Extreme Couponing
Taking Savings to the Next Level
Everyone knows how a coupon works. Simply bring a slip of paper provided by the store or product manufacturer with you when you go shopping, and receive the goods listed on the coupon at a lesser price.
While this may offer a majority of shoppers a better deal on certain products, some have taken their savings to the next level, turning the classic coupon cutting into a full time job, and receiving their groceries, which may total into the hundreds of dollars, for little to no money at all!
The method that is used to shave such large amounts of money off of your grocery bill is called extreme couponing, and has become a national craze even inspiring a television show by the same name.
After all, who does not want to save the most money possible during their shopping venture, stretching their money as far as it will go?
More and more shoppers are using coupons to capitalize on savings, inspiring them to take it a step further, learning how to start extreme couponing for themselves.
The First Step to Savings
Consider this your lesson in extreme couponing 101. The first step is to of course gather some coupons for products and services that you may be interested in, typically found in the Sunday paper or a store’s own publication.
Then, once the proper coupons are collected, one must hold on to them, aiming to use them at the time where they will offer the greatest amount of savings.
Another simple method to collecting coupons is to use the Internet. The internet may have coupons available that printed publications do not, and is an excellent gateway to even greater savings.
There are many tools available online for finding coupons, from actually visiting the manufacturer’s website, to using tools such as our free toolbar to download coupons.
I’ve Got the Coupons, Now What?
Although it may be difficult to resist going out and beginning your own extreme couponing adventure, it is absolutely critical to your success that you hold on the coupons, accumulating more and waiting for the ideal time to use them.
Shop around and see which stores offer the lowest prices on the goods or services that you are looking to save on, as this will help to keep even more money in your pocket.
Also, be sure to take note of the coupon’s fine print, checking the expiration date and limitations, as coupons that do not expire and that allow for more than one coupon to be used are the most valuable.
Once you have collected and determined which coupons will be the most useful, it is time to start checking the stores for advertised sales.
This step is absolutely simple, and only requires a trip to the store or a quick read through the store’s advertisements in their written publications.
Now just check to see if any of your coupons match up to products that are on sale and bingo, you have just maximized your savings potential!
Practice Makes Perfect
While the first trip to the supermarket may yield good savings, they may not be the kinds of impressive savings that a seasoned shopper using extreme couponing may be able to take home.
However, do not become discouraged. The secret to these vast savings is to take advantage of stacking coupons, meaning coupons that can work in conjunction with one another to yield greater savings, as well as store loyalty programs.
For example, a popular chain of stores CVS offers ECB or ‘extra care bucks’ that work the same as cash in that particular store, given out as an incentive to buy a certain product.
The trick to maximizing your extreme couponing savings potential is to become an avid user of programs like these, ideally purchasing products with ECB in order to receive another product that generates more ECB, increasing your overall savings exponentially.
After a short amount of time, you will be able to quickly realize which coupons are the most valuable, and how to make the most of your money at any given store using either the coupons found in the paper or online using our coupon download toolbar, or the store’s own loyalty rewards program.
Now Get Out There!
With the information provided in this article on how to start extreme couponing, you have absolutely everything that you need in order to become an extreme couponing professional yourself!
Simply grab some coupons, plan your strategy, and learn of your local stores’ loyalty rewards programs in order to start saving right away.
Also do not forget to check back here for more valuable extreme couponing tips and tools, including our free toolbar that puts a wide range of downloadable coupons right at your fingertips! Happy shopping!


Feb, 2012
