I thought that she must be really lucky to be able to do that and good for her. I live in Canada and most manufacturer coupons are not vaild where I live if the item is already on a certain sale amount so I could never save as big as she does. I do get really good deals on personal products sometimes and I do avidly watch flyers for really good sales at all the local grocery stores. I live in a big city so I have a bunch of chains within walking distance and one or the other always has my favourites on sale so I rarely pay full price. Walking to all the different stores to and loading up is great exercise as well I must say.

I also noticed as many of you did that she seems to buy a lot of processed foods. It is true that you can get great deals on non-processed foods and there are coupons out there for those foods. However, I noticed that she was mainly buying processed and another thing I picked up on is that, and please don’t take this as being rude, but she, her husband and three children all seemed more than moderately overweight. That is a concern and I highly doubt that if she was shown buying produce and other natural foods that her bills would have been that low.

I’m not a huge health nut, but I do exercise regularly and eat a well balanced diet. Seeing as how she lives in the US where health care is expensive, I have to wonder down the road if she’ll end up paying all the money she’s saved on groceries out in medical bills.

If you too find it interesnting, you may enjoy this lady:

http://jane4girls800dollarannualbudget.blogspot.com/

She set an annual budget of $800 (not a typo) for her grocery purchases. She has MADE money and is in the $845 range at the moment.

Me, I just do the research and post the info on coupons, rebates & refunds. For those that are short on time, have a Kroger or one of the Kroger family of stores in your area, you are in luck. You can now save by electronically loading your coupons onto your Kroger loyalty card by visiting Shortcuts.com, P&G.com, Unilever and Kroger.com

I have them all listed in the middle column of my blog http://alccoupons.blogspot.com/ – If you need help getting started couponing, go here and you’ll find an extensive list posted.

I first became interested in serious couponing in 1986 after seeing a similar article in a major women’s magazine. I purchased “The Super Coupon Shopping System” book in 1994 after reading another such article. In the 22 years that I have been doing this, very little has changed in the coupon world despite numerous stories over the years of other “super savers”. Manufacturers know that most people are not going to put in the effort that this type of coupon use requires. Personally, I think it’s fun and get excited about the deals that I get, but I will be the first to admit that it’s not for everyone. People have different lifestyles and buying needs. This is just one tool available in achieving your goal of “Getting Rich Slowly”. It’s up to you to decide whether or not it works for your situation.

I strongly suggest starting a price list, there are formats already set in several websites, including http://www.couponmom.com, which was already mentioned. The pricelist will keep you from buying things that are currently “on sale” at that store but may be cheaper elsewhere. Be aware that others are just as thrifty and the store may run out of the item.

ALWAYS watch the register and study the flyers, get to know your local stores and how they work. The cashiers will make a mistake, I’ve returned items and/or received cash back for items I did not receive the appropriate credit for.

You’ll save tremendously if you try generic and us bulk bin items rather than packaged items. Besides, you’ll be doing something for the environment by avoiding packaging if you try the bulk bin items.

Be patient and do not let any store manager/cashier make you feel like coupons are not worth while. Happy clipping!

Thanks!
Laura

I haven’t had the time to work on coupons yet. I just don’t see deals on things we buy. Like others here, we buy fresh produce mainly. And our non-food costs are really negligible. So I just can’t bring myself to build the habits and skills I’d need, with my precious spare time. Now, if DH would take on something else to free me up to work on couponing – that would be different.

“I just wanted to comment on the 3-7 stores bit and how she’s most likely spending alot on gas.”

If she’s doing all her chores in a single trip (and she says she is – smart girl!), probably not. In a five-mile radius, there are at least 20 different grocery stores near my house – including a Costco. Taking a single trip to visit these places is very efficient; I could easily visit 4 to 7 stores on less than $2.00 of gas. So if she is in a similar situation and saves $0.50 per store, she’s broken even. Even *I* could save $0.50 a store on coupons

Why give them your real name?

@Sam
Personally, I’m not worried. If someone wants to know that I bought a bunch of free toothpaste and deoderant, so be it. Maybe they’ll send me more coupons! I don’t have any prescription medications, so I’m not really worried about the privacy matter. That’s just me, though

I would be concerned, especially with a pharmacy, about having all my purchases recorded by a company and then the company not safeguarding that data (which is what happened at CVS).

What do those of you who use these loyalty programs think about the risk of the world finding out your purchasing history?

I rotate grocery stores on a weekly basis. If you have a coupon good for a month or so, you would be able to use the coupon on one of your trips.

Another thought is that maybe she hits the store while she’s in the area, rather than making a special trip. I keep a soft-sided cooler in my trunk all the time, so I am prepared if I happen to have a couple minutes free to shop while I’m in the vicinity of the grocery store.

I haven’t paid for toothpaste, tooth brushes, shampoo, or deoderant in months. All because of coupons. If I can get it free but can’t use it, I’ll get it anyway and donate it. Dog and cat food, clucometers, children’s soaps and many other things go directly to a shelter for battered women and children.. AND I get a tax deduction for the full value of the donation. Can’t beat that.

As to expired coupons, Buy One Get One Free items, etc. The key is to KNOW your store! Talk to the manager and get the low down on what is acceptable. Like the grocery store I shop does not double coupons and will not “give me money” when I have a coupon that’s worth more than the item and they do not accept expired coupons. They do, however, accept competitor’s coupons. Many times I will get Winn Dixie or Albertson’s coupons in the “junk mail” fliers for $5 off $40 purchase, which my store will honor. But know your store’s policy and you won’t be doing anything wrong. You can still save a lot even without some of the other “perks.”

As far as coupons for produce, etc. They do exist. They are not as prevalent as other coupons, but they are in existence. I even have coupons for some organic products, and I think as organic products become more and more popular, so will the coupons.

Couponing is definitely a commitment IMO, but it does pay off when you see the $$ stay in the bank.

The real secret is shared information. From a site like hotcouponworld.com, you get multiple people trying the deals in the chains and you can find out how to work the deal for your advantage. With shared information and enough people working the scenarios, you end up with much better deals (and faster) than before the Internet.

I shop like this and am at a point where I’m end up making a profit by shopping (selling excess to friends, rebates and gift cards for Rx transfers and other special offers). I’m a bachelor, so I’ll eat almost anything, but even if you end up with all your toothpaste, shampoo, soap and laundry detergent for the year at no cost — you’ve saved a bunch of money.

This couponer’s experience can’t be described as the norm, though. Many stores will not allow overage on coupons, so you can’t “make” money on purchases. Also, I’m willing to bet a lot of her coupons are online printables, which many stores will not accept!

Power to her, though! I’m also a big couponer, and have used the “binder method” (baseball card sheets) to organize my coupons for years! You should see some of the looks I get!!

Lending a hand is an important facet of my life but I am feeling the pinch of the economy in a pretty serious way. While I donate “time” in other ways, sometimes things just take money. This is kind of a barter system of time for “purchasable” things.

I can spend an hour a week to obtain things to help others gain a better grip on life, that I may not otherwise afford. Huh. Plain simple but never thought about it that way.

Thanks much #18 Deborah and #17 Shirley!

The CVS thing is for real too, I blog about the best deals and coupon match ups each week on my blog. I also list the free after rebate items for Rite Aids. The drugstores do really give stuff away with coupons, rebates, etc.