var json_comments = new Array("
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mrgenius
May 1, 2009 6:32 PM
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That is very impressive to be sure, but oddly stress-inducing for me.

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TCinIowa
May 1, 2009 6:32 PM
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I'll take \"The Most Hated Shopper\" for $600 please Alex...


I bet the cashiers hate her, and I'd bet double the people stuck in line behind her hate her.


It's perfectly legal, but she's abusing the system. If everyone (or even a significant fraction of everyone) does that, then say goodbye to coupons.


Also, with the rebates, she can't shop like that every trip.

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Anonymous
May 8, 2009 1:36 AM
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@TCinIowa: Are you nuts or just plain stupid about how coupons work? The store made MORE MONEY because of the coupons she redeemed. They are reimbursed for the face value of the coupon plus 8 cents handling. A $1 coupon with 8 cents handling is more valuable than a dollar bill. The store is still making almost $150, but the money is coming from the manufacturer, not the consumer. Abusing the system? GIVE ME A BREAK!

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Damocles57
May 2, 2009 9:30 AM
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@TCinIowa:


It's interesting how many people mention that shoppers like her are \"abusing the system\" when the system has been systematically abusing the consumer by manipulating prices, quantities, and sales for years.


Manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, and marketers all conspire to minimize their costs and maximize their profits at the expense of the uninformed consumer. I think it is great that people like her are finding ways to use the system designed by \"The Man\" to achieve real savings in the items they buy.


I've begun couponing lately and cannot believe how much money I could have saved over the years if I had practiced what I know now.


Information is power. The internet that can search thousands of sites for price/quality/reviews has put the consumer on an equal footing with the sellers of goods and services.

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Christy Casper
May 2, 2009 4:55 AM
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@TCinIowa: It's perfectly legal, but she's abusing the system. If everyone (or even a significant fraction of everyone) does that, then say goodbye to coupons.

But people won't do that. This is not a new story - either her or someone else was featured doing this years ago. And despite the economy right now, people still don't get this extreme with their coupon clippings. More power to her!

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skatanic
May 2, 2009 1:13 AM
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@TCinIowa: Obviously i can't speak for this situation in particular, but i completely agree, she is probably hated by the cashiers.

People here are saying that cashiers shouldn't care, that its not any more work for them, and that they (the cashiers) aren't being hurt by it; none of which is really true. I worked at CVS for a couple years and there were 2 or 3 regular coupon fanatics. Since CVS also has there own store coupons, that just put another level of complicated. The really dedicated coupon people had tons of tricks they would use. Most of the coupon people who i dealt with did not bother following the stipulations in fine print on the coupons. They might use a coupon for the 5oz tube of toothpaste to buy the 7oz tube of the same brand that's on sale. Often they would ignore the \"not to be combined with other offers\" part as well. Sometimes they would use a store coupon to get a specific product for free and then use a manufacturer's coupon for the same product.

The best is when they had a super special coupon (usually printed from the internet) to get a certain brand new product for FREE. These coupons were usually pretty sizable, $20-$30 or so, and of course had the fine print \"one coupon per customer.\" I remember this happening with some sort of new swiffer mop. One woman (a coupon regular) used the coupon to get her mop for free, left, then 2 minutes later walked back into the store, grab another mop and use another copy of the coupon. CVS often advertised sales on 12-packs of soda in their weekly fliers. Clearly printed below the offer would be something like \"Limit 5 items per customer per visit.\" Of course to these type of coupon users that means that they should be able to buy 5 12-packs, go put them in their car, and come back inside to get 5 more (because its a seperate visit!)

You might think none if this would matter. After all, what did i care if the store i was working for was getting ripped off (trust me, i couldn't care less about the store's bottom line). The major snag is that the checkout system (at least at CVS) is designed to prevent that kind of coupon abuse and would often prevent the coupons from being accepted. Of course the customer doesn't see anything wrong with the situation and insists you (the cashier) make it work. This would usually involve messy manual coupons that make the cashier look bad on the sales reports (much like manually repricing lots of items will do), not to mention a cause a headache trying to figure out how to break the system to allow one more coupon. The best part is when the customers got upset that you are taking so long or that you were getting a \"bad attitude.\"

Also (again, i can only speak for CVS's policies) only one coupon of each type (manufacturer's or store) can be used for a single product. Customers often walked up with 3 items and 8 coupons, expecting the cashier to accept all of them. It didn't help that my manager was a push over. When i would explained to the customer that we weren't allow to accept a coupon they would often ask for the manager, who would come up and do whatever the hell the customer wanted, making me look like a jerk for trying to follow the rules.

If you don't think these people are exploiting every rule and finding every loophole, you are kidding yourself. Sure, most people with a handful of coupons know what they can and cannot do, but when a customer walks up with a 3-ring binder full of coupons, you know there will be trouble.

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n0stranger
May 2, 2009 4:45 AM
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@skatanic: Yeah having worked at Walgreens for 3 years I'd have to say the same thing. Of course I couldn't care less if we were getting ripped off, but it's a ridiculous hassle when our POS system won't allow two manufacturers coupons to be used on an item, and certainly wouldn't allow us to put the bill in the negative.

A lot of the stories here at the consumerist push 'the customer is always right' and even at Walgreens we certainly push customer service before all else(at least at mine, and the 5 others I worked at while away at school. Being closest to the district office makes things a tad more stressful however) despite how most commenters here feel about us. But people who abuse the system doing things like that, and then blame the cashiers when the register reads something incorrectly or won't allow it, are far too common.

That said, if this video is to be believed, this woman would be nothing but a nuisance to a cashier no matter where they worked, and I really wouldn't put it past her to check her receipt right after and argue incessantly over a dollar coupon that didn't work or a $0.50 sale that didn't ring.

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Dave J.
May 1, 2009 8:33 PM
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@TCinIowa: I've found a high correlation between people that use TONS of coupons and people who are incredibly annoying and nitpicky in general. I want to tell these people: Ok, you use a lot of coupons--good for you. But please don't be that guy who wants to spend 10 minutes arguing with the checker over whether the Kraft singles should be $2.39 with the coupon or $2.25. Or, if you want to be that guy, please do it when I'm not in line behind you. There's a magic tipping point where \"smart shoppers who use coupons\" become \"obsessive, petty nit-pickers who will only buy things if they have a coupon.\" I'm not sure where that line is, however.

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crunchberries
May 2, 2009 4:48 AM
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@Dave J.: Correlation doesn't equal causation. Just like anecdote doesn't equal data and opinion doesn't equal fact.

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raptorrapture
May 1, 2009 8:42 PM
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@Dave J.: Yeah, I'd rather spend hand over $150 than go through the effort of collecting, categorizing, scavenging for those items, and taking the \"heat\" and glares from cashiers and people in line behind me. I'm pretty sure a normal visit to the grocery store for her takes an hour. No thanks. Then again, I earn enough money not to really care.

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Anonymous
May 8, 2009 1:46 AM
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@Dave J.:@raptorrapture: Congratulations on your substantial paycheck. Believe it--some hardcore couponers don't do it out of necessity, but as a hobby. I don't get why some people choose to spend their free time hitting golf balls or hunting; I don't expect people to get why I spend free time clipping coupons and scouting out the sales.

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nagumi
May 1, 2009 10:24 PM
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@raptorrapture: On the other hand, she has a system. She prolly spends about 4-5 hours a month on this and goes to the supermarket twice. 300 bucks a month, times 12 is 3600 a year.

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AbsoluteIrrelevance
May 1, 2009 7:07 PM
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@TCinIowa: Uh oh, it's a slippery slope! If too many people use coupons, coupons will cease to exist, people will have less disposable cash due to higher grocery prices and eventually the economy could collapse. If one very coupon-aware person can do it, the end of coupons is near! We should charge her with a crime to prevent the collapse of the whole system.

Ridiculous statements like that make me wonder how many people have such a loose grip on reality as you do.

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lpranal
May 1, 2009 6:55 PM
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@TCinIowa: I'll assume, for your sake, you haven't been here long. Blaming the consumer is generally frowned upon here (except when it's obvious fraud / stupidity).

