What is wrong with these people? I saw one show where the woman bought over
100 cups of yogurt. Yes, she has a husband and three kids but could they
possibly eat all that before they expire? She also bought a ton of mustard.
The person narrating the show said mustard never goes bad. I beg to differ!
This was prepared mustard. It has an expiration date on it. And I know
from experience that if it is really old it gets a watery part and a solid
part. Not good! I also know from both MIL and mother's cupboards that
really old dry mustard hasn't got much flavor. So I would think the
prepared would lose its flavor after time too. Oh and the husband had to
remind her that he doesn't even LIKE mustard. She just laughed.

On another show a woman bought 35 bottles of Maalox tabs. Even when I was
using them on a regular basis for GERD and daughter was sometimes taking
them too, we maybe went through 6 bottles a year, if that!

One man donated a ton of cereal to a food bank. I think that's great! But
most of them don't seem to do that. They are hoarding the food in their
homes. One lady said she had enough chips to feed 800 people. Seriously?
Chips do go bad.

I think saving money is great. And I think it is necessary to keep a stock
of some non-perishable items. Particularly in the winter if you are likely
to be snowed in. Or if you live in an area where roads might be flooded and
you can't get out.

What is wrong with these people?

Julie Bove wrote:

> I think saving money is great. And I think it is necessary to keep a
> stock of some non-perishable items. Particularly in the winter if
> you are likely to be snowed in. Or if you live in an area where
> roads might be flooded and you can't get out.
>
> What is wrong with these people?

It's pretty clear that some of the people have a form of OCD similar
to hoarding. Sometimes it seems to be triggered by having to do
without at some point. On the first special there was one woman
who would cancel any and all plans if she came across some deal.
She'd have to go shopping right then, the heck with that dinner with
friends. Not good.

I like to have extra so that I don't have to watch sales all the time,
like I'll find a good deal on shampoo and I'll get 4 and I'm done
worrying about that for months. If it's often on sale for $2, it bugs
me to pay the "regular" price of $4.50 if I let it get to that point.

I like matching a coupon to a sale as much as the next person, but
it's a full time hobby for these people. I didn't understand the one
woman who thought she'd get $10 off every $50 she'd spend, I've
never known a store deal like that to be more than a one $10 off.
If she's such a couponer, how'd she miss that detail?

I never get how they can take so much off their bill, either. Yes,
double coupons are nice but they rarely wind up with getting a
product for free for me.

I can just see these people's heirs backing up a dumpster to get
rid of stuff they stockpiled 25 years ago.

nancy

> I never get how they can take so much off their bill, either. *Yes,
> double coupons are nice but they rarely wind up with getting a
> product for free for me. * *
>
> I can just see these people's heirs backing up a dumpster to get
> rid of stuff they stockpiled 25 years ago.
>
> nancy

I don't know of any of our stores that double coupons any more - there
may be some, but I don't know which ones they are, so obviously, I
don't shop in those.

N.

Nancy2 wrote:
>> I never get how they can take so much off their bill, either. Yes,
>> double coupons are nice but they rarely wind up with getting a
>> product for free for me.
>>
>> I can just see these people's heirs backing up a dumpster to get
>> rid of stuff they stockpiled 25 years ago.

> I don't know of any of our stores that double coupons any more - there
> may be some, but I don't know which ones they are, so obviously, I
> don't shop in those.

I think it's a regional type of thing, if some stores do it, they all
have to. Of course, if you don't coupon, you are likely paying higher
prices in general to pay for the program.

nancy

Nancy2 wrote:
>> I never get how they can take so much off their bill, either. Yes,
>> double coupons are nice but they rarely wind up with getting a
>> product for free for me.
>>
>> I can just see these people's heirs backing up a dumpster to get
>> rid of stuff they stockpiled 25 years ago.
>>
>> nancy
>
> I don't know of any of our stores that double coupons any more - there
> may be some, but I don't know which ones they are, so obviously, I
> don't shop in those.

I don't think the stores here do it at all. I don't recall it every
happening.

On Apr 7, 8:26*am, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
> Julie Bove wrote:
> > I think saving money is great. *And I think it is necessary to keep a
> > stock of some non-perishable items. *Particularly in the winter if
> > you are likely to be snowed in. *Or if you live in an area where
> > roads might be flooded and you can't get out.
>
> > What is wrong with these people?
>
> It's pretty clear that some of the people have a form of OCD similar
> to hoarding. *Sometimes it seems to be triggered by having to do
> without at some point. *On the first special there was one woman
> who would cancel any and all plans if she came across some deal.
> She'd have to go shopping right then, the heck with that dinner with
> friends. *Not good. * *
>
> I like to have extra so that I don't have to watch sales all the time,
> like I'll find a good deal on shampoo and I'll get 4 and I'm done
> worrying about that for months. *If it's often on sale for $2, it bugs
> me to pay the "regular" price of $4.50 if I let it get to that point.
>
> I like matching a coupon to a sale as much as the next person, but
> it's a full time hobby for these people. *I didn't understand the one
> woman who thought she'd get $10 off every $50 she'd spend, I've
> never known a store deal like that to be more than a one $10 off.
> If she's such a couponer, how'd she miss that detail? *
>
> I never get how they can take so much off their bill, either. *Yes,
> double coupons are nice but they rarely wind up with getting a
> product for free for me. * *
>
> I can just see these people's heirs backing up a dumpster to get
> rid of stuff they stockpiled 25 years ago.
>
> nancy

I don't get where they find all the coupons. Given I live in a city
with fewer than 100,000 people, but I could buy all the different
newspapers available on a weekend, clip every coupon in every magazine
I read, and never have the mountains and mountains of coupons these
people have (taking them 4 hours a day to sort and plan shopping)....
and I certainly don't ever get coupons that make the product end up
being free because most of those are "buy one, get one free."

N.

Nancy2 wrote:
> On Apr 7, 8:26 am, "Nancy Young" > wrote:

>> I never get how they can take so much off their bill, either. Yes,
>> double coupons are nice but they rarely wind up with getting a
>> product for free for me.

> I don't get where they find all the coupons. Given I live in a city
> with fewer than 100,000 people, but I could buy all the different
> newspapers available on a weekend, clip every coupon in every magazine
> I read, and never have the mountains and mountains of coupons these
> people have (taking them 4 hours a day to sort and plan shopping)....
> and I certainly don't ever get coupons that make the product end up
> being free because most of those are "buy one, get one free."

Got me. Of course the people on the show go out of their way
to get coupons. One woman dumpster dives, people write away
for coupons, another woman somehow gets her newspaper to give
her all the spare coupon inserts they usually toss. Still, I get two
papers and that means I get 2 coupons on any given product.
Hardly stacks of them.

