Purchasing hundreds of dollars worth of stuff for as little as possible by couponing has become a lifestyle for many around the world. Most couponers have saved a lot of money over the years by stockpiling on consumer products.
To many of us, couponing may mean clipping off deals from newspapers or using digital voucher codes to save a penny here and there. Most of these coupons are for discounts or free products when you purchase another. However, for extreme couponers, it is more than just saving a few dollars.
Does extreme couponing really help people save money? Keep reading this article to find out!
What Is Extreme Couponing?
Extreme couponing allows consumers to unite their shopping skills with couponing to save all the money they can while collecting tons of groceries and household items. Extreme couponers buy years worth of products and stock them up by combining coupons with sale prices. They cut their monthly grocery bills by almost three-quarters.
These types of couponers have spent a lot of time doing research and making mistakes before becoming experts at what they do. They spend hours every day collecting as many coupons as they can. They sift through newspapers and coupon booklets and clip everything that they can benefit from. Nowadays, digital coupons have gained a lot of popularity among couponers.
For instance, check out grabatt.de, and you can get great discounts on “Emma Matratze” products using amazing digital coupons that are 100% tested and verified.
Extreme couponing sounds crazy to a lot of us. Why would anyone want to invest so much time and effort to stock up on groceries? But extreme couponers know what they are doing. With inflation on the rise and unemployment becoming a significant problem, couponing serves a purpose.
Benefits Of Extreme Couponing
Most of the pros that come with extreme couponing are financial.
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Save money on daily needs-
Nobody likes paying full price for anything they purchase. A person shops for groceries at least once a week, and paying the full amount seems like such a waste of money. Extreme couponers avail huge discounts on products that they would need for everyday use too.
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Coupon discounts plus sale equals savings-
One of the significant advantages of couponing is that you do not have to necessarily apply the coupons to full-priced items (unless the coupon says so). When you shop during sale season or at a time when the prices are slashed, you will be saving so much more money than usual.
But there are other benefits to becoming an extreme couponer too.
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Becoming a better grocery shopper-
Very often, we walk into a store with a list in our hand and a budget in mind. However, we end up making impulse purchases and go over the limit we set. But extreme couponers force themselves to become resolute in their shopping. Coupons offer deals on only certain items, and they make sure to grab only those items. This saves their shopping time.
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Being prepared for all kinds of situations-
The key to extreme couponing is stockpiling items that you can use for a long time and have a greater shelf life. Extreme couponers do not have to worry about running out of, say, detergent for a long time. They buy products they need in bulk, at a discount, and will always have them in their storeroom when needed.
In situations like lockdowns, they can put the stocked items to good use and also share them with family, friends, and neighbors.
But Do Extreme Couponers Really Save Money?
The answer is simple- yes, they do. No one would put in hours of hard work into something that did not benefit them in some way. Extreme couponers set up bigger and better deals. This means that while we would use one or two deals at a time, extreme couponers buy as much as they can using multiple deals all at once. They try to get their hand on as many coupons of the same deals as possible and use them up in one shopping trip.
The most commonly thrown-around term in extreme couponing is “stockpiling.” It means that people use coupons when products hit rock-bottom prices. By stockpiling, couponers save up to 75% at the checkout counter.
Food and home maintenance is the second largest expense for the majority of the world population. But with couponing, we gain control over how much we spend on these items. A family of four spends an average of $1000 on groceries every month, but with extreme couponing, families reduce this amount to more than half.
However, saving money should not mean hoarding items that you don’t need. They stockpile items and convince themselves that they would come in handy someday but instead end up throwing them away after their expiration date.
It is because an average family of four would not need that much food for years. So while purchasing using coupons, it is important to be aware of your necessities. Otherwise, that would defy the purpose of couponing.
Tips For Becoming A Good Extreme Couponer
Mastering extreme couponing takes patience and dedication. Initially, when you go to a store with a bunch of coupons in your hand, you will be confused and make mistakes. But these tips will help you become a good extreme couponer.
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Committing your time-
Saving money involves the investment of your time. Researching the process, collecting and organizing coupons to use them at stores require you to put in hours every day.
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Enter and leave as soon as possible-
It is essential to know what you are going to be using your coupons for before you leave your house. If you don’t, you will be wasting time walking from aisle to aisle, having no clue what to purchase. This will also lead you to buy things you don’t need. So, enter the store, get the deals and leave.
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Get your hands on multiple coupons-
Having several coupons for the same deal will effectively help you stockpile more of the same products. For example, if you have a coupon to save on detergents, you can get two detergents for two coupon deals.
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Forget brand loyalty-
Before becoming an extreme couponer, you may have been brand conscious and only preferred buying from certain brands you liked. But in extreme couponing, the aim is to save money, so whichever brand you can get for free or close to free, get your hands on it.
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Do not neglect online coupons-
Many beginners in extreme couponing decide to go the old school way and only collect coupons from newspapers and coupon booklets. Now, most of the great deal coupons are found online, and they do not cost you a penny to print out.
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Know the store’s policies-
A lot of the stores do not allow you to use two same coupons at once. So look for stores that have good policies regarding coupons and take advantage of them. Prepare a list of stores you frequently visit and create good relationships with their staff.
Conclusion
Extreme couponers should ensure they spend on products they need and not cause wastage. These products can instead be used by other people. Couponing should be a fun activity and not become a full-time job.
While extreme couponing has its merits and demerits, pursuing it is a personal choice. Whether you decide to become an extreme couponer or not, it is crucial to be a responsible shopper and find the best and ethical ways to save money.