I really bet the cashiers could care less. Having cashiered many moons ago, I really didn't give a damn- if I was cashiering for an hour and had 3 customers or 40. Why would they care?

I don't think she's abusing anything. If there are no limits to a system, people are free to use the system however they want. It's up to the store / manufacturers to expressly limit this stuff. What would be considered \"acceptable\"? 10 coupons per visit? 5?

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Christy Casper
May 2, 2009 4:57 AM
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@lpranal: I agree. I've cashiered and as long as the coupons scan without any trouble, it's not any extra work for me. If I will be there for a 6 hour shift, I'll be ringing people up the entire time anyway, so why would I care if I am scanning a coupon or an item?

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nakedscience
May 1, 2009 7:00 PM
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@lpranal: \"I really bet the cashiers could care less.\"


Or perhaps they couldn't care less?


Anyway, I think it's a ridiculous thing to do (like I have the time!) but she's not \"abusing the system\", I do agree.

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rpm773
May 1, 2009 6:37 PM
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@TCinIowa: Why would cashiers hate her? They take coupon, scan it, and put in a pile. It's what they do all day already...it's no different.

I get annoyed when people argue and haggle with the cashier about the price of an item (who has no ability to change it), but not when people use coupons. More power to them.

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eelmonger
May 1, 2009 8:06 PM
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@rpm773: Speaking as a former cashier, I would hate her. And I think the cashier in the video did too, look at her face when she's handed the gigantic stack of coupons.

It's fine when the coupon scans automatically, it's just extra items to scan (and the ones that work boost your items/minute ratio because they're quick), but sometimes they don't and you have to dig through the groceries to make sure they bought 3 10.5oz cans of Del Monte green beans instead of 3 12.5oz cans.

I'm hoping that giving the coupons at the end of the order was just done for the show, because if the coupons are with the relevant items, it speeds up the process immensely.

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BytheSea
May 1, 2009 8:40 PM
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@eelmonger: Well since the advent of COMPUTERS, which keep track of how many cans and what sizes, they can scan the coupons whenever the want.

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Nicole Glynn
May 2, 2009 1:03 PM
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@BytheSea: Not if the barcode sucks and the coupon doesn't scan. Also, at the store I work at, you can't scan manufactuer coupons. It's all done manually by finding the item and marking it down by whatever percentage the coupon is for.

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mianne
May 1, 2009 6:54 PM
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@rpm773: There are plenty of cashiers out there that seem to think the amount you save with a coupon is coming directly out of their own pocket judging by their attitude.

Nevermind that the store gets the full face value plus a handling fee for each one they, in turn, redeen through the manufacturer. But it's still like, \"Oh noes, you can't use that--that item is already on sale!\" To which my response is \"Like, duh!\"

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Gokuhouse
May 1, 2009 6:32 PM
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My wife just started using coupons, I'll have to show her this. Sure would be nice.

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Ambyr Lix
May 1, 2009 8:06 PM
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@Gokuhouse: I use coupons, not as well as this lady, but pretty damn well. I utilize websites, though. Try www.grocerygame.com and www.thecouponclippers.com for some assistance. I usually get about 200 dollars worth of groceries for 40 or 50 dollars.

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Vanilla5
May 1, 2009 6:34 PM
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Alas, this does not work for me b/c I don't really eat a whole lot of processed/packaged foods. I do eat them but not a whole lot.

Apple sauce, cereal, yogurt, oatmeal, and peanut butter are my exceptions that I cannot live without.

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8 replies
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crunchberries
May 2, 2009 4:53 AM
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@Vanilla5: There are coupons for things like 'x off produce when you buy y' that appear once in a while, Wegmans has an instore booklet with coupons for products in their Nature's Market section, Mambo Sprouts offers a book of coupons for organic products as does Earth Valley, and Silk soymilk coupons show up in the Sunday coupons section sometimes.

It just takes a little more effort to find coupons for products that aren't as processed.

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Lin-Z [linguist on duty]
May 1, 2009 9:00 PM
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@Vanilla5: Same for me. Every time I look through the coupons it's like \"no, I don't need sugar cereal or chips.\" I make practically everything from scratch and I don't think I've ever seen coupons for flour...but that stuff is pretty cheap on its own (especially when you buy a 25 pound bag)

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chiieddy
May 2, 2009 3:53 AM
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@Lin-Z [linguist on duty]: Precisely why I no longer coupon-clip. I don't want the bad.

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JulesNoctambule
May 1, 2009 8:13 PM
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@Vanilla5: 'Apple sauce, cereal, yogurt, oatmeal, and peanut butter'

I have coupons for all these things and plan to use them this week, since a store is doing a triple-coupon promotion. I know cognitively that a massive jar of peanut butter doesn't really taste better when it only cost a dollar, but sometimes I wonder.

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pecan 3.14159265
May 1, 2009 8:01 PM
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@Vanilla5: I think if she was buying the generics, her savings would be less impressive...but she'd also be spending less overall, and would have less need for the coupons. It's awesome she spent only $10 or so, but it's not exactly the healthiest of diets either.

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JulesNoctambule
May 1, 2009 8:11 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: With a doubled coupon and a sale, it's really easy to get the name brand for a lot cheaper than the generic.

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pecan 3.14159265
May 1, 2009 8:24 PM
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@JulesNoctambule: It is, and I've done it before, but this is the exception, not the rule. I think 95% of the time, you're going to see that generics are cheaper than the name brand. The key is to take advantage of the deals on name brand items, but not at the expense of actually getting what you need. I like Kraft cheese, but I'll also gladly buy the generic because it's almost always $3 cheaper. If Kraft cheese isn't on sale, I'm not going to go without cheese just because I want Kraft and not generic.

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mzs
May 4, 2009 5:32 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: I knew a Kraft process engineer. Was his concern improving the systems for better quality cheese? Nope, his primary concern was improving the systems so that they could be run longer between cleanings and to shorten the cleaning duration. His second and third concerns did not involve product quality either.

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kaceetheconsumer
May 1, 2009 7:46 PM
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@Vanilla5: Yup, as often shown in the Tightwad Gazette, coupons are almost always for overpriced name-brand processed foods. Basic foods may go on sale, but almost never involve coupons.

It's generally a much more frugal thing to buy scratch items and do your own cooking. Consumerist posted a great article recently about a woman who tried home made versions of several products to see if this was the case, and in most cases, the home made stuff tasted better and was cheaper.

The only coupons I bother with are the regular 40% off a single item at the craft stores. I've saved a ton of money on craft supplies that way over the years, but it's stuff I would have bought anyway AND there's almost never brand-specific coupons for such items.

Manufacturer's coupons exist to get you to try products and then become loyal to them. If you are going to buy a processed food (and I do, from time to time), you're almost always better off with the store brand which is usually cheaper than the name brand even with a coupon.

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bluewyvern
May 1, 2009 7:31 PM
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@Vanilla5: Good point. I'm squinting at those pictures thinking, No, I don't want any Pillsbury rolls, cake mix, tub frosting, Hamburger Helper or canned soup...that's pretty much all you'll see coupons for.

I want coupons for bakery-fresh sourdough bread, Trappist jam, and sesame seed butter -- not Wonder Bread, Smuckers and Skippy.

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valsharess1
May 1, 2009 6:34 PM
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As more and more newspapers go the way of the dodo, where will the coupons go? I want to use coupons more, but I don't get the paper and I don't find many online for products I actually use.

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8 replies
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liz.lemonade
May 2, 2009 11:34 PM
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@valsharess1: A few months ago, our direct mail packets (the ones bundled with coupons for places like Arby's, Ulta, Walgreens) started including those grocery coupons that used to only come in the Sunday paper. Bad news for the local paper, as they get so much revenue out of that advertising, but great for those of us who stopped reading the local paper ages ago.

Unfortunately, they still don't do me a ton of good, because I'm not all that interested in most of the products being offered.

