EXTREME COUPONING - WHAT IS IT?

Extreme couponing. It’s the new catch phrase that’s hitting the television market like MAD. I actually enjoy cutting coupons and finding a good deal, so that is why I started teaching couponing classes. I enjoy teaching others how to save money. Just in case you haven’t heard about extreme couponing, I thought I’d give you a quick rundown!! If you want to take this journey with me, start saving your inserts from your Sunday paper. You need them ALL.

To REALLY get into extreme couponing, you have to be willing to store items for a rainy day. You don’t buy shampoo when you NEED shampoo. You buy it when it’s on sale and you can get it for $.50 and then you stock up. That’s the point. In theory, if you buy shampoo with a coupon, you are doing a good thing. BUT if you buy shampoo with a coupon during a week when it’s buy 1 get 1 free — you are REALLY saving.

Timing is everything. You have to be patient and you have to work a little at getting organized.

Here’s the part that some of you may not be happy with. If you truly want to be successful with extreme couponing, you have to let go of your brand loyalty. I’m not saying you can’t continue to buy your favorite coffee beans or yogurt. If you TRULY LOVE IT – then of COURSE stick with it. HOWEVER, every other product has to now be opened to sales and coupons.

Here’s the thing with extreme couponing – you can’t put all your eggs in one basket. You have to be able to go to a few stores to really see results. I’m not saying I’m going to go to three grocery stores, but I am saying that I will hit up Publix, CVS and Target once a week if I get a big enough bargain on an item my family uses.

Every store has sales that are meant to draw customers in with the hopes that they will purchase other items. Well, that’s for the rest of the world. Don’t get suckered into full priced items just because you happened to be walking around Publix!! Buy what’s on sale and then go home. Everything will eventually be marked down. There’s no point in wasting your money – especially in this economy.

PHEW!! How was that? Not too painful right? Do what you can and save where it’s possible. That’s all I’m saying.

Let’s save together in 2011. That’s my mission. I want to see how much I can save by the end of the year. Again, if you want to play along, start saving those coupons from the newspaper. There are also a ton of sites where you can print coupons... And please check my blog so you can see what I buy each week from Publix.

UPDATE: I received another call from a woman in Boise, Idaho. Heck, I don't even know where Boise is!! She contacted me after she googled extreme couponing and came up with my number. Again, just like Tyrone in New York, I spent time with her on the phone walking her through the process and then told her to attend a class I found in Boise. I am not sure how they are finding me but it sure is kind of neat!!