I will never be the people who get $600 grocery bills reduced to
5 bucks. I get excited if bleach is on sale and I have a coupon so
I get 3 for $3 or something. Heh. Amateur.

nancy

Nancy Young wrote:
> Nancy2 wrote:
>> On Apr 7, 8:26 am, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
>
>>> I never get how they can take so much off their bill, either. Yes,
>>> double coupons are nice but they rarely wind up with getting a
>>> product for free for me.
>
>> I don't get where they find all the coupons. Given I live in a city
>> with fewer than 100,000 people, but I could buy all the different
>> newspapers available on a weekend, clip every coupon in every
>> magazine I read, and never have the mountains and mountains of
>> coupons these people have (taking them 4 hours a day to sort and
>> plan shopping).... and I certainly don't ever get coupons that make
>> the product end up being free because most of those are "buy one,
>> get one free."
>
> Got me. Of course the people on the show go out of their way
> to get coupons. One woman dumpster dives, people write away
> for coupons, another woman somehow gets her newspaper to give
> her all the spare coupon inserts they usually toss. Still, I get two
> papers and that means I get 2 coupons on any given product.
> Hardly stacks of them.
>
> I will never be the people who get $600 grocery bills reduced to
> 5 bucks. I get excited if bleach is on sale and I have a coupon so
> I get 3 for $3 or something. Heh. Amateur.

I won't be one of those people either. I am glad though that rebates aren't
what they once were. I can remember when I worked at K Mart, rebates were a
big thing. We had so many of them that we actually had a rebate board and
at times there we so many rebate cards/certificates that they wouldn't all
fit on the board. Some people made a career out of doing those rebates.

What I really hated was that some companies were not good about sending the
rebate money or products to the customers. And if the customer didn't do
everything exactly right they wouldn't get the rebate. So where did the
disgrunted customers come? To us!

Over the years the rebates seem to have dwindled quite a bit. Once in a
while I'll run across one. But not very often.

At Christmas time I saw a display of Andes Mints and a sign that said "Buy
two get one free!" There were what appeared to be coupons. I just picked
up three and a coupon. But when I got to the register, the clerk (after
unsuccefully scanning the coupon) informed me that it was a rebate and I'd
have to mail it in. I opted not to get the mints. I didn't really need
three packages of them anyway. She said she didn't blame me.

On Apr 7, 12:21*pm, "Julie Bove" > wrote:
> Nancy Young wrote:
> > Nancy2 wrote:
> >> On Apr 7, 8:26 am, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
>
> >>> I never get how they can take so much off their bill, either. Yes,
> >>> double coupons are nice but they rarely wind up with getting a
> >>> product for free for me.
>
> >> I don't get where they find all the coupons. *Given I live in a city
> >> with fewer than 100,000 people, but I could buy all the different
> >> newspapers available on a weekend, clip every coupon in every
> >> magazine I read, and never have the mountains and mountains of
> >> coupons these people have (taking them 4 hours a day to sort and
> >> plan shopping).... and I certainly don't ever get coupons that make
> >> the product end up being free because most of those are "buy one,
> >> get one free."
>
> > Got me. *Of course the people on the show go out of their way
> > to get coupons. *One woman dumpster dives, people write away
> > for coupons, another woman somehow gets her newspaper to give
> > her all the spare coupon inserts they usually toss. *Still, I get two
> > papers and that means I get 2 coupons on any given product.
> > Hardly stacks of them.
>
> > I will never be the people who get $600 grocery bills reduced to
> > 5 bucks. *I get excited if bleach is on sale and I have a coupon so
> > I get 3 for $3 or something. *Heh. *Amateur.
>
> I won't be one of those people either. *I am glad though that rebates aren't
> what they once were. *I can remember when I worked at K Mart, rebates were a
> big thing. *We had so many of them that we actually had a rebate board and
> at times there we so many rebate cards/certificates that they wouldn't all
> fit on the board. *Some people made a career out of doing those rebates..
>
> What I really hated was that some companies were not good about sending the
> rebate money or products to the customers. *And if the customer didn't do
> everything exactly right they wouldn't get the rebate. *So where did the
> disgrunted customers come? *To us!
>
> Over the years the rebates seem to have dwindled quite a bit. *Once in a
> while I'll run across one. *But not very often.
>
> At Christmas time I saw a display of Andes Mints and a sign that said "Buy
> two get one free!" *There were what appeared to be coupons. *I just picked
> up three and a coupon. *But when I got to the register, the clerk (after
> unsuccefully scanning the coupon) informed me that it was a rebate and I'd
> have to mail it in. *I opted not to get the mints. *I didn't really need
> three packages of them anyway. *She said she didn't blame me.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Menard's still does tons of rebates - BUT, they are good for rebates
which you have to spend in a Menard's store.

Many national brands of lawn products, etc., have seasonal rebates
every spring (around here).

N.

On Apr 7, 9:36*am, "Nancy Young" > wrote:

>
> Got me. *Of course the people on the show go out of their way
> to get coupons. *One woman dumpster dives, people write away
> for coupons, another woman somehow gets her newspaper to give
> her all the spare coupon inserts they usually toss. *Still, I get two
> papers and that means I get 2 coupons on any given product.
> Hardly stacks of them.
>

I haven't seen the program, but I have seen articles and clips on tv
that talk about these coupon deals. They depend on stores that do not
follow the rules on the coupons. I don't know if those stores are
taking the loss, or whether they are breaking the rules when redeeming
the coupons themselves.

For example, the extreme coupon people will find a coupon for buy one
get one free peanut butter and another coupon for $1 off the peanut
butter. According to the rules, only one coupon can be applied per
item, so the buy one free coupn applies to both jars of peanut butter.
Where I work, we cannot accept the $1 off coupon unless there is a
third jar of peanut butter. But these extreme coupon people are able
to use both coupons. Most stores only do one store coupon and one
manufacturer coupon, but never two manufactuer coupons on the same
item.

Another rule is no cash back on a product. If the coupon is for a free
item up to $2.49, and the item is on sale for $1.99, the extreme
coupon person is at a store that credits the whole $2.49 while most
stores do not.

These extreme coupon people would never have success at the stores in
my area. None of them do double or triple coupons, nor do they apply
multiple coupons to the same item. The checkstands are now programmed
to make sure exact items are purchased, limits are not exceeded, etc.

wrote:
> On Apr 7, 9:36 am, "Nancy Young" > wrote:

>> her all the spare coupon inserts they usually toss. Still, I get two
>> papers and that means I get 2 coupons on any given product.
>> Hardly stacks of them.

> I haven't seen the program, but I have seen articles and clips on tv
> that talk about these coupon deals.

You know, it would be interesting to hear what you thought
if you did watch the show, since you work in the business.

