Extreme Couponing Education {I Admit, Sometimes I Buy Junk Food}

Because they don’t tell you everything on reality television we are here to reveal the secrets of Extreme Couponing. TLC’s Extreme Couponing is really not about education it is more about entertainment. Our goal is to educate you and empower you to save money for your family.

We have been talking about how one of the myths of couponing is that coupons are only for processed foods, junk food or food my family does not eat. I also told you we were featured in the New York Times Magazine and many of the people writing in the comments accused us of only eating  junk foods. All of this brought me to the conclusion that some people just need to be educated in the way we save money and still eat healthy. So for the past eight weeks we have been talking about….

But I have a confession to make…

Sometimes I Buy Junk Food

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If I can get a good deal on junk food sometimes I buy it. I do not buy it every time it goes on sale. Buying junk food when it is cheap does not mean that we eat it for every meal. In fact we do not even eat it every day. We probably do not even eat it every week, but in the following situations it kinda comes in handy!

For Last Minute BBQ’s, Football Parties, Get togethers, Camping Trips and any road trip ect…

I keep on hand:

  • chips
  • cookies
  • chex mix
  • soda/pop
  • crackers
  • candy

I never pay full price for junk food! If I can not get it for cheap I do not buy it. So I admit this stuff is not healthy, but when I need a quick treat for a party it saves me a TON of money to not have to go to the store and pay full price. I can just go to my pantry and pull out something from my little stockpile.

What do you have in your “treat” stockpile?

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Extreme Couponing Education: Focus on Personal Care Products

 

Because they don’t tell you everything on reality television we are here to reveal the secrets of Extreme Couponing. TLC’s Extreme Couponing is really not about education it is more about entertainment. Our goal is to educate you and empower you to save money for your family.

We have been talking about how one of the myths of couponing is that coupons are only for processed foods, junk food or food my family does not eat. I also told you we were featured in the New York Times Magazine and many of the people writing in the comments accused us of only eating  junk foods. All of this brought me to the conclusion that some people just need to be educated in the way we save money and still eat healthy. This week I am going to talk about another way you can coupon and still eat healthy, don’t focus on food.

Maybe couponing for food is overwhelming to you? Maybe you like to only eat organic foods? (We have a coupon for that!) Organic food coupons. Maybe you are on a gluten free diet? (We have a post coming for Gluten Free Coupons). Maybe you have food allergies and don’t have many food options? DO NOT FOCUS ON FOOD!

Focus on Personal Care Products

Price Point - You can get many personal care products to free! Yes FREE! See that picture above? Those are all products that I got for free using coupons. I did not get them all in one shopping trip. I did it one week at a time. You are not going to be able to get all your personal care products for free so it is important to know the right price points. Knowing the price points helps you know when you should wait for a product to be free and keeps you from paying too much for a product that you can typically get for less.

Shop the Drug stores – The main place to focus if you are after personal care products are the drug stores. So check the site for  CVS coupon deals, Walgreens coupon deals, and Rite Aid coupon deals.

Build a Stockpile – When you can get a good price on a personal care product buy a few of them. No need to clear the shelves. Just get enough to last for 3-6 months, which probably won’t be much. Personal care products tend to last for a long time. Much longer than food does.

Take a Break - The nice thing about personal care products is that once you have 10 tubes of toothpaste you really do not need anymore. So you can STOP stockpiling toothpaste for more than a year! Once you have built up a little stockpile of personal care products feel free to take a break and just use the products you already have.

Maintenance Mode – When I first started couponing I hit the drug stores once a week or once every two weeks slowly building up my stockpile. I did this for less than a year before I found that I had a well rounded stockpile of products and I did not need to buy any more. So I went into maintenance mode. Now I just buy a few things here and there when my stockpile gets low. For example when my toothpaste gets down to 3 tubes I keep an eye out for a free toothpaste deal.

 

Learn more about eating healthy and still saving money!

Look for the following topics…

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Shopping With The Fabs {Jessica’a Walmart Trip}

Save 50% on a simple trip to Walmart. Total OOP: $18.28.

