As many of you probably know, Extreme Couponing is premiering its 2nd season tonight on TLC. I have many thoughts about that show and unfortunately most are not very positive. BUT, that is not why I am writing today 🙂
One major plus from that show is that it has peaked the interest of many and encouraged many to coupon that were not previously, I am sure there are probably a few reading this now that started because of that show.
Bit of background about me:
For years I was a self-proclaimed Shop-a-holic, literally — I had a T-shirt, all glittery and everything. That was back before I had kids, when I was working a full time job outside the home and my significant other and I both were making a pretty decent amount of money. Not only that but we were both traveling for work constantly, which was paid for by our company. Expenses were LOW and money was great.
Then we had our daughter, of course we had to settle down. It was end of 2006, peak of the housing market and we bought a house. I had our daughter and became a stay at home mom. Instant chop in our income.
2008, I had our son. My significant other had to stop with the traveling, there is no way I was going to be home 80% of the time with two little kids without him there. Our income went down another HUGE drop. I know that we aren’t the only ones that went through similar things but I’ll tell you now, it is not fun wondering how to cover the groceries, cover the electric bill, make the mortgage payment, etc. etc.. It wasn’t even paycheck to paycheck anymore, it was “what can I skip this month?”. I started doing in-home daycare to make some extra money, while not having to pay for daycare myself.
Fast forward to 2010, we moved out of state as my significant other got a promotion and a raise. Unfortunately his raise did not end up compensating the income that I lost from no longer doing the in-home daycare that I had established over a couple years. We, stupidly, thought it would, but I ended up losing my car. I had been talking to the bank figuring out how to get it covered, only to walk outside one morning to find my car was GONE. 🙁 I am not proud of this (obviously, I would think), but am telling you this for those of you that may be on a low point, or maybe have had that happen to them. You can turn things around.
I had started couponing about 2 months before that happened but really hadn’t figured out the ropes yet, in fact, I was making the BIG mistake, that is quite easy to do if you are not informed when you started couponing: I was buying things with coupons that I wouldn’t have bought otherwise and was using coupons on full priced items 😮 EEEEK, even thinking back to it now I cringe.
So October 2010 I started my blog, I had finally figured out how to actually SAVE money with couponing and wanted to help others so that they didn’t end up in the same position that I had found myself in. Good news is, all of that IS in fact turned around now, through couponing and working my behind off we are no longer living paycheck to paycheck — LESS than 1 year later!
oOo
Now, back to the whole subject of Hoarders Extreme Couponing. I am here now to help you learn to coupon, I am not here to teach you to clear shelves or to build your own store in your house. Can you save hundreds each month on your groceries? ABSOLUTELY. Can you do it on items that you NEED? Yes.
How can I help you? I do match ups for 4 of the main places that I shop and find deals: Walmart, Target, CVS and Walgreens. Even just those four places can save you thousands a year when you shop using your coupons with the right sales.
If you have question about where to start — PLEASE ask! I do read all comments and will answer all questions! 🙂
Hi! I just wanted to say thank you for this articles. I appreciate all you do. I too have been in a very bad spot myself when my husband could no longer work in 2004. I have struggled to make ends meet for the past 6 years on my own while we fought social security. I just recently started learning to coupon and Im loving it. It seems like just in the past month we have gotten everything we needed to have and still didn’t spend all our money doing it. I read all your match up and have even started to come up with some of my own now. I truly appreciate it.
Thanks again!
Lisa
I’m glad I took to the time to read this article! It sucks going through all this but I am glad I am not the only one. I’m thankful I started couponing right before our family’s income got cut in half (and right before my son was born). Like yourself, I made the mistake of spending 60 bucks and saving ten. Thanks to your site and many others, I learned how to flip that around, spend 10 and save 60! I was also able to build up a decent stock pile, which has got us through some tough months, and I was able to donate on top of that! I recently have start 6 other people on couponing, luckily one of them lives near an Albertson’s so we trade meat for toiletries!
Thank you so much for writing this. We are living paycheck to paycheck or as you said what can I skip this month. I have been couponing for quite a while, but just really started learning how to coupon the right way. On top of what can I skip this month, I just learned that my hours are being cut along with my pay, so now I really am trying to figure out how to juggle it all. I have a decent stock pile on laundry detergent, toothpaste, body wash, deoderant, hand soap and dish detergent, but I am struggling at how to stockpile the things like cereal and toilet paper. I could use all the help I can get right now. I read your match ups weekly, but I am still struggling with stores like cvs and walgreens.
I love to coupon but could never do the extreme couponing. it is not fair to other families to have to come to the store and see empty shelves.