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amandakerik
May 2, 2009 1:48 AM
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@valsharess1: There are several sources for coupons:
In store
In newspapers
On the internet (you print)
(including) Signing up to the various manufacturer's websites
\" (they print and mail them to you)
Friends
Coupon swapping groups
And yes, you CAN buy coupons (they don't like it though, screws up their user tracking heh)

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amandakerik
May 2, 2009 1:49 AM
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@amandakerik: Oh, and if you're going to print from the internet, make sure it's of a good quality and use a laser printer - the ink may be a bit more expensive, but it doesn't dry out. Print in greyscale (colour is overrated imo).

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redskull
May 1, 2009 7:04 PM
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@valsharess1: I don't know how it is in your area, but I get several bushels full of them in my mail every week. Usually on Tuesdays.

More power to those who can utilize coupons, but most of the ones I see are the \"Get $1.00 Off if you buy 4\" variety. I don't feel like buying 4 of anything. I know I can store the stuff until I need it, but I don't like the idea of spending 3 times as much just to save a dollar.

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cordeliapotter
May 4, 2009 1:37 AM
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@redskull: I think you can buy one item and it will just be $.25 off.

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valsharess1
May 1, 2009 7:37 PM
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@redskull: Yeah, we're in a rural area so I don't get any coupons in the mail.

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Ambyr Lix
May 1, 2009 8:10 PM
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@valsharess1: @Canino: I do something similar to this lady, and only use coupons on items I use and would buy anyways.
the crap I wouldn't normally buy, I only get if it's free, or really close to it.

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Ambyr Lix
May 1, 2009 8:51 PM
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@valsharess1: It's a mix between sunday paper (my mother gives me the coupons, I don't buy the paper), and www.thecouponclippers.com. I also do www.thegrocerygame.com and also do coupon auctions on ebay. I spend 5 to 10 cents on coupons that save me a few dollars. I feel it's a good trade!

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nakedscience
May 1, 2009 6:35 PM
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@valsharess1: Online coupons are actually pretty common, though I can't recall the legit sites right off hand. Anyone know?

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Saboth
May 1, 2009 6:57 PM
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@nakedscience:

My wife said less and less stores are taking online coupons because they can be photoshopped, altered, etc, or simply aren't legitimate.

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Aaron Strader
May 1, 2009 7:23 PM
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@Saboth:

Your wife needs to be a bit more competitive in her shopping then. I've never been denied a coupon I got from online. Anyone that says \"no\", I take my business to another store and get it someplace else.

If it's a legit coupon, SOMEONE will take it.

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nakedscience
May 1, 2009 6:35 PM
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Yeah. I have a life, so I can't devote that much time to some damn coupons.

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pecan 3.14159265
May 1, 2009 8:03 PM
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@nakedscience: I don't think she sat down with a pile of newspapers and gathered all of those coupons in one day...I think that's over a period of time, so if you spend an hour every Sunday clipping out coupons, and were just very wise on when they were expiring, you could amass them and take them to the store and make a killing.

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Stephmo
May 1, 2009 8:02 PM
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@nakedscience: More power to your life - I spend less than an hour a week on coupons and last trip, I saved $45.

Then again, I multi-task when I do my coupons, so it's not like I'm sequestered in some dungeon while I toil with blunt scissors, stale crackers and no hope while I do this.

Seriously - if you've watched an hour of tv during the week, you have time for coupons.

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Xerloq
May 1, 2009 9:18 PM
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@Stephmo: Ditto. We're not huge coupon users, but it's easy enough to peruse the papers and cut the coupons you want while having while watching a movie, having a conversation, listening to an audiobook, or any other myriad activities.

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Rectilinear Propagation
May 1, 2009 7:24 PM
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@nakedscience: But how long would it actually take to cut out coupons? There can't be that many of them.

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MmeSosostris
May 1, 2009 6:39 PM
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@nakedscience: Feel obliged to point out that the fact that you've taken the time to comment disparagingly on a blog post about coupon clipping does not speak well to your claim of \"life-having.\" What what.

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nakedscience
May 1, 2009 7:01 PM
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@MmeSosostris: That is just a lot of damn effort to put in to some coupons.

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SonaliHamlegs
May 1, 2009 6:45 PM
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@MmeSosostris: i can't believe i'm actually typing this but - pwned!

...did i spell it right?

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Diningbadger
May 1, 2009 6:37 PM
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The biggest problem is that I can hardly find coupons for items that I want or use.

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4 replies
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pecan 3.14159265
May 1, 2009 8:19 PM
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@Diningbadger: That's the reason why I more or less stopped clipping coupons...I'd get maybe five or six coupons from each Sunday paper, and the savings didn't quite justify the cost of buying the newspaper. For a while, I really did have a ton of coupons, but for some reason the coupons for items I actually purchased dried up.

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Cybrczch
May 1, 2009 7:54 PM
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@Diningbadger: Ditto. Newspaper coupons (primarily from the Sunday paper and the weekly mailer) all tend to be for sugary cereals (don't eat em), sports drinks (don't drink em), dental hygiene products (get mine free from my dentist), or the feminine \"unmentionables\" (Y chromosone). I still go through the coupons, and collect the occasion useful ones, but I don't expect to ever save any more than 10% on my grocery bills with coupons on a regular basis.

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Rectilinear Propagation
May 1, 2009 7:15 PM
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@Diningbadger: Yep. Furthermore, I just don't need the 2 - 10 of whatever half of those coupons would require you to buy.

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Skankingmike
May 1, 2009 6:38 PM
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Most people won't do this, however, I do see stores limiting coupons on items at some point, as per the manufactures request.

Something like cannot exceed more than 30% off in coupons to your order something like that. I mean I hope this never happens.

Also where does one get coupons for items like meat/vegetables/fruit/milk(non dairy)

where can i get said coupons for those items? I mean that is 50% of my bill there.

Suggestions?

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Xerloq
May 1, 2009 9:30 PM
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@Skankingmike: Why would a store limit coupon usage? They're PAID to accept them from manufacturers: face value plus a handling fee (usually $0.05 to $0.10 per coupon). They make extra money on coupons.

Coupons are a great way to incent people to try a product. They're a measurable marketing tool. Manufacturers have a little thing called a \"marketing\" or \"advertising budget\" that they use to pay for coupons. They understand redemption rates and can estimate fairly accurately how much a coupon promotion will cost. They're planning (very carefully) to spend that money. Redemption rates change gradually over time, but not enought for a company to stop offering coupons. If anything, the value of coupons will decrease, or the promoted products will change, but they won't disappear.

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pecan 3.14159265
May 1, 2009 8:21 PM
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@Skankingmike: Loyalty programs at stores are a great resource for fresh things like meat, eggs and dairy. One of my local stores was running a deal wherein if you buy 5 quarts/gallons of milk (not at once) you'd get the 6th one free. It's great if you drink a lot of milk or have a family.

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Aaron Strader
May 1, 2009 7:30 PM
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@Skankingmike:

Read your mail. The junk mail in my area usually has fliers from local stores on in-store coupons and meat specials. Loyalty programs/cards are also a good way to go. I stocked up on frozen pre-packed meat on several occasions this way.

Another good thing to look out for... Stores usually have two varieties of ground meat, in the styrofoam trays, and in rolls. Avoid the foam trays as you're usually paying a good $2 or more per pound for the convenience of having it in a pretty stackable tray with plastic on it. I buy my meat in pre-packed rolls (like how one buys breakfast sausage meat) where a 1lb roll will run me $2.97 per pound for 93/7 beef, vs the foam tray meat will be about 18-20oz of the same beef for $4.50 or more. It's a ripoff.

The big reason we've grown accustomed to this is because the foam trays are usually cut in-store, but many big box stores do not have butchers, or don't pack the meat in store, so this convenience charge has all but become a visual one. If I take the time to thaw my beef out either way, the cost becomes the only factor.

If you shop at Wal-Mart, Target, or any store that doesn't have an in store butcher, you're wasting money to buy your ground beef/turkey in foam trays.

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I_have_something_to_say
May 1, 2009 6:39 PM
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Unfortunately my time is worth more than what I would save using her method.