> They depend on stores that do not
> follow the rules on the coupons. I don't know if those stores are
> taking the loss, or whether they are breaking the rules when redeeming
> the coupons themselves.

No one has explained it to my satisfaction, how these people get
so much stuff for free or pennies. I run across a deal like that once
in a blue moon. Rarely.

Of course that doesn't count the couple of times I got free
coupons because I wrote to the company to praise or complain.
And I would never just write to get coupons, only if I had something
legitimate to comment about.

> For example, the extreme coupon people will find a coupon for buy one
> get one free peanut butter and another coupon for $1 off the peanut
> butter. According to the rules, only one coupon can be applied per
> item, so the buy one free coupn applies to both jars of peanut butter.
> Where I work, we cannot accept the $1 off coupon unless there is a
> third jar of peanut butter. But these extreme coupon people are able
> to use both coupons. Most stores only do one store coupon and one
> manufacturer coupon, but never two manufactuer coupons on the same
> item.

Do you work at my local store? (looking suspiciously) Kidding! I got
into trouble with this one cashier because I did precisely what you are
talking about. I didn't notice that the coupon in the circular was not a
store coupon, but a manufacturer's coupon and I matched it with a
manufacturer's coupon. Yes, it was for peanut butter. It was a mistake!
Sorry!

This cashier is something of a kook, she goes off sometimes for no
reason. She starts (loud) telling me YOU CAN'T USE THIS COUPON
blah blah blah. I said Oh, I didn't notice, okay. Would she drop it?
No, she just kept ranting. Like everyone around is thinking I'm
arguing about the stupid coupon. Fine! You can go on now, forget
the coupon! Geez!

> Another rule is no cash back on a product. If the coupon is for a free
> item up to $2.49, and the item is on sale for $1.99, the extreme
> coupon person is at a store that credits the whole $2.49 while most
> stores do not.

Man, I'd never get away with that.

> These extreme coupon people would never have success at the stores in
> my area. None of them do double or triple coupons, nor do they apply
> multiple coupons to the same item. The checkstands are now programmed
> to make sure exact items are purchased, limits are not exceeded, etc.

As it should be. It's confusing to me how these people are paying so
little, I don't think I could pull that off if I tried.

nancy

Nancy2 wrote:
> On Apr 7, 8:26 am, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
>> Julie Bove wrote:
>>> I think saving money is great. And I think it is necessary to keep a
>>> stock of some non-perishable items. Particularly in the winter if
>>> you are likely to be snowed in. Or if you live in an area where
>>> roads might be flooded and you can't get out.
>>
>>> What is wrong with these people?
>>
>> It's pretty clear that some of the people have a form of OCD similar
>> to hoarding. Sometimes it seems to be triggered by having to do
>> without at some point. On the first special there was one woman
>> who would cancel any and all plans if she came across some deal.
>> She'd have to go shopping right then, the heck with that dinner with
>> friends. Not good.
>>
>> I like to have extra so that I don't have to watch sales all the
>> time, like I'll find a good deal on shampoo and I'll get 4 and I'm
>> done worrying about that for months. If it's often on sale for $2,
>> it bugs me to pay the "regular" price of $4.50 if I let it get to
>> that point.
>>
>> I like matching a coupon to a sale as much as the next person, but
>> it's a full time hobby for these people. I didn't understand the one
>> woman who thought she'd get $10 off every $50 she'd spend, I've
>> never known a store deal like that to be more than a one $10 off.
>> If she's such a couponer, how'd she miss that detail?
>>
>> I never get how they can take so much off their bill, either. Yes,
>> double coupons are nice but they rarely wind up with getting a
>> product for free for me.
>>
>> I can just see these people's heirs backing up a dumpster to get
>> rid of stuff they stockpiled 25 years ago.
>>
>> nancy
>
> I don't get where they find all the coupons. Given I live in a city
> with fewer than 100,000 people, but I could buy all the different
> newspapers available on a weekend, clip every coupon in every magazine
> I read, and never have the mountains and mountains of coupons these
> people have (taking them 4 hours a day to sort and plan shopping)....
> and I certainly don't ever get coupons that make the product end up
> being free because most of those are "buy one, get one free."

One lady said she goes dumpster diving. Another said the newspapers give
her all the extra coupons. But still... They'd be getting multiples of the
same things.

I quit taking the paper because the few coupons that were in there were
mostly of no use to me.

"Julie Bove" > wrote in message

>
> One lady said she goes dumpster diving. Another said the newspapers
> give her all the extra coupons. But still... They'd be getting
> multiples of the same things.
>
> I quit taking the paper because the few coupons that were in there
> were mostly of no use to me.

I hope I'm wrong, but were you really buying the newspaper just to get the
coupons? Was the new of no use to you either?

Felice
retired newspaper editor, quietly weeping

On Apr 7, 11:43*am, "Felice" > wrote:
> "Julie Bove" > wrote in message
>
>
>
>
>
> > One lady said she goes dumpster diving. *Another said the newspapers
> > give her all the extra coupons. *But still... *They'd be getting
> > multiples of the same things.
>
> > I quit taking the paper because the few coupons that were in there
> > were mostly of no use to me.
>
> I hope I'm wrong, but were you really buying the newspaper just to get the
> coupons? Was the new of no use to you either?
>
> Felice
> retired newspaper editor, quietly weeping

Would that surprise you coming from her?

"Felice" > wrote in message
...
> "Julie Bove" > wrote in message
>
>>
>> One lady said she goes dumpster diving. Another said the newspapers
>> give her all the extra coupons. But still... They'd be getting
>> multiples of the same things.
>>
>> I quit taking the paper because the few coupons that were in there
>> were mostly of no use to me.
>
> I hope I'm wrong, but were you really buying the newspaper just to get the
> coupons? Was the new of no use to you either?
>
> Felice
> retired newspaper editor, quietly weeping

I did also read the horoscope sometimes but nothing else. I discovered that
the neighbor behind me liked to read the paper and didn't care about the
coupons so I would just give it to him after I pulled the coupons out.

I currently get a neighborhood newspaper whether I want it or not. And I do
not. I did try to read it a couple of times but there is nothing of
interest to me. They do list some home robberies but mine were never
listed. The paper just sits out there and gets soggy and then I recycle it.

In article >, "Felice" >
wrote:

> "Julie Bove" > wrote in message

> > I quit taking the paper because the few coupons that were in there
> > were mostly of no use to me.
>
> I hope I'm wrong, but were you really buying the newspaper just to get the
> coupons? Was the new of no use to you either?
>
> Felice
> retired newspaper editor, quietly weeping

Life just makes no sense. My uncle was complaining that his wife got
the paper but never read it, she just wanted the weekly ads. He kept
trying to convince her to drop the subscription. She wouldn't do it
(she's pretty stubborn). In that town, if you don't subscribe, you
still get the paper with all the ads once a week, but the paper is
considerably abbreviated. But every time we went over there, my uncle
was always talking about articles that were in the paper (and sometimes
sharing them with us).

