Extreme Couponing

[mattm04]

With the "Extreme Couponing" show on TLC getting more attention, and not all of it good, *cough* fraud *cough*, our manager recently mention how we must verify that the coupon matches the item it is for and the date.

Apparently we had a SC try to imitate the show and complained because we didn't blindly scan their entire stack of coupons and returned the expired ones and the ones they had for products they didn't purchase.

I guess they don't get the difference between staged TV shows (clapping managers and coupons are blindly overridden and only three customers in the store, all up front) vs realty.

[bainsidhe]

Haven't seen the show, though I'm a bit interested. Unfortunately I hear it's more about desperation and hoarding than people simply being smart and saavy with couponing. That's too bad.

[Aethian]

Not all of them, most of them yes... But not all.

[mattm04]

Not all of them, most of them yes... But not all.

Same opinion. Organized hoarding. Who really needs 40 years of TP and over 1000 rolls of toothpaste?

[MoonCat]

And once you've got that much stuff stored away, why keep doing it?

[Aethian]

Watched a couple last night that donated over 20k worth of stuff...

[Indigo]

Watched a couple last night that donated over 20k worth of stuff...

Same here. The one episode I watched had a guy who used coupons to get freebies, which were then made into care packages for soldiers. I applaud him for doing that. I think he said something along the lines of "Those people (soldiers) are putting their lives on the lines, all I'm doing is clipping coupons to help."

I'll be honest and say that my mother is an avid couponer and we do have large stocks of food. However if we have too much of an item, it gets sent out among the extended family or donated to the local food bank. My mom likes to be prepared for the worst, but she doesn't believe in wasting stuff or buying it just because.

Her best coupon deal yet? She found a coupon that knocked the price of her engagement ring down by half

[fireheart]

Same here. The one episode I watched had a guy who used coupons to get freebies, which were then made into care packages for soldiers. I applaud him for doing that. I think he said something along the lines of "Those people (soldiers) are putting their lives on the lines, all I'm doing is clipping coupons to help."

was he being an SC about it though?

[surreal20]

See, there are some foods i'd like to have far too much of than not enough. Those would be canned goods. Those last a good while. So if i go to the store ONCE and buy a crap ton of green beans or something, i don't have to worry for say 40+ grocery store trips.

Then again...i think that's a little more on the "that just common sense" line. Meat isn't so bad either, however, not 40+lbs of meat for 2 people. Now i could see if for say a family of 5. That's how large my family was when i grew up, so haveing that much in the freezer lasted us a month. And 40 rolls of toilet paper, totally our house, but it lasted us a while...and there were FIVE of us. *sigh*

[Aethian]

was he being an SC about it though?

Not this one.

[Indigo]

was he being an SC about it though?

Nope, he was really nice to the cashiers about it, had his coupons all sorted out and everything was paired up with the proper items.

Now some of the people I've seen on there can be real SCs about it, but not all of them are. Some of them do follow the store's rules and make sure that everything is up to par and they don't make unrealistic demands. Its just like normal shoppers in a way - some are SCs, some aren't.

[fireheart]

Not this one.

See, there's a way of doing couponing without being an SC. Having coupons does not make one an SC. Having coupons that are expired and expecting them to take them however....

Still, it's sweet that he's doing that stuff for the soldiers.

[Aethian]

There have been several on the show where it's "Them VS the store/cashier/"the man"" and then there have been several that while they have major hoards they still follow the rules. Why they keep buying...I don't know. It has to be a compulsion for some of them.

And then there are those who hoard until they have a certain amount and the whole hoard disappears into the back of a donation truck. Like the guy who bought over 100 pairs of jeans cause they were at less then 25% the original price. They were donated to a mens shelter along with toothpaste, deodorant, and what 100 packages of bacon that may only last two days?

And then there is the one lady who said that she will coupon and save up to 70% on her bill because she is ONLY buying what she will use. Not needing the sugary cereals or the pops.

[HappyFun Ball]

I watched it thinking "Cool, if they can get 600$ worth of groceries for 42 cent's then think of what it can do to my 100$ a week spent on groceries".. I did not think it meant hoarding things I did not need, spending all my free time calculating and clipping and scouting paper ads.. Or did I think it'd mean calling up 6 friends at 6 am because of the deal limit.

So no thank you.. I'll just spend the extra money.

[Dreamstalker]

Same here; we're all for coupons and promotions, but spending a full day planning it? No thanks; any 'savings' would be more than offset by the wasted hours.