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2 replies
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JulesNoctambule
May 1, 2009 8:16 PM
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@I_have_something_to_say: Clipping coupons takes me about five minutes. Seriously -- that's all. I've saved more than twenty bucks this week with the coupons from last Sunday, which I think is a pretty good return on that five minutes. It certainly took me more time to get the goods than to clip the coupons, and yet I don't hear people moaning about how long it takes them to buy groceries.

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raptorrapture
May 1, 2009 8:44 PM
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@JulesNoctambule: It's not just about the clipping, it's about going to the store and \"scavenging\" for the stuff that you have coupons for.

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JulesNoctambule
May 1, 2009 11:16 PM
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@raptorrapture: 'Scavenging'? I call it 'grocery shopping', since I'm only interested in coupons for products that I buy. I have a list, I get a cart, I walk down the aisle where the product is located -- couldn't be easier!

So tell me: If shopping for groceries on a list is 'scavenging', what do YOU do to obtain food?

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fanboy.took.my.star
May 1, 2009 6:41 PM
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id hate to be stuck behind her in line...

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Canino
May 1, 2009 6:46 PM
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Diningbadger: The biggest problem is that I can hardly find coupons for items that I want or use.


That's my issue. I would use coupons for things I buy, but I rarely find them and I'm not going to spend time looking for them to save 20 cents.


I think a lot of these stories are kind of bogus because these people would not normally buy this stuff. You can go through the paper and find all kinds of coupons and deals and end up with a bunch of almost-free groceries, but are they groceries you actually want, need, and buy on a regular basis? If not, all you've done spent your time getting a bunch of cheap stuff you didn't really want.

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ludwigk
May 1, 2009 6:47 PM
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@Diningbadger: Same here. Coupons are usually for high margin processed foods, and the majority of what I buy is meats, vegetables and fruits. I could certainly save a lot of money on everything else I buy, but something like 97% is entirely impossible with the way we eat.

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Stephmo
May 1, 2009 9:24 PM
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@ludwigk: I clean up on coupons for cleaning items - handsoaps, dishwashing liquid, cleaning supplies - these almost always come down to super-cheap if you combine with sales. In the frozen section, BirdsEye and GreenGiant are constantly putting out coupons and those flash-frozen veggies are good as long as you skip the whole \"in cheese\" section (not that I believe it's cheese). Yogurt is constantly getting coupons. Whole grain cereals and breads have coupons as well. Decent cheeses, real butter and whole nuts have coupons. Spices and baking supplies show up regularly as well. Oh, and the pasta, can't forget the pasta - which has been featuring a lot of the whole grain stuff lately. And during the winter, I'm sure no one ever uses canned tomatoes which show up in coupons all the time. Not to mention what one can save on deodorant, toothpaste and other personal items...

Yeah, that's all that overly processed stuff you probably never ever \"touch.\"

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pecan 3.14159265
May 1, 2009 8:06 PM
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@ludwigk: I buy a ton of canned items because while I'd rather have fresh corn, it's not always in season, and cans of corn are cheaper than bags of generic corn at the market. I also love Wegmans when they put their cans on sale for .39. I stock up like crazy. But aside from canned beans and corn, bisquick, granola, oatmeal and jam, I don't buy anything else processed. Basically, I buy ingredients, but I won't buy hamburger helper when I can buy the ground beef and macaroni and do it myself with my own spices.

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UnicornMaster
May 1, 2009 7:36 PM
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@ludwigk: Yep. It's all boxes and cans of processed food stuffs, none of the whole foods on the outside ring of the supermarket. So they're giving away Hamburger Helper and frozen biscuits. Who cares? Did you see the size of her ass?

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Notsewfast
May 1, 2009 8:23 PM
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@DeanOfAllTrades:
\"Who cares? Did you see the size of her ass\"
That was great... Thank You.

Also, I agree that for someone like me, who prefers to make 18 out of 21 meals for the week from scratch, there is virtually no use in coupon clipping.

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chipslave
May 1, 2009 6:48 PM
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She probably spends several hrs doing all this each time and goes to several grocery stores. Who has time for all that?

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Aaron Strader
May 1, 2009 7:31 PM
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@chipslave:

Retired people like her.

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nakedscience
May 1, 2009 7:03 PM
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@chipslave: Hey, now! Don't comment disparagingly on coupons!

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nakedscience
May 1, 2009 7:02 PM
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@SonaliHamlegs: Not really. She must put a LOOOOOOOOT of time into this. She clearly has that kind of time on her hands. That's fine. I, however, and most people, do not. Can you imagine the hours she puts in to save 97%?


I'd have to give up a lot of important crap just to save a few bucks, which in the end would cost me more...

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pecan 3.14159265
May 1, 2009 8:08 PM
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@nakedscience: When I plan larger scale shopping trips, I'll hit a warehouse store and two regular grocery stores, but they're within 5 miles of one another (two of them are in the same shopping center). It's not so inconvenient for me to find the best deals..my only rule is that there has to be more than three items at the store that I need that's on sale. I won't go if there aren't more than three items, I'll just not buy them or I'll spend the 30 cents more to get them somewhere else.

Wegmans is a little farther out, but it's often the most valuable of all the stores I go to beause it has such great deals so consistently.

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MBEmom
May 2, 2009 2:31 AM
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@pecan 3.14159265: Do you really think they have good deals? We are getting one in our area. I have been in one before but it seemed so pricey. I want to check the new one out when it opens. What are the best deals to be found generally speaking?

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Todd Miller
May 1, 2009 6:55 PM
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Couponers aren't abusing the system, they are out there for your use. If you choose not to use them, then it is you who'll be out the extra money.

All the people that complain about it don't realize the amount of time it takes to do it all either.

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laserjobs
May 1, 2009 7:05 PM
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I used to do this until I looked at what I was eating. Most of the food you can get cheap or free from coupons is crap. So throw most of it into the food bank bin.

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Anonymous
May 1, 2009 7:06 PM
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Do all places just accept coupons like that? On top of promotions? To this extreme point?

I look at coupons cursory, but don't see any for the stuff we purchase. I look at the grocery ads, and will buy stuff that is on sale in a larger quantity sometimes because of that, but 95% of advertised items is stuff we don't buy either. I can't imagine the time it would take to find the coupons for products that we buy.

By the way: they forgot the cost of postage to mail in for these coupons and time & gas to drive to various grocery stores to buy stuff on special in order to get these combined super savings.

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Xerloq
May 1, 2009 9:48 PM
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@ShantalaAcamas: Yes, they do. They're getting paid by the manufacturer to do so.

Example: you have a coupon for $3.00 off your favorite all-natural, organic, free-range salsa. The store normally sells it for $3.00, but today, they're selling it for $2.50. The coupon states \"Manufacturer will reimburse the face value plus $0.05 handling fee.\" That means that the store gets $3.05 for accepting the coupon.

If they give you the salsa for free, or even give you your $0.50 back, they still get their $3.05. No loss to them.

And in most cases all they have to show is that they bought enough jars of salsa as coupons they're redeeming. The manufacturer doesn't care about the price at the register, just the price of the sale to the store.

(Now, the savvy shopper realized after reading the above that the store was selling the salsa for $2.50 and planed to receive $2.50 in revenue per jar of salsa, but they made $3.05 on the transaction - effectively taking $0.50 they should have given to you [because they weren't planning on it] out of your pocket. I routinely get coupons for $4 off one-gallon of milk, and am always handed back $1.50 in change when I buy the $2.50 store brand.)

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pecan 3.14159265
May 1, 2009 8:22 PM
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@ShantalaAcamas: I haven't been to a place that wouldn't accept coupons because the items were on sale. They put the item on sale - it's not my fault that I'm getting it cheaper because the manufacturer decided to put out a coupon.

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William Mize
May 1, 2009 7:06 PM
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I would love to do this, and I actually love to see people gaming the system and getting stuff *that they would normally buy anyway* for free or dang near close to it.
For me, it would entail purchasing stuff I don't eat, don't need or don't use that often.
As a veggie, I shop around the circumference of the store, with few trips down the aisles.
Good for her!