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

On Apr 7, 1:43*pm, "Felice" > wrote:
> "Julie Bove" > wrote in message
>
>
>
>
>
> > One lady said she goes dumpster diving. *Another said the newspapers
> > give her all the extra coupons. *But still... *They'd be getting
> > multiples of the same things.
>
> > I quit taking the paper because the few coupons that were in there
> > were mostly of no use to me.
>
> I hope I'm wrong, but were you really buying the newspaper just to get the
> coupons? Was the new of no use to you either?
>
> Felice
> retired newspaper editor, quietly weeping

I weep too, no one seems to read anymore.

"Nancy Young" > wrote in message
.com...
> Julie Bove wrote:
>
>> I think saving money is great. And I think it is necessary to keep a
>> stock of some non-perishable items. Particularly in the winter if
>> you are likely to be snowed in. Or if you live in an area where
>> roads might be flooded and you can't get out.
>>
>> What is wrong with these people?
>
> It's pretty clear that some of the people have a form of OCD similar
> to hoarding. Sometimes it seems to be triggered by having to do
> without at some point. On the first special there was one woman
> who would cancel any and all plans if she came across some deal.
> She'd have to go shopping right then, the heck with that dinner with
> friends. Not good.

I grew up in a house with a parent with OCD. Apparently there was some
paper shortage back in the 70's. Whether this was real or imagined, I do
not know. At any rate, it set off a penchant for hoarding paper products as
well as some other select things. What it didn't do though was bring about
a desire to hoard food. So I always worry when we get snowed in. My
parents very rarely cook and tend not to keep any extra food in the house.
Every time I look in their fridge it is mostly bare. There will be
condiments, margarine, maybe the half cup of yogurt, a few pieces of fruit,
some carrots and perhaps a tiny amount of cheese and meat. They do usually
keep a few cans of food like chili and soup and some oatmeal.
>
> I like to have extra so that I don't have to watch sales all the time,
> like I'll find a good deal on shampoo and I'll get 4 and I'm done worrying
> about that for months. If it's often on sale for $2, it bugs
> me to pay the "regular" price of $4.50 if I let it get to that point.

I have extras of some things, particularly because I shop at Costco. But...
In doing my Spring cleaning I discovered a horrifyingly large amount of
coconut bath wash/scrub. I kept buying it because daughter said she needed
it. But apparently it was never making it to the shower and there were
bottles stuck in all sorts of interesting places!
>
> I like matching a coupon to a sale as much as the next person, but
> it's a full time hobby for these people. I didn't understand the one
> woman who thought she'd get $10 off every $50 she'd spend, I've
> never known a store deal like that to be more than a one $10 off.
> If she's such a couponer, how'd she miss that detail?

I rarely ever get coupons any more. I noticed one woman was shopping at
Albertsons and she said she got double coupons. I have never seen that
happen here. When I lived on Cape Cod, I think all the stores doubled and
one store tripled on Tues. Oddly I found a LOT more coupons when I lived
there. I used a coupon organizer and always managed to save at least
several dollars but nothing like these people do.

And yeah, that woman was stupid, but... Having spent most of my working
years working in retail, I know how a lot of people think. I used to get
people who would buy one item and try to hand me three different coupons for
it. And in the old days they did get away with it sometimes if they got an
idiot checker. The coupons almost always say not to be combined with other
coupons. But now that the registers scan the coupons this won't work.
Unless of course you get another idiot checker who will bypass the system
and just take that amount of money off the sale.
>
> I never get how they can take so much off their bill, either. Yes, double
> coupons are nice but they rarely wind up with getting a product for free
> for me.

I have gotten some free products over the years. When I first moved back to
WA, I was getting a lot of coupons from various stores offering me free
things like pasta. I would always get these and if they were something we
don't eat, I would donate them to the food bank.

> I can just see these people's heirs backing up a dumpster to get rid of
> stuff they stockpiled 25 years ago.

Yeah. That's what I was thinking too. I worry about my own parent's house
because they seem to keep everything. Their garage is stuff full of stuff
like wood stain and fertilizer that I'm sure is no longer good.

Julie Bove wrote:
> "Nancy Young" > wrote:
>> Julie Bove wrote:
>
>>> What is wrong with these people?

I think it's for show, like a contest. In that sense it doesn't have to
make sense.

>> I like to have extra so that I don't have to watch sales all the time,
>> like I'll find a good deal on shampoo and I'll get 4 and I'm done worrying
>> about that for months. If it's often on sale for $2, it bugs
>> me to pay the "regular" price of $4.50 if I let it get to that point.
>
> I have extras of some things, particularly because I shop at Costco. But...
> In doing my Spring cleaning I discovered a horrifyingly large amount of
> coconut bath wash/scrub. I kept buying it because daughter said she needed
> it. But apparently it was never making it to the shower and there were
> bottles stuck in all sorts of interesting places!

I've ended up with a lot of specific items. For certain items I'll go
to their place. If none are there I'll buy one at the next shopping
trip. One time my tweezers kept disappearing so I kept buying new ones.
One day my daughter asked why there was a pile of tweazers in her room.
I laughed and asked why she never returned them to their place and also
never looked where she left them the last time. The same has happened
with a few different items.

It also happened as my MIL got dementia. She didn't remember she had
certain items so she kept buying them at trips shopping. By the time
she died there were cleaning items in her fridge, canned goods in her
closet, stuff all over the place. She didn't do it deliberately and she
wasn't a hoarder. She just lost her memory over a span of a few years.

> I have gotten some free products over the years.

My wife gets some amazing deals on line. She got a large Kindle for the
price of a small one, even a free Bowflex once. I went over with her
how to figure out if a URL is legit and using that method she has done a
lot of surveys. Seems too risky to me but it works.

"Nancy Young" > wrote in message
.com...
> Julie Bove wrote:
>
>> I think saving money is great. And I think it is necessary to keep a
>> stock of some non-perishable items. Particularly in the winter if
>> you are likely to be snowed in. Or if you live in an area where
>> roads might be flooded and you can't get out.
>>
>> What is wrong with these people?
>
> It's pretty clear that some of the people have a form of OCD similar
> to hoarding. Sometimes it seems to be triggered by having to do
> without at some point. On the first special there was one woman
> who would cancel any and all plans if she came across some deal.
> She'd have to go shopping right then, the heck with that dinner with
> friends. Not good.
> I like to have extra so that I don't have to watch sales all the time,
> like I'll find a good deal on shampoo and I'll get 4 and I'm done worrying
> about that for months. If it's often on sale for $2, it bugs
> me to pay the "regular" price of $4.50 if I let it get to that point.
>
> I like matching a coupon to a sale as much as the next person, but
> it's a full time hobby for these people. I didn't understand the one
> woman who thought she'd get $10 off every $50 she'd spend, I've
> never known a store deal like that to be more than a one $10 off.
> If she's such a couponer, how'd she miss that detail?
> I never get how they can take so much off their bill, either. Yes, double
> coupons are nice but they rarely wind up with getting a product for free
> for me.
> I can just see these people's heirs backing up a dumpster to get rid of
> stuff they stockpiled 25 years ago.


