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!!

EXTREME COUPONING ON TOMORROW NIGHT

Get your snacks ready for another great night of TV...
Are you ready for another episode of Extreme Couponing? Ready or not, here it comes...

Back to back episodes will air on TLC tomorrow, April 6th starting at 9/8c for your viewing pleasure. This will surely be entertaining on many levels, so if you are not going to be home for this, make sure you set your Tivo. I don't know about you, but I'm curious to see how they will top the last one.

I think they should rename this series Coupon Hoarders! OMG, please don't put me into this catagory because I bought 30 boxes of kleenex! We really do use a lot of kleenex and I am sooo happy to have them in my stockpile...and I didn't even empty the shelf. There were plenty left for others to get the same deal!

Let's just hope the show doesn't give us couponers a bad name. We are not "Extreme Couponers"...we are smart couponers!!

FUNNY QUESTIONS ABOUT EXTREME COUPONERS!

Here are some questions I found that were googled after people watched the show "Extreme Couponers"

"How do extreme couponers find coupons for everything?"

We could tell you but then we'd have to kill you! We are part of a secret society and you need to be a member to know all of our well guarded secrets.


"Extreme couponing not possible"

Au contraire mon frere. Quite possible. There are oodles of people just like those TLC Extreme Couponers out there. We are infiltrating society, saving money, and making our husbands very happy!



"Do extreme couponers buy fresh produce?"

Do you count Fruit Loops and Special K with Red Berries as produce? LOL! Yes, of course we do!



"Extreme Couponers are disgusting"

Actually we are normal people! Not everyone hoards like the ones on TV. I think you are just jealous because you don't have receipts like I show here on my blog!



"I hate coupons"

So did I...I never used them, but I promise they will become your best friends. You will search high and low for them. You will be addicted to looking at blogs about them. You will have more stuff than you have ever had and have paid less money for it. Now my question is...do you still hate coupons?



"How to become an extreme couponer"

Attend a St. Augustine Savers Coupon Workshop! I will teach you everything you need to know. But I will not teach you how to clear shelves like some of them did. I will teach you how to save your family money and put a big smile on your face!

EXTREME COUPONING AS SEEN ON CHANNEL 4!!

While watching channel 4 this morning, they had a clip on Extreme Couponing by Jane King from Wall Street. This is finally getting the attention it deserves! She said that it is up 27% because of us who do extreme couponing. Once you see the savings when doing extreme couponong, you will be extremely addicted!!!

Come see what it is all about and learn how to save your family money using one coupon at a time! The next class is Wed., March 17th at 6:30 pm at Lighthouse Interiors, 304 Anastasia Blvd., St. Augustine. Call me at 904-540-5225 or e-mail me at judiray56@ayhoo.com to reserve your spot!!