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lpranal
May 1, 2009 7:07 PM
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@laserjobs: yep, that's the downside. I can't imagine there'd be a lot of coupons for fresh / unprocessed stuff, which is definitely the way to go if you're particularly concerned about your diet. This would definitely rock for college students, though.

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George Lujan
May 1, 2009 7:08 PM
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you save, but at what cost? most of the coupons are for products who's nutritional values are questionable at best.

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nataku8_e30
May 1, 2009 7:10 PM
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I find it interesting how many people are speculating on how much time this \"probably\" takes her. My g/f uses a lot of coupons, and regularly saves about 50% on grocery bills with coupons + store card. She spends maybe 30 minutes every sunday clipping them out of the newspaper and putting them in her organizer, and I'd really say that's about all the additional time it takes since we look at store ads anyway. At her lousy wage, I'd say she's making a lot more money clipping coupons than she would working the equivalent amount of time. Hell, I don't use coupons since I mostly buy unpackaged, unprocessed fresh foods, and I probably end up going to the grocery store 2x as often as she does.

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pecan 3.14159265
May 1, 2009 8:26 PM
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@nataku83: But what is she buying? That's the problem a lot of people have. There aren't very many coupons (if at all) for fresh produce and dairy. Cereal coupons are great, but I'm still going to have to pay full price for that gallon of milk. If your girlfriend is buying a lot of frozen items, canned items, and packaged items, I can see where her savings would be.

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Stephmo
May 1, 2009 9:40 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: Dairy is a lot easier to come by than you think. I had three free gallons of milk in the last month. One gallon was a store coupon we got for purchasing cereal - the cereal brand was on sale and I had coupons. So we bought the cereals we wanted and got the coupons.

The other two gallons were a promotion with a local store I got through a mailer.

As far as the rest of the dairy case goes, coupons for yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, cream cheeses, creams and even eggs are pretty common.

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eelmonger
May 1, 2009 8:16 PM
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@nataku83: It's easy to save a decent percentage using coupons, but there are diminishing returns when you get to absurd levels like this. To save 97% (btw 144.70/152.86=94.66%, I'm assuming tax has something to do with this) you need to put in a lot of effort clipping and hoarding coupons, signing up for offers, planning out your trips, etc.

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Xerloq
May 1, 2009 9:57 PM
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@eelmonger: What they did was subtract the tax from the total, because you still have to pay the tax.

152.86-4.80=148.06
144.11/152.86=.973322%

The receipt in the video shows $144.11 in savings.

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vincedia
May 1, 2009 7:12 PM
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If you broke it down to hours/savings I don't know if it would be worth the hassle considering this can't be every trip.

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Blueskylaw
May 1, 2009 7:22 PM
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If I was a cashier, I would be watching what she buys with what coupons and doing the same thing.
D*mn the customers behind me.

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puddinhead
May 1, 2009 7:23 PM
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I have been couponing for a few months now, and have gotten a lot of stuff cheap or free. The trick is to combine manufacturer coupons with store coupons or really good store sales or clearances.


It's true that most food coupons are for processed foods. But you can find lunch meat and sausage-type meat coupons often and for basics like pasta, canned or frozen veggies and fruits, broth, bread, peanut butter, cereal, etc. It's not ALL overly processed junk food.


If you can't find food coupons to your liking, there are plenty of coupons for toothpaste, soap, deodorant, paper goods, cleaning supplies, etc. Use those and put the money you save into buying the fresh foods you have a hard time saving money on.

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pecan 3.14159265
May 1, 2009 8:12 PM
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@puddinhead: Any coupon I've found for pasta, I've been able to trump for unit cost simply by shopping at a warehouse store. And all the warehouse stores do free shopping days for non-members, in which you can bring in the shopping voucher and shop there without being a member.

I haven't purchased pasta at a regular grocery store since I broke it down and realized I was getting pasta at BJs Warehouse for roughly 80 cents. Yes, the regular store will run promotions and that combined with coupons might net you one or two freebies but I hate being a slave to the grocery store on things that I can easily store on my own...I'd rather have 10 sealed bags of pasta in my home and not have to go to the store only to find that nothing is on sale.

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puddinhead
May 1, 2009 10:15 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265:
I hear you, we do a LOT of warehouse shopping, especially for basics like meat, etc. Couponing is kind of relaxing for me on Sundays. I match up the coupons with the sales ads, read some forums. It's a little thrill to get something free. I don't go nuts though. If I didn't have a job I might spend more time trying to get free stuff, but now I'm just happy to get a few cheap things every week.

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edwardso
May 1, 2009 7:30 PM
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She lives in my town, I'm going to keep an eye out for her

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chipslave
May 1, 2009 7:31 PM
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They had an episode of WifeSwap with a family that clipped coupons. Their whole basement was filled with lots of junk it looked like.

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Costner
May 1, 2009 7:36 PM
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It is very misleading to present this as if you are actually saving 97%. She freely admits that she had to send away for many of the \"rebates\" or \"coupons\" which means previously she had to most likely purchase one or more of each item at regular price.


For instance, you can collect \"points\" from some packages and when you get enough mail them in for a free coupon, but if takes you five regular purchases to get one for free, and if you add up your postage for all of these \"free\" items, plus your time, plus the subscriptions to the newspapers required to get many of the coupons in the first place... well it doesn't take long to see the true savings are much less than presented here.


We could all do this little trick if we saved coupons and rebates for a year and then went out and just bought items that we had coupons for the one time the cameras were watching, but that doesn't mean it can be done on a regular shopping trip.


I also notice she was buying all brand names from Era detergent to Bounty paper towels. If Consumer Reports has taught us anything it is that the name brands aren't always better... but they are always more expensive.


A wiser long term strategy is to buy generic brands which can often be half the price or less - no coupon or rebate required. Paper goods like paper towels and napkins can be purchased at a dollar store or you can save your extra napkins during your visits to fast food joints and you will soon find youself with more than enough... for free.

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Xerloq
May 1, 2009 10:04 PM
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@Costner: I haven't done it, but the more advanced couponers use the rebate money (which comes with a coupon) together with other rebates and coupons effectively extending the value of that rebate over a longer term.

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pecan 3.14159265
May 1, 2009 8:12 PM
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@Costner: Wegmans paper towels FTW. Eight rolls for $5.

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nakedscience
May 1, 2009 7:37 PM
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@Rectilinear Propagation: for someone to save 97%, you have to put a LOT of time and effort. I use coupons sometimes, if I find any I *can* use, but to go to the lengths she does, I would have to give up half my life.

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Hello_Secaucus
May 1, 2009 8:01 PM
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The question is how much time and effort went into clipping the coupons.

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JulesNoctambule
May 1, 2009 8:09 PM
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I love some coupons, but I won't buy something I don't use just because it'll be very cheap the way some of the coupon-crazed will. If it's nonperishable, functional and will end up being free, on the other hand, I will buy it and add it to the stash of goods we save up for the local food pantries and shelters.

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econobiker
May 1, 2009 8:14 PM
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Did it say she coupon swapped?

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vampired
May 1, 2009 8:32 PM
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She probably spent $147 in labor just finding, organizing, and shopping for the coupons only to get foods you really didn't want in the first place.

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Megan Squier
May 1, 2009 8:34 PM
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Loss leader sales and double coupon stores are always my best bet. I saw the Economedes family on Dr. Phil one day and their typical loss leader/double coupon strategy saves more like 50% on groceries. That's a more real world figure that's actually doable for the average person. I've done the same thing at Kroger many times. Most of my grocery budget is filled with meat, rice, dairy products, fresh fruits/vegetables and baking products. My best bets with coupons come from buying health and beauty products.

This just seems like too much for me and doesn't fit my overall spending patterns.

