After the show first aired my email inbox filled up with questions about becoming an "extreme" couponer. The thought of spending close to nothing for rooms full of grocery and personal products would appeal to anyone who is concerned about saving money. But unfortunately the scenarios that we saw, for the most part, are tough to duplicate in most of the stores where we all shop.
►Here is why:
Buying Limits
1) Most stores now have limits on how many coupons for the same item can be purchased at one time.
- For example, going in with 144 coupons and purchasing six cases of one product would not be allowed at most stores.
2) We are seeing an increase in limitation policies printed on the coupon.
- For example, you may see on the coupon that you can only redeem up to five coupons for five of the products at one time.
3) Stores doubling coupons often limit how many coupons can be redeemed per day. This is not the case in all stores, although an increase in this type of limit policy is on the rise since stores absorb the cost for doubling coupons.
4) Most grocery stores will only double a coupon up to the price of the product.
- For example, if you have a coupon for $1.00 off an item that is selling for $1.50, most grocery stores will only give double the coupon up to $1.50. This is still a fantastic deal, but it won't pay for the steaks in your basket.
5) Many grocery stores would not allow one person checking out to tie up employees and a register for five hours. You might get away with it once, but my bet is that on your next trip into a store, there would be a new policy preventing it from happening again.
►With that said, you can still save a tremendous amount of money by using coupons for products that you and your family will use. You can even save enough to donate products to charity.
Reality Couponing
So let's take a look at what is possible for most of us when it come to saving with coupons and take some of the "spin" out from the program and see how it can benefit us.
*You can get free products, and a lot of them, by using coupons.
*You can use more than one coupon on one product at some stores.
*You can put a tremendous dent in how much you are spending on food and personal products.
*You can streamline your coupons so that you save on products that are healthy and that you and your family will enjoy.
*You can save with coupons without hoarding.
*It can become a fun family hobby that enhances math skills and teaches the importance of frugality to children. A great way to teach this is to allow the children to spend what they saved on a new video game or a cool pair of new jeans.
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