of dollars of coupons at a time. In such cases all the losses come back on the retailer.

Also we no longer do Double coupons, because as AQP pointed out stores take the loss on double and triple coupons.