Is this what it’s come to?

Has grocery shopping turned into a Black-Friday-like experience?

• People racing to the store to get the deal?
• Couponers buying out the stores just for the thrill of the deal?
• Shoppers who only want 3 or 4 items finding bare shelves?
• Little old ladies searching for their favorite shampoo with no success because some crazy coupon shopper just HAD to take all 25 bottles (claiming it was for charity)?

We’ve read your comments, we’ve seen the chats, we’ve received your frustrated emails… and we’ve experienced empty shelves ourselves!

Why the sudden onslaught of EMPTY SHELVES?

Here’s my opinion.  Based on fact, assumption, and my street smarts. 

• FACT: TLC’s Extreme Couponing has brought couponing to an intense level of awareness.   Look what happened to the traffic on our site the month Extreme Couponing first aired.  That’s huge.  We nearly doubled our traffic in one month.  Not gonna lie, it’s been good for business… but man it sure stinks for our coupon shopping trips!
• FACT:  The interest in coupons has heightened over the last few months.  This chart shows the increase of google searches for the keywords “grocery coupons” in the past 12 months.  Look how it’s exploded! (source: google keyword tool)
• ASSUMPTION:  For many, their first exposure to the way we’ve been couponing the past few years, has been via TLC’s Extreme Couponing.
• STREET SMARTS:  What are these impressionable new couponers learning from this show?  This show exemplifies that shelf clearing is normal, that they’ve got to have a dedicated room in their home to store their stockpile… even though they have a family of 2, that unethical coupon practices aren’t a big deal (referencing J’aime Kerlew in this post).
• FACT:  The stores can’t keep up with the onslaught of new couponers.  They’re experiencing growing pains!  Will we see them order 3 x’s as much product?  Probably not.  Will we see some managers limiting the amount of product couponers can buy?  Maybe so!  Believe me, the store managers are frustrated as well!  They don’t want a bunch of dissatisfied shoppers (remember there are NON-couponers that shop at their stores too!)
• ASSUMPTION:  These new couponers will get burnt out chasing every single deal.  We don’t recommend couponing that way!
• FACT:  The deals WILL come back!   There is no need to buy a lifetime supply of  toothpaste, mustard, or toilet paper.

So Now What?!

You can get frustrated, angry, and give up. Where is the anger and frustration coming from?  It comes from the unrealized expectations of scoring at the grocery store… of getting all the items (or in some cases just a few items) on your shopping list.

OR

You can take a deep breath, relax, and shake it off.  You can choose how you’ll react.  THAT you do have control over. Here are some tips to help you achieve your stockpile with a slow and steady (and patient) pace…

Slow and Steady Wins the Race!

1. Don’t be the problem! Practice good coupon ethics.  This means:  you place an order if you want a lot of product, don’t take peelies off of products, don’t photocopy coupons, do be kind to your cashiers and those in line behind you… do all you can to give couponers a good name!
2. Teach others to NOT be the problem! Got a friend who decided to coupon because they watched Extreme Couponing?  Teach them the realities of Extreme Couponing (that it’s NOT real)!  Teach them how to make couponing work… for everyone!
3. Don’t feel the need to get every deal! Can I admit something to you?  I have NEVER EVER done a coupon shopping trip at Rite Aid.  Ever. Not because I don’t think they have awesome deals, clearly they do!  The closest Rite Aid to me is about 4 miles away.  I rarely drive that direction, and it’s just not convenient for me to shop there.  SO, that means I miss Rite Aid deals!  Guess what – I’m OK with that! 
4. Don’t feel the need to get a life time or even a years supply! Typically, many items will cycle through promos every 6-12 weeks.  That means, many items you can just purchase a 1-3 month supply of.  Keep expiration dates in mind!  Don’t buy 20 bottles of mayonnaise if you won’t use it before it expires.  Extreme Couponing can make a person feel like they have to “keep up” with that massive stockpile.  An EXTREME stockpile just isn’t the norm.  Don’t expect that of yourself!

Tired of Empty Shelves?

1. Find a new store! Do you live near a heavily couponed store?  Then find one that is less “shopped”.  A few extra miles may be worth less frustration and a happy shopper!
2. Be Mindful of When you Shop – let’s face it… if it’s the last night of the sale, you just can’t plan on getting many of the deals you’d hoped for.  I carefully suggest you hit the sale earlier… please note that I’m NOT suggesting you sitting outside the front door at 6 am the first day of the sale!  (that’s when the visions of Black Friday start popping into my head!)
3. I mentioned it before, but placing an order is a key part of building a stockpile.  If I want 20 boxes of dishwasher detergent, you can bet I’m going to place an order!  If I want 5 boxes of cereal, I WON’T place an order.  Communicate with your grocery manager!  They can become your BFF!
4. Just ASK! Don’t be afraid to ask if there is more product in the back.  Sometimes they’ve been so busy, they haven’t been able to keep up with the demand.  It never hurts to ask.  If they’re out…
5. Find out when the store gets shipments in! Then plan you shopping trips around those times.
6. Call before you go! My favorite stores are stored on my cell phone!  Call your nearest 3 stores and check on your top 3 items.  Are they in stock?  This will help you decide if it’s worth a trip to the store.
7. Ask for a raincheck - most stores will give you a raincheck so you can still have that sale price when they get more product in stock.  Mel has had instances at Rite Aid where this worked in her favor!

One Last Thought… Couponing for Charity

First things first.  I’m all about giving. Using couponing as a tool to help bless the lives of others is truly awesome.  BUT (yes, I feel there is a necessary time but), shelf clearing in the name of charity isn’t OK.  Here’s why we feel this way:

1. Remember that there are MANY MANY couponers whose couponing habits are keeping their families off of food stamps (thus saving tax payer dollars!).
2. Some couponers aren’t trying to build a massive stockpile, but just need to feed their families that week.   When the shelves are empty, they don’t have a huge stockpile to fall back on.
3. Think about it… is your true intent to experience the high of saving and justify it by giving?  That’s a great way to get your high… but not at the expense of others.  Just don’t forget about your fellow couponers.

How You Can Coupon & Give Without Depriving Other Couponers:

1. Consider just donating from your personal stockpile.  That way the only shelves you’re taking product from are your own!  Let’s face it… there are many couponers who just have too much!
2. If you want to score some great deals and donate the product, then place an order! {see above}
3. Shop a little bit at a time, in moderation.  Remember there are other couponers who aren’t asking for charity, they simply want to feed their families and be self sufficient during difficult times.

I realize this was a lengthy post.  But it is something that has been on my mind for quite awhile lately.  Us fab fruGALs have been very concerned about the effect Extreme Couponing has had on coupon shopping.  We realize our voice isn’t quite loud enough to be heard on top of all the noise that big television network is making, we just couldn’t sit back and be quiet.

For me personally, couponing has truly blessed my life.  I found it a mere 7 months before my husband lost his job in 2009.  It’s kept my large family of 9 off of foodstamps while we’ve waded through more than 2 years of unemployment.  I for one like couponing… and I hope that in the end, good coupon ethics will prevail!

What are your thoughts?

What did I leave out?  Where do you think I’m wrong?  Or do you agree with me and think I’m spot on?