Ever since the TLC show Extreme Couponing came out, the idea of saving a ton of money with coupons has become a dream and a goal for a lot of people. While it is possible to significantly reduce the amount of money you pay for items via coupons, the fact is that extreme couponing may not work for everyone. There are several factors that go into determining how much money you can save with this process, and you may just have limited options in your area. Before you get your hopes up about buying $1,218.00 worth of groceries for $24.58, you may want to realize what you can actually do with coupons. Here is an overview of some of the factors that go into extreme couponing so you can determine if you even have the option to do it.
Double Value Coupon Days
One of the main ways that extreme couponers save money is by doubling the value of their coupons during certain days of the month. You may or may not have a grocery store in your area that offers double coupon days. In some areas of the country, stores that do offer double value days only allow you to double a coupon’s value up to $1. That may limit the amount of money you can save. You can still reduce the price you pay for groceries and household items, but you may not be able to get as much money off as you would want to.
Coupon Matchups
Another key method that extreme couponers use to save money is matching up coupons to store sales to double the savings. If Kleenex tissues are on sale for $2 a box and you have a coupon that allows you to save $1 when you buy two of them, you could potentially get each box for $1.50. That is at least the theory behind coupon matchups, but it doesn’t always work. Some stores will only allow you to use coupons on full priced items, so you may not be able to double up on the savings. You either have to choose the coupon price or the sale price – not both. As frustrating as that may be, it is smart business on the store’s part. They’re just trying to make something out of every transaction.
Printable and Downloadable Coupons
Some stores will not take coupons that you print off the web. That could significantly cut down on your savings, because then all you have to rely on is the set of coupon inserts that you happen to get in the local newspaper. If you don’t find anything you like in those ads, you might not be able to save much money at all. The same theory goes for downloadable coupons as some stores do not offer savings cards. This may not limit your savings a lot, but it will put some limitation on you. You just have to look over the coupon policies for stores in your area to see what your options are.
So, Does Extreme Couponing Really Work?
Yes and no. For a lot of places, the theories used in extreme couponing can in fact help you save a bunch of money on groceries and household items. For some though, stores just don’t allow shoppers to save as much money as they would have liked to. You can at least take some of the savings principles from extreme couponers and try to apply them to your shopping trips. Any money saved is better than money spent for no reason. With the right opportunities and a savvy way of saving, you should be on your way to growing your bank account in no time.