I will never forget one of those types I once knew. He would literally
drive from his house to Santa Barbara (300 mile round trip) to buy Diet Coke
when it was on sale for 99 cents a 12 pack at some huge outlet there. He'd
buy 2 or 3 cases. And it only cost him 30 bucks in gas.

Paul

Paul M. Cook wrote:
> I will never forget one of those types I once knew. He would
> literally drive from his house to Santa Barbara (300 mile round trip)
> to buy Diet Coke when it was on sale for 99 cents a 12 pack at some
> huge outlet there. He'd buy 2 or 3 cases. And it only cost him 30
> bucks in gas.

I have known people like that. A new grocery store opened recently in
Everett, WA. I can't remember the name of it but they are owned by the
employees. Their prices are really good! I was going to Everett that
weekend so did a mapquest to see where it was in relation to where I was
going. It was clear at the other end of the city so I opted not to go
there.

I tend to shop where I am at unless I find the prices to be waaay too high.
I dislike having to pay full price on soda especially with the high price of
it these day. Once in a while I will though. Because I want it.

Heck I don't even go to the military commissary any more. It's in
Marysville. I discovered that the only things I was really saving money on
were juice boxes, cheese, and some meats. The rest of the stuff I can get
here locally for the same price or less. And really now that I am shopping
at Costco for cheese, it's probably just as cheap.

When I lived on a military base and the store was within walking distance,
it was a very handy thing to have. I did do most of my shopping there.
Alas, it was a very small store and they placed a limit of two items per
customer for any items they sold. And they were often out of things. I
remember once the only meat they had was ham. They also restocked only once
a week. So it wasn't the best store but handy.

When we lived on Staten Island, we did make the trip to Brooklyn at least
twice a month to the commissary there. They had a huge turnover in goods
there and it was so frequently restocked that the produce was always fresh.
Yes, they were often out of things but what they did have for sale was
always good. Unlike the grocery stores near me that loved to sell rotted
produce. The prices overall were also much better so I did do the bulk of
my shopping there.

On Apr 7, 8:26*am, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
> Julie Bove wrote:
> > I think saving money is great. *And I think it is necessary to keep a
> > stock of some non-perishable items. *Particularly in the winter if
> > you are likely to be snowed in. *Or if you live in an area where
> > roads might be flooded and you can't get out.
>
> > What is wrong with these people?
>
> It's pretty clear that some of the people have a form of OCD similar
> to hoarding. *Sometimes it seems to be triggered by having to do
> without at some point. *On the first special there was one woman
> who would cancel any and all plans if she came across some deal.
> She'd have to go shopping right then, the heck with that dinner with
> friends. *Not good. * *
>
> I like to have extra so that I don't have to watch sales all the time,
> like I'll find a good deal on shampoo and I'll get 4 and I'm done
> worrying about that for months. *If it's often on sale for $2, it bugs
> me to pay the "regular" price of $4.50 if I let it get to that point.
>
> I like matching a coupon to a sale as much as the next person, but
> it's a full time hobby for these people. *I didn't understand the one
> woman who thought she'd get $10 off every $50 she'd spend, I've
> never known a store deal like that to be more than a one $10 off.
> If she's such a couponer, how'd she miss that detail? *
>
> I never get how they can take so much off their bill, either. *Yes,
> double coupons are nice but they rarely wind up with getting a
> product for free for me. *

If you notice a lot of them were paying for a couponing service, on
top of all of the scavenging for coupons and carrying on for
478374237320239 hours a week. Ugh, could you imagine?
*
>
> I can just see these people's heirs backing up a dumpster to get
> rid of stuff they stockpiled 25 years ago.

Yes and I really didn't understand the having rooms filled with dried
pasta and sticks of deodorant.

projectile vomit chick wrote:
> On Apr 7, 8:26 am, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
>> Julie Bove wrote:
>>> I think saving money is great. And I think it is necessary to keep a
>>> stock of some non-perishable items. Particularly in the winter if
>>> you are likely to be snowed in. Or if you live in an area where
>>> roads might be flooded and you can't get out.
>>
>>> What is wrong with these people?
>>
>> It's pretty clear that some of the people have a form of OCD similar
>> to hoarding. Sometimes it seems to be triggered by having to do
>> without at some point. On the first special there was one woman
>> who would cancel any and all plans if she came across some deal.
>> She'd have to go shopping right then, the heck with that dinner with
>> friends. Not good.
>>
>> I like to have extra so that I don't have to watch sales all the
>> time, like I'll find a good deal on shampoo and I'll get 4 and I'm
>> done worrying about that for months. If it's often on sale for $2,
>> it bugs me to pay the "regular" price of $4.50 if I let it get to
>> that point.
>>
>> I like matching a coupon to a sale as much as the next person, but
>> it's a full time hobby for these people. I didn't understand the one
>> woman who thought she'd get $10 off every $50 she'd spend, I've
>> never known a store deal like that to be more than a one $10 off.
>> If she's such a couponer, how'd she miss that detail?
>>
>> I never get how they can take so much off their bill, either. Yes,
>> double coupons are nice but they rarely wind up with getting a
>> product for free for me.
>
> If you notice a lot of them were paying for a couponing service, on
> top of all of the scavenging for coupons and carrying on for
> 478374237320239 hours a week. Ugh, could you imagine?
>
I didn't realize they were paying for a service! I would never do that.
>>
>> I can just see these people's heirs backing up a dumpster to get
>> rid of stuff they stockpiled 25 years ago.
>
> Yes and I really didn't understand the having rooms filled with dried
> pasta and sticks of deodorant.

Yeah. And deoderant does go bad.

projectile vomit chick wrote:
> On Apr 7, 8:26 am, "Nancy Young" > wrote:

>> I never get how they can take so much off their bill, either. Yes,
>> double coupons are nice but they rarely wind up with getting a
>> product for free for me.
>
> If you notice a lot of them were paying for a couponing service, on
> top of all of the scavenging for coupons and carrying on for
> 478374237320239 hours a week. Ugh, could you imagine?

You're right, I forgot about paying for coupons. Yikes. Lately
I've been doing that Troopon thing where you cut out coupons
that military families can use. Once a month or so, I organize them
and mail them out.