I have always known about coupons cause I grew up with a Mom that would use them. Thinking about that now, I know she did the best she could but I know she didn’t save as much as she would have liked. I have learned to coupon from watching her and I have so much to learn still. My daughter knows that if she finds a coupon for that snack she wants she has a better chance at getting it! LOL She still at 15 looks for coupons all over the store or the paper if she really wants something she has seen on tv! I can’t wait to learn more! The one thing I don’t know is how do you find out the seasons or order in which products go on sale. I know to look over the sales ads but it seems like there is some secret place where you can figure out when say dog food goes on sale or canned green beans!
Thanks!
I am entering your 18k fb fan giveaway. I really liked this post and all your posts!
Lewann
lulurice79@gmail.com
Thank you for your “couponing” tips/blog comments. I too, due to the recession, lost my job in 2007 (after being employed for 21 years straight with the same employer). To-date, my husband and I are still unemployed and live on very small means; So, every penny saved is a necessity.
My husband was laid off right after Thanksgiving this year. I was already couponing before this happened but I have to say, that it helped us tremendously during the time that he was unemployed. I am so thankful to have your guidance with couponing! Thank you!!! 🙂
wow..wish I had read this before now, very insightful and its good to know that there are so many others going through the same things that we have withstood. thank you
I’m just getting into couponing as well.
SAHM and one income coming in we are trying to save money as well.
Hopefully I can get it all figured out.
Thank you for sharing your story!
I’m a SAHM turned WAHM and I coupon because it helps stretch what little money we have just a little further.
Nice article. I am not an extreme couponer, but come pretty close. Love saving money and getting things for almost nothing!
Great post! VERY encouraging! Thanks for the info! I have only JUST started using coupons and need some pointers!
I just started to do couponing and it is really a job. I hoping to get better at it by reading blogs such as yours. Thanks for the tips, they are very useful.
Great article! I definitely coupon to save money. I’ve also noticed that it allows me to have more of the items I use frequently on hand so I don’t run out suddenly. It’s very convenient for me to buy six to eight of something at a really great price to have it in my pantry when I need it!
Great honesty in your article. Life happens to all of us and I am no exception. We are a blended family of 7 and hubby has a great job, but we to ran into the same as everyone else, economy. Hubby was laid off for a long time and we lost our house. Then husband got custody of his son this past year and things have looked up with him being back to work. But I am saving wherever I can so that when times get tough we know we did all we could to save for tough times.
I couponed and I would say extreme while my kids were little, I HAD to so I could actually7 feed my family, back in those days lots of us did that, but now days I really have calmed down a lot on it, it’s just me now and I don’t need so much these days, but I’m always telling my grown kids about coupons etc.
GREAT article! Love your blog. Keep up the great work.
I coupon to save money but i don’t think it is right to stockpile things you will not use or will not donate.
I really love this intro to your blog it peaked my interest since you took the time to personally describe why you do it and how to effectively do it. I am totally at lost when it comes to the drugstores since mostly what I buy is at walmart.
Thanks for this article and your tips.
Great article and VERY helpful in many ways!! thanks
With a family of seven I’m always looking to save money when I shop…and time is in short supply so I love the help with price match ups. I’m glad you found you’re easy out of your tough situation and now help others…I definitely appreciate it.
I appreciate this article, its nice to see so many other people who coupon for a real reason. I coupon because 3 years ago I was homeless and even shampoo or food was a luxury. Now our situation isn’t perfect but I am receiving disability and things are so much easier with coupons.
I love this post because it let’s us get to know the you behind the giveaways and wall posts. Reminds us all that there is a real live person who is doing these great things for us. And let’s us all know that it begins and ends with family. Thanks!
Thanks! I coupon to save money. My dad was in the Army when I was a kid so we were always used to a limited budget! Now I am used to it!
Really good article for those learning how to use coupons in a proper way! I love coupons but I try not to use it like the extreme coupon show.
Thanks for the advice! Coupons really save money 🙂
I started couponing after I became homeless. I was living on $90 a month and $40 of it went to my storage. I found your blog and started couponing slowly while following your deals. You are the reason I was able to eat and have shampoo and body wash.
I started coupoing right after i had my 2nd Heart surgery and my husband’s company was in danger of going under. We have 7 kids and i knew regardless of how things turned out, i had to find a way to cut cost all around. I now have a small stockpile, and i do not “extreme” coupon because i just really do not feel it nessesary to clear shelves and be a hoarder per say. I do like the fact that i always have pasta, cereal, snacks and all types of cleaning and personal hygiene supplies on hand . I have found that saving money is an addiction and i could not imagine life without coupons now.