Extreme Couponing as a Survival Tool.

[Reverenddel]

I know it seems strange, but in truth? My girlfriend is not quite an "Extreme Couponing" but she's pretty good with them. She cuts the grocery/essentials bill by 1/3 to 1/2 every time.

The only difference between an extreme couponer, and a survivalist/prepper is paying full price, and getting free items.

So if you're able to take the time? Take the time. It's worth it in the end...

[mamabearCali]

The primary thing with extreme couponing is that you have to use the items that you buy. For shoppers like myself that do 85% of my shopping around the outer rim of the grocery store and then only venture into a few isle it tends to have less benefit. That said I use coupons for cereal, and canned veggies quite a bit. Funny thing though they only rarely have coupons for things like rice, flour, and canned milk (things I think of as survival type gear). So if you can find it or do it more power to you!

[Unkn0wN]

My wife does this. She doesn't consider herself an extreme couponer, but she does do it and it helps. When she can get 20 tubes of toothpaste and 10 laundry detergents for Free, that saves a lot of money. She is good at it. I always have a variety of chips and cereal. Our pantry is full of cereal, all different kinds, the big boxes too. I actually have to tell her "No More Cereal." LOL

But she likes doing it, and it is a good thing, so I can't complain.

[Reverenddel]

Correct, I have enough toilet paper to keep my keister clean for a year!

There are items you can "TRADE". Soap, shampoo, toothpaste will come about in short supply, and trading a couple bottles of shampoo for a small dent in someone's ammo supply during a disaster may prove worthwhile.

The only thing is storage. When you grab for a towel, and their are 20 boxes of Mac and Cheese in the closet? Yeah.

[Unkn0wN]

Correct, I have enough toilet paper to keep my keister clean for a year!

There are items you can "TRADE". Soap, shampoo, toothpaste will come about in short supply, and trading a couple bottles of shampoo for a small dent in someone's ammo supply during a disaster may prove worthwhile.

The only thing is storage. When you grab for a towel, and their are 20 boxes of Mac and Cheese in the closet? Yeah.

Haha, yes, how can I forget the toilet paper and soap. She has even asked me to build her some more shelves out in the garage, but I told "If it fills the space provided, I think we have enough."

Every single time she goes out shopping and gets home, her first words are "Guess how much I spent for all this..." I tried at first, but now I just tell her "just surprise me."

I sure am glad I am not the only one here that is going through this, haha.

[BuckHijo]

I've actually just started looking into this but have no clue were to start. Does anyone have any tips on were to begin? Like a website for coupons or a good store to use?

[OakRidgeStars]

Groupon seems to be popular, but there are a lot of coupon sites that do nothing but harvest email addresses and personal info. One tip is to get a free email address from Gmail and use that to sign up.

And as always, Buyer Beware.

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&cp=5&gs_id ... &q=coupons

[Reverenddel]

How to start? Type "extreme couponing" in google, and a few of the top coupon sites come up. Every couponer has they're own personal favorite site, all depends on what you buy, and want to buy.

BUT!

How my girlfriend does it? She gets friends, and family to give her the Sunday ads, and coupons when they're done. Then she does "price match" by getting ALL the flyers from the supermarkets/drug stores around.

She said "Make sure that you not only check the company policy on coupons before you go shopping, and PRINT IT OUT! (her emphasis)".

Also, make sure you have storage, because I have yet again found more Mac and Cheese in the towel closet... (sigh) Also, I have enough razors till..... 2043... BECAUSE! "We get .03 for every pack we buy!"