Anonymous wrote:

MikeL wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Companies have to make money, so all of us end up paying for people like OP.

Bullshit.
Companies want people to use coupons. They make money off of the purchase, even with a coupon.

You are a true idiot. You think companies will just eat the loss?

I'm not going to resort to name-calling, but companies are fine with legitimate use of coupons. They print on the coupon if there is a limit, like 4 coupons per visit or whatever.

Why do companies like coupons? It's what is called price discrimination (business school term), and it works well based on how much time people have. Let's say your retired and on a limited income. You're not going to buy Bounty paper towels at the usual price because it's too expensive compared to the store brand. However, if you spend the time to clip a coupon, and as a retiree you have the time, then now Bounty is the same or similar price than the store brand. So P&G just made a sale to a person they would normally not have sold to, for that reason.

It's the same reason movie theaters charge less to see the movie during the day. It's to get people who have more time on their hands, but are price-sensitive and would not pay to see the movie at the evening price. Might as well get them in during the day, compared to not getting them at all.

Why do people care ?

Why do you care what they think?

Why do people even know this about you anyway?

Maybe the best thing to do is just live your life and stop telling everyone about it. No one will have anything to say -good or bad - about your couponing if you keep it to yourself.

Really, it's pretty annoying to hear friends chatter on about stuff like this. Maybe the people in your life just want you to STFU about it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I paid $10 for supplies to make my own laundry soap last year . I just ran out of one of them. I think you're spending way too much on laundry soap even with coupons. Plus you're adding crap to the landfil. If you really want to be proud, tasked this clipping thing to the next level and go green. See how little stuff you can buy instead of how much you can buy for so little.

What a great idea! What recipe did you use? Did you like how it worked?

I see this recipe:

Pour in the borax, washing soda, and pot of soap; stir until dissolved. 4. Cover the bucket and let the mixture sit for 24 hours. The mixture will be a little clumpy, so give it a good stir before using.

I'm happy with it. My clothes don't look dingy or anything as far as I can tell. I make powdered soap with borax, washing soda, make some baking soda if I think of it and a bar of soap. Most recipes call for ivory or fels naptha (sp?) but I didn't care for the scent of the ivory. I was using the sunshine bar from Whole Foods (they have those random bars of soap on a table) but they discontinued the scent I like so this last batch I used Mrs. Myers bar in lavender scent.I grate the bar of soap with my kitchen aid grater and then mix 1C of the powders and the grated soap together and run that through the blender and it comes out nice and powdery. It takes me about 10-15 min start to finish. You use 1 T of the powder per load though I usually add more. I make mine in small batches of 1 C of the borax and washing soda but you could make bigger batches if you didn't want to make soap as often.

Anonymous wrote:Op here

I use coupons to buy canned goods, bread, dairy products, and toiletries. You will not find 25 cases of ramen in my house. I started couponing for just the toiletries and cleaning products, as they were adding up quickly. No I don't advertise my couponing to friends. My closest friends know because they are my best friends. The people I'm referring to are people at a store who see I have coupons and liken it to stealing.
I usually shop at stores that are open late (there are maybe 5 customers in the store)and I go at around 9 pm so I can be out by 11. Only takes 20 mins a day to coupon for the week.

20 min a day, plus extra time in the store, then add the lost value of not getting my preferred brand...

Less than my hourly rate. I will just pay, thank you.

I use coupons in Costco. I buy what we buy and use a coupon if there is one. Usually save $20 on $300.

No, stealing is not what I think of you. Other bad things, but not thief.

More power to you, OP.

Money saved is money earned.

I think you deserve to save the money because you are devoting the time for it. Never be embarrassed by it, be proud.

I never coupon because I am not that organized. But I envy others who can.

Also, a person who is careful with their money will never be in debt. Those who are deriding you are stretched to the max because they do not know how to make their money work hard.

Op here. No I don't have a desk job. I'm on my feet all day.

Anonymous wrote:OP sounds a little bit nuts. Who buys $250 worth of toiletries, canned goods, bread, and dairy? That's like the cheapest stuff out there! Also, who spends TWO hours in the store??? Crazy.

If you have a large family...

OP sounds a little bit nuts. Who buys $250 worth of toiletries, canned goods, bread, and dairy? That's like the cheapest stuff out there! Also, who spends TWO hours in the store??? Crazy.

Have you thought of extreme couponing and starting a small military commissary kind of operation for military, police, teachers. first responders and their families at slightly above your cost?

What a way to help out people who do not make a boatload of money but are the pillars of society?

'Couponing' should have never become a verb.

I use coupons, and have for several years, but don't buy 20 of something.

Harris Teeter has a 20 coupon limit per transaction.

I do not split my cart into separate transactions. What I have is what I got. I use the Safeway app as well, which doesn't require anything (once you add the sale items/discounts) other than swiping your club card. No one has given me a dirty look. I have saved around $500 a year between sales, coupons and double coupons. It takes me about 15 minutes to clip coupons and I let the pile from the Sunday post add up. I have left coupons in the store next to the item before if I know I won't use it and the expiration is near, hoping someone else grabs it.

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think it is pretty awesome that you are couponing. I think it is a great skill. Somehow, couponing gets a bad rap only because women do it most often. If a man was couponing, he would be hailed for being clever and a master strategist.

nah he'd be called cheap, weird and/or on the spectrum.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Companies have to make money, so all of us end up paying for people like OP.

Now I am very confused.

1. Companies issue the coupons for people to use to buy the companies' stuff.
2. When people use the coupons to buy the companies' stuff, they're stealing from the companies.

I don't get it.

Or maybe the companies issue the coupons, but people aren't supposed to use the coupons to buy the companies' stuff? If so, what do the companies issue the coupons for? Lining the bottom of the bird cage? Wallpaper?

the ink in colored ads is toxic to birds so it's definitely not that. I only line my birds cages with the black and white newsprint. Unless I'm desperate. But then my newer cages have a barrier between the paper and the cage so maybe you're on to something afterall.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

But they are stealing by not using the coupons for what they're buying. So for the third time, OP, is this what you do, or do you buy every item listed on the coupons you use? I'm thinking you don't, since you won't answer.

What does this mean? How do you use a coupon for something you aren't buying? The cashier or register will notice.

Example, Coupon may state "Not valid for trial size" but the coupon UPC will still go through even if the trial size is purchased. Cashiers usually only pay attention to the specifics if the register indicates some sort of error. Some people will intentionally use self-check registers to try & get away with it.

How do you know this? Have you tried it? I've had coupons rejected for not buying the exact item/size.

I heard about it when Extreme Couponing show first came out. One of their first shoppers got busted by eagle-eyed viewers for using a spreadsheet with UPC codes. There used to be website devoted just to helping people cheat. I'm too honest to do that.

http://thekrazycouponlady.com/2011/11/07/extreme-couponing-tip-bar-code-decoding/