Are You An Extreme Couponer?

The short answer is: No.

I am not even close to an extreme couponer. I don't have the time or the patience or THE WANT to do that.

Did I watch the show tonight? Yea, I did, mainly just for the "entertainment" value". But I could never do what they did. I couldn't do 18 transactions and take over an hour to check out, it would drive me bonkers and, to me, it isn't worth the "savings" in the end.

I don't buy 40 tubes of toothpaste just because I could get it for free. I don't see a point in that. If I'm not going to use it, even if it's free, I'll skip over it. I post a lot of deals on here (I know, I know, I've been a little lax lately, for which I apologize) but that doesn't mean I personally use them all. I skip at least half of them.

Most of the time, depending on what it is, we usually have about a 6 week supply of the item. Now there are some items we run through so, so fast that I keep it stocked pretty heavily. Like detergent; we us All Free and Clear because of dye/fragrance allergies and we also do AT LEAST one or two loads of laundry per day. So when it goes on sale and I can get it for under $2 a bottle (it happens probably 3-4 times a year), I will get maybe 8 or 9 bottles (not all at once, but it's usually over the course of the sale) to stock up because we will go through 8 or 9 bottles in a few months.

But frankly, my house doesn't have the room for a stockpile like the ones people have on these shows, even if I was an extreme couponer. There is just no where for it all to go. I honestly don't know of too many people that have the room for a huge stockpile like that.

I usually save between 50-65% each week at the grocery store, and I'm really happy with that. It's a great fit in my family's budget.

Not to mention, I really enjoy shopping at mall stores and I like being able to see how much I can save on items there. I have actually challenged myself to go to the mall and not spend more than $20 on the whole trip and it is amazing how much I have actually been able to come out of the mall with.

I guess my basic gist of this is; to each his/her own. If you want to be an extreme couponer; go for it. My hope, though, is that you would at least donate some of it to those that are in need and might need it more than you. But, that's also a personal decision.