“I wish I had time to coupon, but I don’t” or “I’m just too busy” or “Couponing takes WAY too much time.” …sound like familiar responses from your non-couponer friends? I hear them all the time. Truth be told, it DOES take time to coupon, BUT it can be done on many different scales. Some people go all out and turn it into a full or part time job saving boat loads of $$ while others simply clip/print coupons for only the items they already have on their grocery list. Some people don’t like to mess with coupons and just price match everything. Others shop every store and every deal. My point is, if you want to save money bad enough but think you are too busy, there is a way to accommodate both! Contrary to popular belief, you DON’T have to spend hours clipping coupons and driving all over town to save money. Utilizing things like the Coupon Database and end of the day “That’s A Wrap” posts can help you quickly skim through the highlights and find only the deals and coupons you are looking for. Couponing on a small scale IS possible! Even if you only saved $5, THAT’S STILL $5! Just think if you did that every time you went to the store! 52 weeks x $5 a week = $260! That’s a month’s worth of groceries at my house!

Transaction

Buy 4 Lay’s Chips $2.98 I like to keep these on hand to take to BBQ’s!
Price match the Big Lots ad to: $1.88 ea

Buy 4 All 2x Laundry Detergents 50 oz. $4.97
Price match the Fred Meyer ad to: 2/$6
Use (4) $1/1 any All Laundry Detergent 24 loads or larger (Facebook) Will need 2 computers
Final Price: $2.00 ea

Buy 2 Nabisco Chips Ahoy Cookies $2.50
Price match the Kmart ad to: $1.88

Use (1) $1/2 Nabisco Cookies or Crackers printable
Final Price: $1.38 ea

Total OOP: $18.28  This averages out to $1.83 per item!
Total Saved: $18.52

So tell me! What would you do with an extra $260 a year?

No Clip Coupon Organization in ID, WA, OR, CO, NE, UT, CA, TX, NV,TN, WI, AZ, MT, MO, FL, MI

The new 03/18 coupon insert lists are up again and ready for you to print and organize!

Find them anytime if you hover over “Learn to be a fruGAL”, and then click on “Coupon Insert Lists“. Need to clean out your binder? Here is a list of inserts you can pull as of 3/1.

Not sure what I’m talking about? Tired of clipping coupons every week? Just click on “read more” and we’ll share a little secret with you…

[Read more...]

Extreme Couponing Education: Sale Cycle Video

Because they don’t tell you everything on reality television we are here to reveal the secrets of Extreme Couponing.

One big secret to saving money on your groceries is understanding the sale cycles. If you know what is going to be on sale you can get coupons to match. Buy during the sale cycle because that is when you will get the best deal.

This video gives you a run down of what to expect through out the year from the sales cylces…

{Click here to view the video}

Learn more about Sale Cycles and download our Sale Cycle list

Extreme Couponing Education: Sale Cycles

Because they don’t tell you everything on reality television we are here to reveal the secrets of Extreme Couponing.

The Secret of the Stockpile:

You really can’t make your stockpile work for you until it is well rounded.  Take for example this photo below…

This is a picture taken after one of my successful couponing trips a few summers ago. If I only couponed in the summer my poor family would have to live off of hot dogs and marshmallows year round. So for true coupon success you have to coupon through out the year so you can hit all of the different Sale Cycles!

Brief Summary of Sale Cycles:

  • January: Diet foods, medicines, Quaker products, party foods, and Christmas clearance
  • February: candy/chocolate, canned foods (veggies, fruit, tuna.)
  • March: Frozen Food Month, Easter candy/baskets, cleaning supply sales begin,
  • April: Easter dinner foods, Easter clearance
  • May: Party foods, BBQ/Camping supplies
  • June: National Dairy Month, BBQ/Camping supplies will continue, Gift Card Promotion (use the money you’re saving for Christmas and buy gift cards to use later, get free groceries NOW).
  • July: MORE BBQ foods, school supply sales begin.
  • August: School supply sales continue, school lunch items, Kraft
  • September: Labor Day BBQ items and the end of school supply sales, Campbell’s sale, more “school food” items
  • October: Halloween candy, toy sales begin
  • November: Halloween clearance items, and all Thanksgiving dinner and baking items, Gift Card Promotions,
  • December: Thanksgiving clearance items (decorations, napkins, etc.) and all Christmas dinner and baking items.

Visit our Sale Cycles page for a full list of the sale cycles and a free downloadable version for your coupon binder.

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Live Coupon Class Tonight!

We are super excited to be hosting a

Coupon Question & Answer Session!