I'm not complaining, but cutting out and organizing all those wisps
of paper is kind of a hassle. And these people have books and
books of them.

>> I can just see these people's heirs backing up a dumpster to get
>> rid of stuff they stockpiled 25 years ago.
>
> Yes and I really didn't understand the having rooms filled with dried
> pasta and sticks of deodorant.

With all the shelving which is not free, either. And the toilet paper
under the beds. A couple of them described their homes as mini
marts. It just makes them happy.

nancy

On Thu, 7 Apr 2011 15:30:42 -0400, "Nancy Young"
> wrote:

>projectile vomit chick wrote:
>> On Apr 7, 8:26 am, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
>
>>> I never get how they can take so much off their bill, either. Yes,
>>> double coupons are nice but they rarely wind up with getting a
>>> product for free for me.
>>
>> If you notice a lot of them were paying for a couponing service, on
>> top of all of the scavenging for coupons and carrying on for
>> 478374237320239 hours a week. Ugh, could you imagine?
>
>You're right, I forgot about paying for coupons. Yikes. Lately
>I've been doing that Troopon thing where you cut out coupons
>that military families can use. Once a month or so, I organize them
>and mail them out.
>
>I'm not complaining, but cutting out and organizing all those wisps
>of paper is kind of a hassle. And these people have books and
>books of them.

Those people that spend all those hours collecting and sorting
obviously don't have a life. I rarely use coupons because like 99% of
them are for things I not only wouldn't use but wouldn't want them if
free... they're typically for some new over priced product that has no
redeeming value. About the only coupons I actually use are those I
get in the mail for pet products and they are for no big savings but
I'll still take 50¢ off on a $12 box of cat food. The only other
coupons I use are occasionally there'll be a stack of coupons on the
deli counter for $1 off a particular cold cut if you buy a pound, I'll
use those too, only because I'm buying the product anyway and I never
buy less than a pound of anything at the deli. I can't remember the
last time I actually snipped out a coupon, has to be at least 20 years
ago... I think that's about how long ago they stopped offering coupons
to snip for useful items, at least of use to me.

"Brooklyn1" <Gravesend1> wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 7 Apr 2011 15:30:42 -0400, "Nancy Young"
> > wrote:
>
>>projectile vomit chick wrote:
>>> On Apr 7, 8:26 am, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
>>
>>>> I never get how they can take so much off their bill, either. Yes,
>>>> double coupons are nice but they rarely wind up with getting a
>>>> product for free for me.
>>>
>>> If you notice a lot of them were paying for a couponing service, on
>>> top of all of the scavenging for coupons and carrying on for
>>> 478374237320239 hours a week. Ugh, could you imagine?
>>
>>You're right, I forgot about paying for coupons. Yikes. Lately
>>I've been doing that Troopon thing where you cut out coupons
>>that military families can use. Once a month or so, I organize them
>>and mail them out.
>>
>>I'm not complaining, but cutting out and organizing all those wisps
>>of paper is kind of a hassle. And these people have books and
>>books of them.
>
> Those people that spend all those hours collecting and sorting
> obviously don't have a life. I rarely use coupons because like 99% of
> them are for things I not only wouldn't use but wouldn't want them if
> free... they're typically for some new over priced product that has no
> redeeming value. About the only coupons I actually use are those I
> get in the mail for pet products and they are for no big savings but
> I'll still take 50¢ off on a $12 box of cat food. The only other
> coupons I use are occasionally there'll be a stack of coupons on the
> deli counter for $1 off a particular cold cut if you buy a pound, I'll
> use those too, only because I'm buying the product anyway and I never
> buy less than a pound of anything at the deli. I can't remember the
> last time I actually snipped out a coupon, has to be at least 20 years
> ago... I think that's about how long ago they stopped offering coupons
> to snip for useful items, at least of use to me.

When I did use coupons on a regular basis, I would often get them for new
products. Sometimes the product would even be free. But I found by the
time that product made it to my store, the coupon would have expired!

Another thing that bugged me was the coupons they put out at the military
commissary. You would think if they would have all these coupons for
certain items, they would have the items, right? Well sometimes they did.
But often they did not. I would spend all this time going through the
coupons only to discover they were out of whatever it was.

"Omelet" > wrote in message
news
> In article >,
> Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
>
>> >I'm not complaining, but cutting out and organizing all those wisps
>> >of paper is kind of a hassle. And these people have books and
>> >books of them.
>>
>> Those people that spend all those hours collecting and sorting
>> obviously don't have a life. I rarely use coupons because like 99% of
>> them are for things I not only wouldn't use but wouldn't want them if
>> free... they're typically for some new over priced product that has no
>> redeeming value. About the only coupons I actually use are those I
>> get in the mail for pet products and they are for no big savings but
>> I'll still take 50¢ off on a $12 box of cat food. The only other
>> coupons I use are occasionally there'll be a stack of coupons on the
>> deli counter for $1 off a particular cold cut if you buy a pound, I'll
>> use those too, only because I'm buying the product anyway and I never
>> buy less than a pound of anything at the deli. I can't remember the
>> last time I actually snipped out a coupon, has to be at least 20 years
>> ago... I think that's about how long ago they stopped offering coupons
>> to snip for useful items, at least of use to me.
>
> I know exactly what you mean... I will always take advantage of "in
> store" coupons IF it is something I'm already purchasing such as tidy
> cat cat litter. The other day, they had a great deal in-store coupon.
> Purchase one of the smaller containers of Tidy Cat and get a free 4lb.
> bag of friskies kibbles and I mostly use friskies as the older cats seem
> to keep weight on better with it.
>
> I purchase tidy cat anyway, but usually in the buckets or larger tubs,
> but this worked out to be a $4.00 savings overall. I bought 3 of them.
>
> There were several more "in store" coupons that same day for stuff I
> normally do purchase. I got $19.00 off my bill that day. :-) About 25%
> of my total.
>
> A handy way to get coupons for stuff you use also is to e-mail the
> company with suggestions, compliments or even minor complaints.
> Go ahead and sign in with your address and get a nice prize in the mail
> a couple of weeks later. I've done that for pet food quite a bit and it
> works.

I had forgotten about that but I have e-mailed companies before and gotten
coupons that way. Most recently was the free gravy from Imagine.

