When it comes to extreme couponing the obvious benefits are the savings. Where the occasional coupon user may save anywhere from $20 – $40 on the average weekly shopping bill, the extreme couponers is seeing immense savings of up to 90% or more. If done correctly it’s like putting cash back into your pocket every time you shop.
Any effort put into extreme couponing will result in large savings for you and your family. Even if you don’t quite get it right the first time, you will still see your efforts pay off by way of the savings. But beware; once you realize how much money you can potentially save, you may be hooked for life. Extreme Couponers want to stretch the family dollar to the extreme.
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of extreme couponing:
The Pros:
Of course the pros begin with the amount of money you can save. In this economy any amount of money saved in itself is a victory. Even if you don’t save 90% the first time you’ve saved some. Right?
Free stuff. When done correctly by combining the right combination of sales and coupons, many of the foods and household items you buy regularly can be couponed for free. For example a tube of toothpaste is on sale for $2.00. You have 6 $2.50 off coupon. By purchasing 6 boxes of toothpaste you will in fact get those 6 tubes of toothpaste free and earned $3.00 in profits!
You get your family involved. Because Extreme couponing can be so time consuming you can turn it into a family affair.
Get your kids involved. Spend time working together. By working together as a team you will be learning values as a family. Heck, get the neighbor kids involved too. They may learn something.
When you get your family involved you are also teaching your family lessons they will carry into their adult lives. Lessons such as how to develop strategies and systems, grow organization skills, work ethics, dedication, saving strategies ect…
Help Charities. Many extreme couponing families donate parts of their stockpiles to charities. There are a ton of food banks, homeless shelters and rehab centers that need your help. There is no better joy than giving and helping others.
Stock up. Take advantage of the deals. When was the last time a large family had enough food or toilet paper? When finding the right combination of coupons and store specials you can stock up on the necessities that your family needs. What better feeling than taking advantage of the huge savings and having a few months worth of cereal or toilet paper on the shelf? There is nothing wrong with preparing for the future. That’s money spent now that you won’t be spending later.
The Cons:
Time Consuming. Yes, saving boatloads of cash can be time consuming. It takes a lot of effort to collect coupons, clip and sort, and of course planning the shopping strategy. And, not to mention the shopping trip. It could be difficult on families that have young children to tote along.
Store Policies: Many stores do not offer double coupons. Triple savings on your coupons may have become a thing of the past. Stores may not be willing to accept an unlimited number of coupons on a single product either. This is why it is very important to do some store policy research before you shop.
Sales Tax: While there is no sales tax on food or necessary items the store may tax coupons. Ridicules but it happens.
Working Togther as a family. Each family member will need to find the time to work together or set up some sort of schedule.
Stockpiling – Every family may not have the space to stockpile. Stockpiling, with the premier of the “Extreme
Couponing” series, stockpiling seems to be turning into a bad word. Many see stockpiling as ‘hoarding’ Hording is the obsession with keeping things of no value because they offer value to the hoarder. They feel connected to the ‘things’. Well, any normal person can see the value in stockpiling food, toilet paper, laundry detergent, ect…. These things are necessary for everyday living and they do have value.
Note: With stockpiling you will need to learn the ‘first in first out’ method of storage. Know the shelf life of each perishable item, like peanut butter.
Today, many families are on a budget. They feel cash strapped and just don’t have the extra money to spend. But, everyone has to eat. A little effort can go a long way. More and more shoppers are seeing the value in using coupons. Coupons save you money, which is obvious. For a family of four even saving $20 off the weekly food bill can be rewarding. Smart shoppers are zeroing in on the deals, buying less and balancing budgets. There are benefits to taking the time to look for the best buys and clip coupons.
Maybe extreme couponing may not seem right for you. You would never empty the shelves or hold up the line at the grocery store. But with a little extra planning you too can save a little hard earned cash on your shopping bills.