I started doing couponing and other frugal stuff as a way to help me stay home with my kids when my husband was making $7.00 an hour back in the '80's.
I am sad that some of you seem to think that extreme couponing is dishonest/bad. I think some people can be unethical about it but I also think there is a right way to do it that is not unethical. For example, Walgreens has register rewards where you can get free stuff. Some people go in repeatedly and clear the shelves so no one else can get any free stuff. That ticks me off. Get your free items and move on.
Those of you that are worried about the stores......they set the rules in place. They are responsible for the rules. The CEO probably lives in an awfully nice place.
As with anything, you can go too far. However, I live very frugally and use coupons and have bins organized with the overflow. You can get too much stuff sometimes but a reasonable amount of back-stock is not only a good deal but it is SMART! You don't have to run to the store for every little thing and if you ever have an emergency like a loss of a job you have a little to get you by.
Those of you who are extremely annoyed need to consider there is some good to it. I also cringe when I see frothing at the mouth freebie collectors. But not everyone who does a lot of couponing/money saving is this way. Just use common sense and respect.
__________________
Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the people doing it. ~Chinese Proverb
When I was young and clever, I wanted to change the world. Now that I am older and wiser, I strive to change myself. ~
I started doing couponing and other frugal stuff as a way to help me stay home with my kids when my husband was making $7.00 an hour back in the '80's.
I am sad that some of you seem to think that extreme couponing is dishonest/bad. I think some people can be unethical about it but I also think there is a right way to do it that is not unethical. For example, Walgreens has register rewards where you can get free stuff. Some people go in repeatedly and clear the shelves so no one else can get any free stuff. That ticks me off. Get your free items and move on.
Those of you that are worried about the stores......they set the rules in place. They are responsible for the rules. The CEO probably lives in an awfully nice place.
As with anything, you can go too far. However, I live very frugally and use coupons and have bins organized with the overflow. You can get too much stuff sometimes but a reasonable amount of back-stock is not only a good deal but it is SMART! You don't have to run to the store for every little thing and if you ever have an emergency like a loss of a job you have a little to get you by.
Those of you who are extremely annoyed need to consider there is some good to it. I also cringe when I see frothing at the mouth freebie collectors. But not everyone who does a lot of couponing/money saving is this way. Just use common sense and respect.
Thank you
We hardly do it to the extreme they do on tv, but if I can get $200 worth of stuff for $20, Im there. If the stores are losing money then they should put forth policies that prevent that loss, however as you said, I dont see any store owners who are suffering when I drive by their homes up in the heights.
A lot of the families on the shows are like mine, 5 to 8 person families that are struggling to make ends meet. We keep about enough to survive a month on if something were to happen.
We don't buy a bunch of stuff we don't or won't use, yet at the same time, our church collects a different item each month for various charity's and if we can go in with coupons and buy that item in bulk for little of nothing then God bless us.
Since we have started we are saving anywhere from $200 to $400 a month on our food/supplies bill. That is a huge savings that can be used for things that we otherwise could not afford to do for our girls.
__________________ You can't reach the world with your talents. People are sick and tired of religious talents. People need a Holy Ghost annointed church with real fruits to reach out and touch their lives. ~ Pastor Burrell Crabtree
In fact I think that the insinuation of "hateful" Pentecostals is coming mostly from the fertile imaginations of bitter, backslidden ex Apostolics who are constantly trying to find a way to justify their actions. ~ strait shooter
We hardly do it to the extreme they do on tv, but if I can get $200 worth of stuff for $20, Im there. If the stores are losing money then they should put forth policies that prevent that loss, however as you said, I dont see any store owners who are suffering when I drive by their homes up in the heights.
A lot of the families on the shows are like mine, 5 to 8 person families that are struggling to make ends meet. We keep about enough to survive a month on if something were to happen.
We don't buy a bunch of stuff we don't or won't use, yet at the same time, our church collects a different item each month for various charity's and if we can go in with coupons and buy that item in bulk for little of nothing then God bless us.
Since we have started we are saving anywhere from $200 to $400 a month on our food/supplies bill. That is a huge savings that can be used for things that we otherwise could not afford to do for our girls.
my only question is, how much processed food are you eating/having to eat because of this?
we try to stick with fresh/not processed....except for Mac-n-Cheese... which you cannot have enough of IMHO....shhh dont tell PO that!
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
my only question is, how much processed food are you eating/having to eat because of this?
we try to stick with fresh/not processed....except for Mac-n-Cheese... which you cannot have enough of IMHO....shhh dont tell PO that!
I wondered the same thing because I haven't ever spent more on groceries in one month, than what they save in one months time... we were/are only 4 people. Processed or convenience foods is what can run a grocery bill up. I shop the outer edges of a grocery mainly, only frozen or fresh vegi's and meats...peanut butter is about the only processed food I buy...I refuse to buy snacks, (cept microwave popcorn) I'm too cheap... however, I will bake.