"Nancy Young" > wrote in message
.com...
> projectile vomit chick wrote:
>> On Apr 7, 8:26 am, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
>
>>> I never get how they can take so much off their bill, either. Yes,
>>> double coupons are nice but they rarely wind up with getting a
>>> product for free for me.
>>
>> If you notice a lot of them were paying for a couponing service, on
>> top of all of the scavenging for coupons and carrying on for
>> 478374237320239 hours a week. Ugh, could you imagine?
>
> You're right, I forgot about paying for coupons. Yikes. Lately
> I've been doing that Troopon thing where you cut out coupons that
> military families can use. Once a month or so, I organize them
> and mail them out.
>
> I'm not complaining, but cutting out and organizing all those wisps
> of paper is kind of a hassle. And these people have books and
> books of them.
>
>>> I can just see these people's heirs backing up a dumpster to get
>>> rid of stuff they stockpiled 25 years ago.
>>
>> Yes and I really didn't understand the having rooms filled with dried
>> pasta and sticks of deodorant.
>
> With all the shelving which is not free, either. And the toilet paper
> under the beds. A couple of them described their homes as mini
> marts. It just makes them happy.

I have learned the toilet paper does deteriorate with age. My friend moved
his elderly dad into his home shortly before the dad passed on. He said his
dad had many packages of toilet paper, age unknown but quite dusty. He
opened a package and tried to use it but he said the paper just left tons of
white bits and tore very easily. So he had to throw it all out rather than
donate it.

In article >, says...
>
> "Nancy Young" > wrote in message
> .com...
> > projectile vomit chick wrote:
> >> On Apr 7, 8:26 am, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
> >
> >>> I never get how they can take so much off their bill, either. Yes,
> >>> double coupons are nice but they rarely wind up with getting a
> >>> product for free for me.
> >>
> >> If you notice a lot of them were paying for a couponing service, on
> >> top of all of the scavenging for coupons and carrying on for
> >> 478374237320239 hours a week. Ugh, could you imagine?
> >
> > You're right, I forgot about paying for coupons. Yikes. Lately
> > I've been doing that Troopon thing where you cut out coupons that
> > military families can use. Once a month or so, I organize them
> > and mail them out.
> >
> > I'm not complaining, but cutting out and organizing all those wisps
> > of paper is kind of a hassle. And these people have books and
> > books of them.
> >
> >>> I can just see these people's heirs backing up a dumpster to get
> >>> rid of stuff they stockpiled 25 years ago.
> >>
> >> Yes and I really didn't understand the having rooms filled with dried
> >> pasta and sticks of deodorant.
> >
> > With all the shelving which is not free, either. And the toilet paper
> > under the beds. A couple of them described their homes as mini
> > marts. It just makes them happy.
>
> I have learned the toilet paper does deteriorate with age. My friend moved
> his elderly dad into his home shortly before the dad passed on. He said his
> dad had many packages of toilet paper, age unknown but quite dusty. He
> opened a package and tried to use it but he said the paper just left tons of
> white bits and tore very easily. So he had to throw it all out rather than
> donate it.

That might be the brand. Some just isn't very good.

"Omelet" > wrote in message
news
> In article >,
> "Julie Bove" > wrote:
>
>> > With all the shelving which is not free, either. And the toilet paper
>> > under the beds. A couple of them described their homes as mini
>> > marts. It just makes them happy.
>>
>> I have learned the toilet paper does deteriorate with age. My friend
>> moved
>> his elderly dad into his home shortly before the dad passed on. He said
>> his
>> dad had many packages of toilet paper, age unknown but quite dusty. He
>> opened a package and tried to use it but he said the paper just left tons
>> of
>> white bits and tore very easily. So he had to throw it all out rather
>> than
>> donate it.
>
> Probably Silverfish. They can damage books too.

That could be.

When I got my first apartment, I bought some shelf paper for the pantry that
said it repelled Silverfish. I didn't know what they were but there was a
picture of them on the roll and I knew I didn't want them. When I told my
mom what I did, she laughed and said we don't get them here.

In article >,
"Julie Bove" > wrote:


> The person narrating the show said mustard never goes bad. I beg to differ!
> This was prepared mustard. It has an expiration date on it. And I know
> from experience that if it is really old it gets a watery part and a solid
> part. Not good! I also know from both MIL and mother's cupboards that
> really old dry mustard hasn't got much flavor. So I would think the
> prepared would lose its flavor after time too. Oh and the husband had to
> remind her that he doesn't even LIKE mustard. She just laughed.

Many decades ago we went to my mother-in-laws's for a visit. She made a
meatloaf disaster one night. It was raw in the middle after 1.5 hours
in the oven! A couple of days later she tried to rescue it as
sandwiches, cutting the meatloaf into slices and frying them in a pan.
It was not good. I asked if there was any mustard. My wife just
laughed. She said there had never been mustard in the house, ever. My
MIL looked confused, and said she thought there was mustard in the
fridge. So my wife and I went to the fridge, and sure enough, there was
a small jar of prepared mustard. I put some on my sandwich and it
helped. My wife asked her mother why she had bought it and when. Her
mother had no idea. I flipped over the jar, and the date on the bottom
was over ten years prior!

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

"Dan Abel" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Julie Bove" > wrote:
>
>
>> The person narrating the show said mustard never goes bad. I beg to
>> differ!
>> This was prepared mustard. It has an expiration date on it. And I know
>> from experience that if it is really old it gets a watery part and a
>> solid
>> part. Not good! I also know from both MIL and mother's cupboards that
>> really old dry mustard hasn't got much flavor. So I would think the
>> prepared would lose its flavor after time too. Oh and the husband had to
>> remind her that he doesn't even LIKE mustard. She just laughed.
>
> Many decades ago we went to my mother-in-laws's for a visit. She made a
> meatloaf disaster one night. It was raw in the middle after 1.5 hours
> in the oven! A couple of days later she tried to rescue it as
> sandwiches, cutting the meatloaf into slices and frying them in a pan.
> It was not good. I asked if there was any mustard. My wife just
> laughed. She said there had never been mustard in the house, ever. My
> MIL looked confused, and said she thought there was mustard in the
> fridge. So my wife and I went to the fridge, and sure enough, there was
> a small jar of prepared mustard. I put some on my sandwich and it
> helped. My wife asked her mother why she had bought it and when. Her
> mother had no idea. I flipped over the jar, and the date on the bottom
> was over ten years prior!

I sent my MIL a jar of cranberry mustard when we were living on Cape Cod.
Then we went to visit a year or so later and it was still in her fridge,
unopened. I was making lunch that day so I put it on turkey sandwiches.
Man was that spicy! Everyone ate it but with lowered eyes and not saying
much. I think they were just trying to be polite.

Julie Bove wrote:
>
> What is wrong with these people?

They are not particularly intelligent and get caught up in the "it was
on sale" mentality. They do not think realistically about their actual
needs and they also don't think about their diet since most coupons are
for pre-fab high fat/sugar/salt junk foods. In their minds it's only the
"I got $500 of stuff for $50" and the fact that their medical cause will
increase by more than the savings as a result of the poor diet is no a
consideration, nor is the fact that most of the products have very
inflated prices to begin with and they could buy better food for less
than their "extreme coupon" savings.