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Anonymous
May 1, 2009 8:44 PM
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While it's true that there are a LOT of coupons out there for junk, here's what shows up in my file on a regular basis - all minimally processed foods, and useful ingredients, all from the Sunday circulars and a couple of internet sites:

meat and dairy:
fresh chicken
turkey sausage
ground turkey
milk
butter
eggs
cheese (blocks, shredded, feta cheese, string cheese)
cream cheese
cottage cheese
yogurt (including Stonyfield Organic and Greek style)
sour cream
soymilk
(also see - holiday grocery store promotions for free meat when you spend a total given amount during a set period, e.g $300 in the three weeks leading up to Thanksgiving = free turkey)

preserved foods:
canned tuna
canned chicken
100% fruit juice
canned fruit in 100% juice
raisins and other dried fruit (prunes, cranberries, etc.)
canned tomatoes (including Muir Glen organic)
canned beans
pasta sauce
frozen, unseasoned vegetables (including Cascadian Farm organic)
frozen, unsweetened fruit
jarred salsa
natural peanut butter
juice-sweetened jams

whole-grain products:
whole wheat flour
rolled oats
rice
whole-grain pasta
whole grain cereals (e.g. cheerios, shredded wheat)
whole-grain crackers (e.g. Triscuits)
Kashi products

Odds, ends and useful ingredients:
tea (black, herbal)
yeast
olive oil
vegetable oil
honey
soy sauce
hot sauce
vinegar
pickles
spices
vanilla extract
baking powder
sugar
salt
chocolate chips (OK, not a whole food, but ...)

This list along with fresh produce contains everything I need to make healthy meals for my family - I know, because it's what I do, all the time. Combining these coupons with a good sale, using store brands when the price and quality are right, and shopping sale prices and farmer's markets for produce (as well as growing a little of my own) gives us a great diet and keeps our food costs reasonable. I won't even get into the health/beauty couponing side of things... suffice it to say that this routine works with toothpaste and diapers, too.

Most of my coupons come from the Sunday papers; I have one delivered and snag extra circulars on my way to the train on recycling days. An hour or so of work a week to clip, file and match coupons to the sales (generally done while watching TV, or on the train) = an average savings of 40% over the course of a month, and a well-stocked pantry and freezer - to me, worth the work.

for the record, I shop at only two grocery stores - my preferred one, every two weeks, for big runs, and a nearby one for good deals only. I also hit our food co-op for produce.

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extremenachos
May 1, 2009 8:59 PM
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I'd like to see an analysis comparing coupons on brand names along with just buying generic when it's on sell.

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salvatorecondegni
May 1, 2009 9:16 PM
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FYI-

Not all registers can recognize the different between, say, a 6 oz can of something or a 10 oz can of the same thing. Stupid, I know, but we will usually get a lot of middle eastern customers try this.

I'll give you an example: if a [new] product a comes out and it costs 3.79, there's usually a coupon in the sunday papers that will offer 75 cents off and it does explicitly say for the [new] product a. In grocery stores around here, that will double to $1.50 off. Where I'll work, the customer will bring you the [original] product A, that doesn't cost $3.79 but rather, $1.99 and knowingly hand you that same 75 cent coupon. They know that it will go through and that my friends, is FRAUD.

I'm willing to bet that some of that lady's coupons didn't exactly match up with what she bought, and it went through anyway.

another FYI-

that vitamin water that was 10/$10. It won't cost her \"nothing\"... she will end up paying the sales tax for it.

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ngwoo
May 1, 2009 9:18 PM
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The best way to save money on groceries is to get a job in a grocery store and break things.

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Tawnie is Monster Mashing
May 1, 2009 9:38 PM
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Honestly, all I ever saw with coupons are processed crap that no one should be eating. I would rather spend the money and eat healthy.

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Tiny Bug
May 1, 2009 10:13 PM
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watching this video of the \"Coupon Queen\" is like a little kid enrolled in her first karate class watching an expert ninja.

Any Ninja who can be watched is, by definition, not an expert ninja.

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MissGayle
May 1, 2009 10:19 PM
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The only way that coupon strategy works is if you're willing to eat nothing but processed foods 24/7. There are rarely coupons for fresh veggies, fresh fruits, staples like rice or potatoes, or plain unprocessed meats. She's \"saving\" a lot of money, but her insides are a toxic waste dump.

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mrbofus
May 1, 2009 10:25 PM
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I'm kind of confused; the video shows the cash register saying she saved $144.70, but then a second later, the it shows the receipt saying she saved $144.11?

Also, in the article, you say she saved $9.43, and unless I'm doing my math incorrectly, $152.86-$144.70 = $8.16.

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mrbofus
May 1, 2009 10:26 PM
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@mrbofus:
Oops, I meant to say that in the article, you say that she spent $9.43, not saved $9.43

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mrbofus
May 1, 2009 10:27 PM
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Which is all just really confusing, because the video shows her total to be $9.43. Which means the cash register shows something different than what is printed on the receipt? What kind of grocery store is this?

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rachaeljean
May 1, 2009 11:18 PM
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Hey! That's my picture!!!! =D

Thanks Consumerist. That totally made my day, haha!

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Bocachica
May 1, 2009 11:33 PM
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Use coupons for the stuff you like and buy it on sale.

Don't buy crap just to save money and use store brands if the quality and price warrant.

I save at least 10% a week this way without breaking a sweat!

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HogwartsAlum
May 2, 2009 12:34 AM
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When I use coupons, which isn't often, I try to put them with the stuff on the belt or hand them to the cashier right away. Or at least let him/her know I have them.

The best ones are for cleaning supplies, makeup and moisturizer and personal things like toothpaste and stuff like that. The rest of them are usually for stuff I don't buy.

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dtremit
May 2, 2009 3:14 AM
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@HogwartsAlum: Actually, the order you apply various discounts can affect your final bill. General rule is: scan everything, then scan coupons, then scan your store discount card.

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ArmyCats
May 2, 2009 12:47 AM
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I seen this kind of thing before! (but it was another woman) In some cases stores had to GIVE HER money at the cashier... :O

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ma5t3rw1tt
May 2, 2009 1:04 AM
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Freaking amazing. I like to see this happen more often.

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savdavid
May 2, 2009 1:28 AM
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All that work for stuff you may not want or need? Isn't it easier to go to the store and get store-brand products that you NEED?

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RandomHookup
May 2, 2009 1:33 AM
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For all the coupon haters....


This doesn't mean the lady doesn't eat fresh fruit and veggies and such. There aren't a lot of coupons for those items because the manufacturere is Mother Nature and she doesn't put out coupons.


Wouldn't you think it was a good idea to save money on the stuff you buy that does have coupons? If you don't eat it, don't buy it because that doesn't save you money. There are also lots of non-food items you buy that have great coupons and rebates.


Remember, this lady is on the news because it's very hard to coupon like this. If everyone did it, she'd have a blog where she told us about her tea cozy collection. She's gone pro and it probably put several thousand dollars a year into her pocket.

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tallygirl
May 2, 2009 1:38 AM
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This isn't an abuse of the system at all, manufacturer's PAY the stores the value of the coupon. For them it is like paying for advertising, you are enticing the consumer to try your product by lowering the price through the coupon.

Some tips for first-timers. Deals for produce, meat, and dairy tend to vary by store. Be willing to go to one store for fruit, another for meat, and so on. If you can't, then simply buy those items at Costco, because their price isn't much higher and their quality is excellent...or a local co-op if you have one.

I don't recommend clipping coupons until you are ready to shop. It's way too much work and too confusing. Instead I simply hole punch my Sunday coupon inserts, write the date on top, and file them in a 3-ring folder.

Then when I am ready to shop I search the multitude of blogs out there and find out what is on sale that I also have a coupon for. Many blogs track these deals, and match them to coupons for you, so you don't have to pay a service (though great one's do exist). Google 'coupon blogs' to start out.

One last thing, find stores in your area that (1) double coupons on certain days, or (2) have BOGO sales (buy one get one free) AND that also accept a coupon for each item (the paid for item and the free item). Here in Tallahassee, FL no stores double the value, but Publix has BOGO sales every week, and they accept a coupon for each item. Example: Cheerios are $4. On a BOGO sale you get 2 boxes for $4. If I have 2 coupons valued at $1 each then I am buying 2 boxes for a total of $2. Awesome.