I guess that is another reason why I don't use coupons very often, I don't know of any for milk/meat, eggs... I do try to hit sales where frozen vegi's are 10 for $10..and I get a lot then. I like to buy what the store puts on sale...knowing what I use the most, that is mainly why I stick to Kroger, I love their sales. They send me store coupons based on what I buy with them...and give me free items every couple months. That is always nice.
my only question is, how much processed food are you eating/having to eat because of this?
we try to stick with fresh/not processed....except for Mac-n-Cheese... which you cannot have enough of IMHO....shhh dont tell PO that!
Well, unless you count the mac n cheese, not much. If you count the mac n cheese then all bets are off.
Most of the savings are the expensive stuff, (mind you i have 3 girls) which top of that list is TOILET PAPER !!, and then there is body wash, shampoo, conditioner, deoderant, uummm, ~femine stuff~blah blah blah... which is why we only have been saving about 30 to 50 % is because we do still have to buy the fresh stuff.
__________________ You can't reach the world with your talents. People are sick and tired of religious talents. People need a Holy Ghost annointed church with real fruits to reach out and touch their lives. ~ Pastor Burrell Crabtree
In fact I think that the insinuation of "hateful" Pentecostals is coming mostly from the fertile imaginations of bitter, backslidden ex Apostolics who are constantly trying to find a way to justify their actions. ~ strait shooter
Well, unless you count the mac n cheese, not much. If you count the mac n cheese then all bets are off.
Most of the savings are the expensive stuff, (mind you i have 3 girls) which top of that list is TOILET PAPER !!, and then there is body wash, shampoo, conditioner, deoderant, uummm, ~femine stuff~blah blah blah... which is why we only have been saving about 30 to 50 % is because we do still have to buy the fresh stuff.
I have three sisters... they used to send me in to buy what they were too embarrised to buy and I did it! wihtout being embarrised! LOL...
but I do thank the Sweet Clean Lord Jesus Himself that I have boys! LOL!
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
I have three sisters... they used to send me in to buy what they were too embarrised to buy and I did it! wihtout being embarrised! LOL...
but I do thank the Sweet Clean Lord Jesus Himself that I have boys! LOL!
LOL, I will go to the store and get them what ever they need. Not ashamed at all. Matter of fact I usually get that, "awww, aren't you a sweet father/husband" .
__________________ You can't reach the world with your talents. People are sick and tired of religious talents. People need a Holy Ghost annointed church with real fruits to reach out and touch their lives. ~ Pastor Burrell Crabtree
In fact I think that the insinuation of "hateful" Pentecostals is coming mostly from the fertile imaginations of bitter, backslidden ex Apostolics who are constantly trying to find a way to justify their actions. ~ strait shooter
We hardly do it to the extreme they do on tv, but if I can get $200 worth of stuff for $20, Im there. If the stores are losing money then they should put forth policies that prevent that loss, however as you said, I dont see any store owners who are suffering when I drive by their homes up in the heights.
A lot of the families on the shows are like mine, 5 to 8 person families that are struggling to make ends meet. We keep about enough to survive a month on if something were to happen.
We don't buy a bunch of stuff we don't or won't use, yet at the same time, our church collects a different item each month for various charity's and if we can go in with coupons and buy that item in bulk for little of nothing then God bless us.
Since we have started we are saving anywhere from $200 to $400 a month on our food/supplies bill. That is a huge savings that can be used for things that we otherwise could not afford to do for our girls.
__________________
Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the people doing it. ~Chinese Proverb
When I was young and clever, I wanted to change the world. Now that I am older and wiser, I strive to change myself. ~
I try to avoid products with MSG and trans fats. I eat a lot of fresh fruit. The point is that there are extremes on both ends. Yes, I think it can be a sickness if people are just getting gobs of stuff for no purpose than the rush of getting stuff. That's kind of weird and I see no purpose in that.
However, blaming extreme couponers for what is going on in the supermarkets (them cutting back on allowing coupons etc.) is very short sighted IMO. What is happening is an overall inflation and recession in the larger economy that is causing the stores to have to revamp their systems. It's just a result of the housing bubble burst and the fed printing so much money. And it's not over yet, I fear.
I would recommend that everybody get out those coupons and do whatever it takes to get at least a month's work of back stock. You might need it. If not, rotate it and use it up.
__________________
Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the people doing it. ~Chinese Proverb
When I was young and clever, I wanted to change the world. Now that I am older and wiser, I strive to change myself. ~
I try to avoid products with MSG and trans fats. I eat a lot of fresh fruit. The point is that there are extremes on both ends. Yes, I think it can be a sickness if people are just getting gobs of stuff for no purpose than the rush of getting stuff. That's kind of weird and I see no purpose in that.
However, blaming extreme couponers for what is going on in the supermarkets (them cutting back on allowing coupons etc.) is very short sighted IMO. What is happening is an overall inflation and recession in the larger economy that is causing the stores to have to revamp their systems. It's just a result of the housing bubble burst and the fed printing so much money. And it's not over yet, I fear.
I would recommend that everybody get out those coupons and do whatever it takes to get at least a month's work of back stock. You might need it. If not, rotate it and use it up.
__________________
Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of a battle ! ! ! !
blah blah blah... which is why we only have been saving about 30 to 50 % is because we do still have to buy the fresh stuff.
Hybrid Mode
