Retailers Afraid of Extreme Couponers? News Flash: Most of Us are Just Average Couponers

We loved Erin from the new Extreme Couponing show on Wednesday night. Her heart is absolutely in the right place and we learned a lot from her couponing skills. But if you are like many viewers, you probably don't have a stockpile like Erin's. It's OKAY to be an average couponer and love the show. Photo: Courtesy TLC

Retailers worry that every couponer will turn extreme, but that’s not the case. In fact, Coupons.com released an educational program called Real Life Savings–it’ll puts coupon savings into perspective and shows that most people do not typically save 99 percent at the store. Scroll down for link and details.

Wednesday debuted the second season of TLC’s Extreme Couponing show, and it ushered in a new wave of fears from retailers who say they are afraid couponers will empty their shelves, use fake coupons at self-checkouts, and steal newspaper inserts. Evidently all of this has been done, but I’m sure it’s been done way before Extreme Couponing was even a glimmer in TLC’s eye.

The reality is this: most of us couponers average 40 to 60 percent off of our grocery bills–mostly the lower end of the scale and we are overjoyed if we ever hit 60 percent savings. Most of us get one darn newspaper a week, use Coupons.com and Couponmom.com, and hope our friends remember to give us unwanted Catalinas and inserts. Most of us do not, hear me…DO NOT have one or two years of toilet paper stashed in the basement. Nor would we want that much toilet paper, anyhow! (What if the basement flooded? Yuck!)

TFF is happy to show you a fantastic link we stumbled across. The link brings you to Real Life Savings, a series of Facebook videos from Coupons.com that shows and educates others about how real life coupon savings works. This is more like what really happens in the world of couponing. (We especially like Suzy and Sherri’s video.)

And does TFF think the folks on Extreme Couponing are a bit…weird? Heck yes! But we are happy to learn new ideas from the show, too.

~TFF

Undercover at New ShopRite in Fairfield, CT

 

Prices are always attractive when a new grocery store opens–but then they slowly edge up. Let’s hope Fairfield’s new ShopRite will remain a great destination for years to come. Photo: TFF

Fairfielders are genuinely happy to see ShopRite open today in the former Shaw’s space. Though we have Trader Joe’s, Stop & Shop, and for those willing to pay the price—we have a new Whole Foods—in Fairfield, what a relief to have ShopRite (whose parent company also owns TFF favorite PriceRite in Bridgeport) in the neighborhood.

Yes, there was a minor crowd of 100 or so anxious shoppers and press at 9:00 a.m.to witness the ribbon cutting and speeches by town and store officials. Yes, there was minor trampling when the doors opened (shoppers rammed carts into my backside and stepped on my sandaled feet numerous times! Folks–it’s only a grocery store for heaven’s sake!). No, there were no giveaways or free coffee (much to my surprise) so you didn’t miss much if you weren’t there.

In a whirlwind walk-through, TFF managed to get some decent deals (grapes .99 cents a pound, frozen ravioli for $1.33 a bag), snagged a few coupons that were being handed out (though I asked for a dozen, the store associate gave me only three), surveyed some prices (some good, some not), and asked about coupon policies which stumped a couple of associates. All in all, it seems like a decent place, utilitarian, and clean (if you want atmosphere and chic design, head to Whole Foods).

The courtesy desk associate said that sometimes there will be triple coupon vouchers in the store flyers—nice perk, but let’s see how often they show up.

Watch for tricky price signage at ShopRite. You can easily confuse the price of an item with what you’re “saving.” The cost of the toothpaste here is not .80 cents or $1.00 as the signage above may have you believe if you’re walking down the aisles in a hurry.

One word of warning – the price signage under products can be misleading (see above). The signage emphasizes what you save, not what the actual item costs, which can throw most shoppers for a loop especially when in a rush.

TFF will continue reporting on any good deals at the new ShopRite!

 

 

Bargain Alert for Fairfield, CT: 50% off Whole Foods

QUICK — for those of us frugalites who want a bit of organic at Whole Foods, but don’t like the high cost, here’s a good deal — get $20 for $10. Okay, TFF doesn’t make it a habit to waste space sharing these Groupon or Living Social deals–but TFF couldn’t resist sharing this one. Good to buy for one more day only.

Go to this link (Social Living) to get the deal. Find your city (TFF found Southern Connecticut to use) and go from there.

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Criticizing Couponers: C’mon, Leave Us Alone!

 

Couponers don't care about the dirty looks we get at check out. We still love to get our coupons (especially those P&G newspaper inserts!) To find out when your next P&G newspaper insert is coming your way, click on this photo. Photo: Courtesy of P&G/PRNewswire

Never did I think that couponers would be criticized for their actions. There are certainly more extreme problems in the world than extreme couponers. After reading way too many long and scathing articles about how awful couponers act, you’d think we were a bunch of Bernie Madoffs. C’mon, folks, we’re just trying to cut our grocery bills, not swindle people out of peanut butter.

Now, I’m not an extreme couponer, but I do coupon, and I see the benefits of saving 50 to 60 percent off my groceries at check out, and I will continue to coupon to feed my hungry crew.

I have seen some strange reactions to my coupons, though—from positive to downright rude. I’ve had a handful of people at check out comment that I know how to shop right, to a handful of people at check out give me the once over, tell me they think TLC’s EC show is dumb (I am a fan of the show because I learn a lot from it), then ask me if my family really needs ten boxes of typically expensive cereal and thirteen boxes of juice packs (uh…yes!).

The benefits of couponing became crystal clear the day before school started when I was running ragged through Target, picking up groceries willy-nilly without thinking about cost or coupons. My thought process went something like this: paying this much for single packet Pringles is crazy, but I will get back to couponing once the kids are back in school… I wonder why other people are willing to pay these prices without coupons…how is it that the woman down the aisle can just throw groceries in her cart without coupons or looking at the price?

After the sticker shock of that little shopping spree, I vowed to get back to couponing asap. Happily, I used my Catalina coupons at Stop & Shop yesterday and walked away with my free toothpaste, $1.00 boxes of Keebler fudge granola bars, and paid pennies for Pantene shampoo and conditioner.

Ahhh, it’s good to be back in the couponing business. I can’t wait for the second season of EC to start. And, I couldn’t care less who gives me the evil eye at check out. ~TFF