It's true that most coupons are for manufactured food. But here is a list of items I buy weekly with coupons: yogurt (every brand imaginable), cereal (yes the sugary stuff, but also healthy whole grain cereals), canned fruit and veggies (great for food storage), toothpaste, shampoo/conditioner, toilet paper, dish soap, and laundry detergent.

Large metro areas get great coupons in the Sunday paper. Smaller markets (like mine) get a smaller selection. To remedy this, most coupons are now available to print online. In addition you can *purchase (you actually just pay a handler's fee) coupons that you don't have from a few online sites. Again, just do an internet search and a few companies should come up. I hear they arrive within a day or two, and since ad prices are usually good for a week this seems like a good option.

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amandakerik
May 2, 2009 1:55 AM
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As a Canadian, I'm occasionally jealous at how American stores will double or triple the value of coupons.
Ours inevitably have:
One coupon per purchase, per family per day (or something similar) and not valid with any other offer.

On the other hand, I've seen coupon books (they're like a folder / wallet) in our dollar stores, so it's not completely unimaginable.

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Con Sumer Zealot
May 2, 2009 2:34 AM
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Hey I just had a great chat with my friend Elaine about this. She makes a good points, primarily that they didn't publish what this woman actually bought on that trip. It sounds great unless this isn't typical groceries, things that she would use within the course of 2 weeks like everyone else. If CNN or Consumerist would publish that then the rest of us could decide just how much of a \"deal\" this was.

____________

Elaine: I saw her on the news last night
I don't do refunding because I've had bad luck with that
but I do use coupons, will never save as much as she does

me: well you need to write to her and figure out what she knows - $2000 a year?!

Elaine: I do categorize my coupons

me: well that's my challenge to you - figure out how to save as much as she did! :)
i mean percentage wise on a big bill like that
I think that Coupon Chrissy accomplished something similar

Elaine: yes, she did
but I don't get the paper, so no coupons or refund offers from there
most of her savings are in refunds
I will never save that on what I buy
but ....

me: it was all coupons there at that store

Elaine: I can save like I do and would like to see her challenge me on what I save in $$ in savings
yes, listen to the video again
most of her coupons came from refund offers
and for things I would never use

me: oh so she gets those in the mail?

Elaine: like Viva towels, I don't buy them because they are too expensive
she hunts for the refunds or they are in her paper
even with a coupon they are too pricey
yes, she gets the form for the refund, buys the item with or without a coupon, sends in for the refund

me: yeah - it would be nice if they put on that story page the exact contents of her trip, so it would be easy determine if her list was \"real world\" or not - that facet of the story is missing

Elaine: most want the upc off the package
that's right
I don't think it's realisitc
so you are spending $$ on envelopes and stamps

me: because if it was all sams club type stuff she wouldn't get otherwise than they were half hyping that story out of nothing

Elaine: to mail the refund form
that's right
then she has to wait for the refund from the rebate

Elaine: so add up postage, envelope costs etc and if you have to PRINT out the rebate .... there's more $$ out to get something \"free\"
which really then is not \"free\"
see my point

me: yes which is why I usually don't bother with coupons
if it completely alters my trip and I don't get what I want why bother

Elaine: I clip and take with me what I buy and sometimes what I MIGHT buy
then, I decide whether with coupon the \"brand name\" is cheaper than the \"store brand\" and I check by unit pricing
sometimes I find the \"brand name\" better than the \"store brand\" but not usually
so if they figured on how much I saved during my selection process, I'd come out about even with her
and with my freebies that I don't have to mail
to get

me: gawd all of this needs to be automated for consumers with a website, then many more people would do it
but someone on consumerist had a good point - if more people do it, they'll just decrease coupon value or get rid of them
or make some ridiculous time limits like good for 2 hours after press time only or some shit

Elaine: they already make time limits .... where coupons used to be NO EXPIRATION date, they now expire a week, month or 2 months later
that way, the item you have a coupon for is NOT on sale during that time
f-ers

me: or they'll only have live instore coupons and make women come fight over them - \"survivor-pons\"
Elaine: LOL
well there are in store coupon \"machines\" that spit out coupons by the item it's for
of course, that item is NOT on sale
I usually bank them in my coupon envelope for later use if it's on sale

me: yeah all of this nonsense is why I love the dollar tree stores

Elaine: me too!

me: but further on groceries I want a law saying it's okay for me to move or push over aisle displays lol
Elaine: when people see articles and video like about this lady in NY .... consider where she is, how many papers she BUYS, and all the items necessary for receiving the free coupon ... no one realizes all of this .. they just say WOW if she can it, I can do it
and then when you try, you'll realize how much it is costing you in time and efforts
me: can I quote you on consumerist?
:)
Elaine: YES
of course you can
I want her to divulge this information
between what I save on shelf items by comparison, freebies etc. as a single person I save more than that, I am sure
remember, she is shopping for more than one

Elaine: and more on that
the time she spends online looking for rebates for the items she buys
no one takes into consideration the time saved/spent

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MBEmom
May 2, 2009 2:38 AM
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I may be in the minority here but I love clipping coupons for makeup. I am totally cheap on this and never buy department store stuff. CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreen's have been having tons of BOGO sales recently on makeup and there are ALWAYS coupons for it in the circulars. It is such a fun(and admittedly girly) feeling to go buy two lipsticks that would normally cost you 10 bucks each and get them for 4 bucks each.

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Anonymous
May 2, 2009 2:46 AM
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I'm fascinated by the number of extremely busy, extremely wealthy, health food fanatics that are commenting on this article. Be honest and say you choose not to save money using coupons because it is too much work, not because NOTHING you buy has coupons. Because unless you started making your own deodorant, I'm calling BS.

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u1itn0w2day
May 2, 2009 3:19 AM
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One of the things she mentioned is that she mailed away for many of them . Now they have your personal information including many of your likes & dislikes . And alot of junk mail on the way .


Coupons are like rebates : these companies are counting on most not using them . I'll give her credit but you loose your privacy mailing away for stuff . Just like those discount cards ( I've read where some supermarket chains actually sell your information ) .


The mail in coupons probably get around no double coupons or the can only use one discount ( the sale price or the coupon ) .

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snidelywhiplash
May 2, 2009 3:54 AM
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I'm a bit puzzled by this nonsensical trope that there are only coupons for overprocessed crap. Right now, I've got coupons for two different brands of fresh tomatoes, salad mix (Earthbound Farms), at least two different brands of milk, butter, cottage cheese, eggs, etc.


Unfortunately, nobody EVER doubles or triples coupons here in Omaha, so saving as much as our intrepid clipper does isn't in the cards for me.

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hmk
May 2, 2009 4:19 AM
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Here's my problem. I don't buy the sunday paper. The cost of the paper probably negates the savings from coupons - because I'd find maybe TWO I'd want to use. So take the newspaper subscription out of her savings, then we'll see how great she's doing.

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ShariC
May 2, 2009 4:36 AM
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Rather than some brief clip, I'd like to see the entire list of groceries and how many coupons were for freebies which she get for having bought the product several times before and now gets a free one and how many were shrewd shopping for commonly available coupons in combination with sales.

The clip was intentionally misleading to make a bigger impact.

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salvatorecondegni
May 2, 2009 10:07 AM
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dtremit- That's not how it works in my company. And for a good reason too. Often, if an item is on sale and there's a double out that doubles, if we don't manually put in the price, the customer gets money back. Against company policy. You can get the item for free, however.

Hogwarts got the right idea though.

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Anonymous
May 2, 2009 10:22 AM
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I just wanted to try to clear up a few misconceptions that I'm seeing in the comments here:

First, if you learn how to work the coupons and store promotions in combination with each other, you can actually get your fresh foods for free as well. Case in point: recently a nearby store had a promotion where if you bought $20 in participating items, you could get a $10 coupon off your next purchase at that store. By using coupons, a lot of people were able to get their out-of-pocket cost under $2 for the initial purchase, and then got a coupon for $10 worth of whatever they (we) needed. By doing this several times, I was able to get a lot of produce and other things that normally don't have coupons, for free. I was also able to purchase some food for someone outside the store who was asking for money to feed her two little girls. The Safeway chain is currently running a similar promotion, and I've gotten a good deal of fresh food, as well as cartloads of \"processed crap\" like dishwasher detergent, for free this way. I don't know about you---but I don't mind getting dishwasher detergent for free. Processed? Of course. Do my dishes care? Nah.