Tonight in our fabuless community we will be answering your questions LIVE! Come one, come all. We want the veterans to come add perspective to the chat and the newbies to come and ask questions!

We are giving away 2 copies of
Seven Secrets to Successful Couponing“ 

Every comment you make earns you an entry in to the random drawing to win a copy of our coupon class on DVD.

Feel free to start the conversation now…

You will first need to sign up for blogfrog here.

Then come join the conversation here.

.
Can’t wait to order the DVD? Save 50% with coupon code: Monica

Then come join the conversation here.

Winners of the DVD’s will be announced following the end of the chat. Winners will have 48 hours to claim their prize.

No Clip Coupon Organization in ID, WA, OR, CO, NE, UT, CA, TX, NV,TN, WI, AZ

The new 10/09 coupon insert lists are up again and ready for you to print and organize!

Find them anytime if you hover over “Learn to be a fruGAL”, and then click on “Coupon Insert Lists“. Need to clean out your binder? Here is a list of inserts you can pull as of 10/1.

Not sure what I’m talking about? Tired of clipping coupons every week? Just click on “read more” and we’ll share a little secret with you…

[Read more...]

TLC’s Extreme Couponing Tonight

Extreme Couponing is back tonight for episode #5.

Last week we saw  Missy and Amy putting their couponing skills to the test.  This week features Desirae & Stephanie tonight on TLC at 9:30 EST.

Are you tuning in to TLC’s Extreme Couponing this week?

I must admit this show gets on my nerves, but I watch it.  My kids were watching with me last week.  They were all so amazed at the final savings at the end of the transaction.  They could not quit talking about how many carts of groceries the shoppers carted out of the store.  How cool was that?  Then came THE QUESTIONS, “Mom, why don’t you do that? You have lots of coupons, you use them all the time…why don’t you have shopping trips like that?”

I’m afraid I might have rolled my eyes as I took a deep breath and then began to explain.  “Now kids, you know we save an obscene amount of money using coupons (I show them all the time).  And you know that Mom works hard and spends a lot of time coupon shopping and saving, it doesn’t just “happen” in one trip.”  I explained:

  1. You can’t believe everything you see on TV.
  2. Stores have rules for coupons and we follow the rules.  Basically, the stores broke their own rules to look cool for the show.
  3. I told them that if another shopper were in line behind those “extreme” shoppers with the exact same items in their carts and the exact same coupons in their hands they would not have left the store with the same savings.
  4. Did you notice that both shoppers said they have NEVER  had a shopping trip like that before?  And they probably never will again unless they appear on that show.
  5. The show is like that so people will watch, be amazed and entertained; and we did watch, we were amazed and highly entertained!
  6. They only have 30 minutes to amaze us so they feel they need to take shortcuts to do it.
  7. And yes, we did continue having an in depth discussion about ethics, honesty, buying what you really will use, giving to others, and a lot of other values.  So Fabulous, it turned into a teaching moment!

So, have you watched this show with your kids?  What would you have said?

Let’s keep it real…

Extreme Couponing saves money,

but Extreme Couponing done right

doesn’t happen overnight!

Still haven’t watched Extreme Couponing and not sure what all the fuss is about? You can watch it on Amazon Demand! Catch up and watch Missy and Amy’s episode, Rebecca & Jessica‘s episode, J’amie & Tiffanys episode or Nathan & Tai and Tarin‘s episode for $1.99!

Need help getting started on your journey to Extreme Couponing (done right!).

Our 90-minute coupon class on DVD will teach you step by step the correct and ethical way to implement extreme couponing. Use code EXTREME for a 55% discount at check out.


Fred Meyer Deals 12/19-12/24

Before heading to the store, remember to load the new eCoupons on FredMeyer.com, Cellfire.com and Shortcuts.com!

– means the price is better than generic/wholesale/mass store prices!

– means this is when we stock up!!!

If we don’t star an item but it’s listed here, that means it is still a better deal than you would get at a superstore on any given day (even using a coupon).