Pete C. wrote:
> Julie Bove wrote:
>>
>> What is wrong with these people?
>
> They are not particularly intelligent and get caught up in the "it was
> on sale" mentality. They do not think realistically about their actual
> needs and they also don't think about their diet since most coupons
> are for pre-fab high fat/sugar/salt junk foods. In their minds it's
> only the "I got $500 of stuff for $50" and the fact that their
> medical cause will increase by more than the savings as a result of
> the poor diet is no a consideration, nor is the fact that most of the
> products have very inflated prices to begin with and they could buy
> better food for less than their "extreme coupon" savings.

Ah... That could be! I used to think like that when I got my first
apartment. I used to buy things just because they were a good deal.
Sometimes they were things I would never use. So I would give them away.
Sometimes the people I gave them to didn't even want them. When I found
baby clothes on sale, I bought enough to fill half of my closet, thinking I
would give them as gifts. And then for two years, nobody I knew had a baby.
I knew I was in trouble when I had to buy a shelving unit for my closet to
hold all this stuff.

I gave the baby clothes to a friend whose church was sending clothes
overseas to some needy people. And then of course after they were gone I
got the baby announcement in the mail from my cousin.

Last night I realized I have been doing a stupid thing. I have difficulty
getting to my two closets because each one has a large container of wrapping
paper in front of it. One is Christmas wrap which I did buy after Christmas
at a greatly reduced price. The other is birthday and other occasion paper.

The problem? I don't use the paper! The last time I used any was for
cushioning some Christmas ornaments before putting them away. I have some
boxes with dividers meant for ornaments but I have a lot of smaller
ornaments. Two or three would fit in each compartment but they needed
additional cushioning.

Mostly I use gift bags or better still, reusable shopping bags or lunch
totes to put the presents in. So today I am going to get rid of all the
paper! Then if I do need some in the future, I will buy a roll and recycle
the remains.

I guess I got into the habit of doing this because my parents did it. They
also saved bows. I don't save them but I was buying them, again at a
reduced price and after Christmas. I still have some. Thankfully not too
many now. My stock has dwindled. I actually had to buy a container to put
them in as well!

On Apr 7, 11:54*am, "Pete C." > wrote:
> Julie Bove wrote:
>
> > What is wrong with these people?
>
> They are not particularly intelligent and get caught up in the "it was
> on sale" mentality. They do not think realistically about their actual
> needs and they also don't think about their diet since most coupons are
> for pre-fab high fat/sugar/salt junk foods. In their minds it's only the
> "I got $500 of stuff for $50" and the fact that their medical cause will
> increase by more than the savings as a result of the poor diet is no a
> consideration, nor is the fact that most of the products have very
> inflated prices to begin with and they could buy better food for less
> than their "extreme coupon" savings.

Our major supermarket touts their new "scoring" system that gives x
number of points for nutritional value of certain foods that are on
sale each week, so conscientious shoppers can find smart, nutritious
choices when they shop - but their most money-saving coupons are
invariably for various brands of soda. Which is as junky as it gets;
which I never buy anyway.

N.

Omelet wrote:
> I have the same issue with coupons. Most of them are for stuff I'd
> never use, and many more, it's less expensive to purchase a generic
> brand than use the coupon for the same but name brand item with a
> drastically higher price.
>
> They no longer double coupons around here. Used to, but not any more.
> Mom would sometimes save coupons for "treat" foods that we rarely ate
> (things like Toaster Strudels which are delicious,) then we'd go coupon
> splurging when the stores had a triple coupon day. ;-)
>
> We didn't really save anything as those are foods we don't normally
> purchase, and would never purchase without a good coupon.


So many coupons lately are "Save 40¢ when you buy 2!", and for items
where I *might* buy one if it were on sale, but that's it. It's
generally much cheaper to shop at Aldi (which doesn't take coupons) for
90% of my shopping, and Cub Foods or the local convenience store when
they run good specials. Wal-mart is way down the list; I buy dogfood
there, and sometimes paper products, and I scan the produce section for
markdowns and that's about it.

Any time I can use a national brand coupon without really altering my
shopping habits I will, but the way I shop doesn't really lend itself to
that. (Cub and Kwik Trip sometimes print coupons for their specials, i
guess so they can limit quantities easier)

And I have to stay away from TJ's for the most part (I do go there to
buy their tuna curry) because they have such good deals on candy. Try
their pecan pralines that look like sugar-coated pecan halves sometime...

-Bob

On Apr 9, 9:41*am, zxcvbob > wrote:
>
> So many coupons lately are "Save 40 when you buy 2!", and for items
> where I *might* buy one if it were on sale, but that's it.
>
> -Bob

The reason so many coupons are for 2 items instead of 1 is because the
manufacturer wants you to be well stocked with THEIR product until
their next promotion, and skip their competitor's promos. If you have
sufficient Wishbone salad dressing or Kelloggs cereal in the house,
the average person won't be tempted to use that coupon next week for
Kraft salad dressing and General Mills cereals.

A lot of marketing research goes into figuring out the "lifecycle" of
consumer packaged goods. If It takes the average family x number of
weeks to use up 2 boxes of cereal or bottles of salad dressing, then
the CPG company knows to run that coupon every x number of weeks.

And you can best believe, it's no accident that Wishbone goes on sale
2/$4 the very same week there's a coupon in the Sunday paper for $1
off two! It's a well-planned strategy to keep Wishbone salad dressing
users from buying Kraft salad dressing.

On Sat, 09 Apr 2011 08:41:30 -0500, zxcvbob >
wrote:

> So many coupons lately are "Save 40¢ when you buy 2!", and for items
> where I *might* buy one if it were on sale, but that's it.

You're right. I gave up on coupons years ago, because so many aren't
worth the paper they're printed on. They're a tiny amount off the
higher priced product or a lot off a brand new one that the store
hasn't stocked or even heard of yet.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On 04/09/2011 06:41 AM, zxcvbob wrote:

> And I have to stay away from TJ's for the most part (I do go there to
> buy their tuna curry)

Friend of mine swears by that stuff. Sounds really... um, odd... to me,
but he loves it, and can make a quick meal out of the stuff.

Serene


--
http://www.momfoodproject.com

On Sat, 09 Apr 2011 10:39:39 -0700, Serene Vannoy
> wrote:

>On 04/09/2011 06:41 AM, zxcvbob wrote:
>
>> And I have to stay away from TJ's for the most part (I do go there to
>> buy their tuna curry)
>
>Friend of mine swears by that stuff. Sounds really... um, odd... to me,
>but he loves it, and can make a quick meal out of the stuff.
>
>Serene

It actually is pretty good, believe it or not. I keep it on hand
for emergencies, as it is shelf stable.

Christine