As for the comment about store brands being cheaper than name brands with coupons, I used to think that too---until I started getting name brands for free with coupons. Store brands may be significantly cheaper, but free is free. I currently have a great stockpile of name brand canned, diced tomatoes, refried beans, pasta, pasta sauce, cereal (healthy kind not froot loops), yogurt, bottled water, eggs, sour cream, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, dishwasher detergent, paper towels and the list goes on, which I got for FREE (ok the eggs were like $1 per dozen) with coupons. I have so much stockpiled food that I've already donated a carful to a local food pantry and will need to do it again soon to make more room in my pantry.

99% of my savings are not from rebates. They are instant savings, at the checkout counter. I do have a few rebates in the works right now, but when the rebate comes back it will be a check (not a coupon for another purchase), and because of the coupons that I used when I purchased the items, the amount of the checks will be more than what I paid up front. Heck, I've even had times where I've gotten something free with coupons, THEN sent in for the rebate. 100% profit!

As for those of you who commented that you don't want to be in line behind us: It must be nice to have hundreds of dollars a month to spend on groceries. But remember, some of us have lost jobs recently, or are struggling to pay our bills, and don't have the luxury of throwing money away. Coupons can be obtained for free (several of my neighbors give me the inserts from their Sunday paper), and they are a form of payment just like cash or your almighty credit card. Yes it is time consuming, but because of coupons my family will be eating practically for free this month. The money I've saved will go toward some other areas where we've fallen behind. So I apologize for taking a little longer in the checkout line---but if you are simply too busy to wait for people like me and be happy for us that we're not throwing our money away, you might want to consider shopping at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, where coupons are not such a big deal.

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RandomHookup
May 2, 2009 1:04 PM
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@hmk The best coupons don't necessarily come from the Sunday paper. They come from signing up for mailing lists, from promo events (like tastings), from the little machine next to the register that prints out coupons. Plus you don't have to buy the Sunday paper to get the coupons...some communities get them delivered to their mailboxes free, some people gather up from their friends, some grab out of your recycling bin, some score a bunch at Starbucks on Sunday or maybe she gets the extras from the delivery person. And smart shoppers have found places where the paper might sell for $1 or they get the coupons early (Sat. is common in some cities) and they only pay when they know the coupons will be good (there are plenty of places to find out what your coupons will be ahead of time).

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dingdang
May 2, 2009 3:59 PM
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What's with all the coupon hating? I'm sensing some sour grapes.

I have a very busy schedule, but I make an hour a week to get my coupons in order. My last three trips to the grocery store I've saved between $25 and $75. So yes, if you're good at it and you have a little practice, it IS worth the time.

So scoff and glare to your heart's content, tell me I'm making your job SOOOO hard, but I have to find a way to feed my family while money is tight. It's this or I skim off some of your tax dollars to get food stamps.

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themonkrat
May 2, 2009 4:46 PM
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Am I the only person to notice that she used multiple coupons for the same products? I don't know if I've ever seen a coupon that didn't say limit one coupon per customer per transaction. I've never been allowed to use two coupons if I'm buying two of an item. Ever.

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dingdang
May 4, 2009 9:27 PM
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@themonkrat: You can combine one store coupon with one manufacturer's coupon, but you can't have two store coupons or two manu coupons.

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orlo
May 2, 2009 5:56 PM
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@themonkrat: You're reading them wrong. And your cashiers are idiots

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cc82
May 2, 2009 5:27 PM
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Say goodbye to economic recovery if everyone starts doing this.

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RandomHookup
May 2, 2009 6:22 PM
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@ cc82 : From the looks of the comments on this thread, I don't think we have to worry about everyone doing this.

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HogwartsAlum
May 2, 2009 11:12 PM
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dtremit:

11:14 PM on Fri May 1 2009

\"@HogwartsAlum: Actually, the order you apply various discounts can affect your final bill. General rule is: scan everything, then scan coupons, then scan your store discount card.\"

(Damn broken reply!) Really? I did not know that. Why is that?

I'll remember that next time I go. Thanks for the info. :)

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pecan 3.14159265
May 2, 2009 11:33 PM
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@ MBEmom: I think Wegmans has really good deal on its generic items. Bulk packs of paper towels for $5, canned veggies for 39 cents, orange juice for $2, stuff like that. Wegmans orange juice tastes good (IMO) and is much less than Tropicana, even when it's on sale (usually 2/$5 at my local store). And Wegmans sends out coupons for their own generics, so I can usually get a free carton of juice, or juice for $1. And there are usually coupons for free eggs if you spend more than $10 in a particular department, and it's always a useful department like frozen foods or meats, so it's not like you'll have to buy $10 toothpaste just to get some eggs for free. I have gotten a lot of things free just by shopping there, and buying the items I would buy anyway when it's on sale.

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MooseOfReason
May 3, 2009 4:55 AM
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The store I work at has a coupon \"limit\". I put limit in quotations because it isn't enforced. An associate walks over with a key and bypasses the pop-up.

I've never had anyone with $140 in coupons, though. I have scanned large stacks of coupons.

Here's an idea. How about those companies that insert manufacturer coupons into the Sunday paper come together for a joint venture. They could have a card with a barcode on it, and when it's scanned at a store register, it takes off the coupon discounts. People would pay a monthly service fee and receive an e-mail newsletter with a list of eligible products.

Or, you know, people could keep clipping. :)

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smokinfoo
May 3, 2009 7:27 PM
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I'd be interested to know how much time she spends doing that.

Perhaps two hours of coupon cutting and organizing is worth saving $200?

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SpiderPaintingDollars
May 3, 2009 7:28 PM
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How is this newsworthy? Lots of people do it, and save even more. My grandmother has done this since she heard of coupons (shes 76, and shes been doing it since my mom was little, who is like 49). So again, how is this amazing? I've seen my grandmother save a couple hundred dollars in one day due to coupons, craftyness, knowing how to work a store, and common sense. Why is this women so special? Well anyways, slow news day? But then again, my grand mother isn't in the news. I understand that CNN feels the need to share how to save money, but if you didn't know the power of a couple coupons (and possibly not splurging your money on pizza, and making your own food [if you have time]), why do you even care? I mean, who hasn't heard of coupons, or used one? 10 cents can go along way, and when the meltdown is over, I bet a lot of people will be using coupons.

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Anonymous
May 4, 2009 2:10 PM
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Are there any supermarkets or drugstores in New York City that doubles coupons? This is worth it for butter, toothpaste coupons.

Re: Yogurt coupons. They're usually for really crappy yogurt - full of sugar, gelatin & crap or \"diet\" yogurt.

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sideshowmel
May 4, 2009 10:04 PM
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Who cares about the shop clerks?
Who cares about the sellers?
If they didn't want people to save money on already-overpriced items they never should have printed the coupons.

This is awesome. The lady should write a book!

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sideshowmel
May 4, 2009 10:06 PM
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BTW I didn't mean \"who cares ABOUT the shop clerks\" specifically. Moreover, I meant, \"Who cares if they get annoyed scanning all these coupons? It's not called \"work\" for nothing.\"

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Anonymous
May 18, 2009 4:55 PM
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A couple of points to clue some of you in:

You can combine a store coupon (Target coupon for example) with a manufacturer's coupon. Don't believe me? Read the coupon policy on the store's website. Totally legit.

You don't have to buy crap food to use a coupon. Last time I checked I used toilet paper, paper towels, toothpaste etc. I get those for FREE. I also save tons by knowing what is on sale (in the meat, produce, dairy aisle etc) so I am not impulse buying. Why not buy two boxes of chicken breasts on sale instead on one??

I think many of you are enjoying teasing this woman, but the fact of the matter is being a smart shopper isn't limited to clipping coupons for Pop Tarts. Know your stores and sales. It isn't hard to do.

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