In-ad Coupons:

Fred Meyer 1/2 Gallon Milk or Orange Juice $1.25 (only a good deal for OJ, and chocolate)
Use in-ad coupon, first 8

Dreyer’s or Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream $2.50
Use in-ad coupon, first 4
Use $1/2 Häagen-Dazs Coupon from November All You Mag.
Final price $1.50

Kivu Bulk Coffee $4.99
Use in-ad coupon, first 2 lbs

Bandon Cheese $3.99
Use in-ad coupon, first 2
Use $1/2lbs (Idaho/Utah Q) printable coupon
Final price $2.99

Tree Top Apple Juice or Blends $1.67
Use in-ad coupon, first 6

Farmland Sliced Bacon $2.50
Use in-ad coupon, first 4
Use $1/1 from 12/05 SS
OR use loaded $1/2 FM eCoupon
Final price as low as $1.50

Fred Meyer Breakfast Links or Ground Pork Sausage $2.50
Use in-ad coupon, first 4

Hershey’s or Cadbury Large Bars Buy 4 Get 1 free
Use in-ad coupon, first 10

Fred Meyer Butter $2.00
Use in-ad coupon, first 4

Fred Meyer Frozen Vegetables $.79
Use in-ad coupon, first 6

Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom or Chicken Soup or Swanson Broth $.50
Use in-ad coupon, first 6
Use $1.00/4 Campbells Coupon or $1/4 Campbells Soup Coupon on ebay
Use $.75/5 ($.50/5 locally) Swansons from 11/7 SS
OR Use $1/4 Swansons from Safeway Thanksgiving Coupon Booklet
Final price as low as $.25 each WYB4

Fred Meyer Specialty Sugar (powdered, brown, etc) $1.00
Use in-ad coupon, first 10

Philadelphia Cream Cheese $1.00
Use in-ad coupon, first 10
Use $1/2 Philladelphia Cream Cheese printable coupon
Final price $.50 each WYB2

Other Deals:

Clementine or Satsuma Mandarins, 5lbs, $3.88 {first 2}
Use $1/1-5lb box Cuties printable coupon (must register to receive coupon link in email)
Final price $2.88

Fuji or Gala Apples $.78/lb

Kroger or Spice Islands Spices 50% off

Knudsen Sparkling Juice $1.67

Pacific Foods Natural Broth $1.50
Use $1/1 printable coupon
Final price $.50

Marie Callender’s Fruit or Cream Pies $4.50
Use $1/1 Marie Callendar Pie printable coupon
Final price $3.50

Fred Meyer Extra Large Eggs $1.50
Use $.55/2 doz Eggs printable coupon
Final price $1.23 each WYB2

Nabisco Ritz Crackers $2.50
Use $1/2 Nabisco cracker printable coupon
OR use $1/2 Nabisco Cracker Products (IE)  Printable (FF)
OR use $1/2 from 11/14 SS  Did not get locally, buy on ebay here
Final price $2.00 each WYB2

Lay’s Classic or Lay’s Kettle Cooked Chips $2.00
Use $1/2 Kettle Cooked Chips from 12/05 SS
Final price $1.50 each WYB2

Private Selection Frozen Berries $2.50

Fred Meyer Cranberry Sauce, 14 oz, $.69

Sonicare Essence or Sonicare for Kids Rechargeable Toothbrush $49.99
Use in-store coupon, found by product (if this is a store coupon then the following transaction will work)
Use the $10/1 Sonicare coupon from 11/21 SS
PLUS submit for a $10 rebate using the rebate form from 11/21 SS
Final price $19.99 after coupons and rebate

Nerf N-Strike Vulcan Blaster $22.49 (reg $44.99)
Use in-ad 10% off Toys coupon
Final price $20.25

Mr. or Mrs. Potato Head $5
Use in-ad 10% off Toys coupon
Final price $4.50

Dream Collection Baby Deluxe, 3-In-1 Nursery Combo with Doll or Baby Doll with Stroller Set $12.49 (reg 24.99)
Use in-ad 10% off Toys coupon
Final price $11.25

Star Wars Boba Fett Electronic Helmet $19.99 (reg 39.99)
Use in-ad 10% off Toys coupon
Final price $18.00

1 Day Sale (Sunday)

Misses’ or Junior Long-Sleeve or Short-Sleeve Tee by Great Northwest® and energie $6.79 (after in-ad 15% off bonus coupon)

Great Northwest® Men’s Sweaters $12.74 (after 15% off in-ad bonus coupon)

Converse for Kids $12.74 (after 15% off in-ad bonus coupon)

All Framed Art 50% off PLUS use 10% in-ad coupon

Check here for more deals

Check back daily, Fred Meyer is having a different”Sale Day” everyday now until Christmas!