Some have seen couponers featured on TV, known as extreme couponers. These couponers take grocery shopping to a whole new level. They are determined not only to save but just about to make the store pay them money for shopping there. But is this way of couponing realistic?

For a few couponers, this type of couponing is the dream they hope to achieve. It is the reason they start couponing in the first place. They’ve seen those reality TV couponers who leave the cash register with a smile and bags of food for just a few dollars. Yes, it certainly is tempting but one may wonder if it really is something we all can achieve?

Coupons have been used for more than a century, first introduced to entice consumers to try a manufacturer’s products. That twenty-five cents or a dollar off for some families makes the difference between buying their regular product and giving a new brand a chance. A coupon for a manufacturer is a friendly way to introduce you to their new product that may have new features such as delicious flavors or seasonings they hope you will prefer. And consumers certainly enjoy coupons! Many use them regularly, for new and beloved items when they shop at the grocery store.

Tactics used by some of these couponers have been found to be illegal. Coupons have rules and regulations and follow laws that govern them. For example, if you copy more than the permitted number of coupons from an online site, you are violating their rules. The goal of couponing should be to help stretch your budget and to save money, not to “game the system.” Always pay attention to rules related to coupons, as couponers who have not have sometimes found themselves to get into trouble.

This type of couponing is unrealistic. Most couponers are not going to buy enormous stockpiles of food, simply hoping to use it “someday.” The typical family might purchase several additional items when they are on sale. But buying too many of an item simply because you have the coupons to do it can often be wasteful. Remember that cereal, cookies and other bread items go stale. Meats, cheeses and dairy can spoil. Most items you purchase at the grocery store has an expiration date and it is unwise to eat it far past this date.

Keep in mind there is a big difference between the savvy coupon shopper and the extreme coupon shopper you’ve seen on TV. If you are a savvy shopper then you’ve learned to watch the sales cycle in the grocery store, understanding when the prices are going to drop to the lowest. You also obtain both the manufacturer’s coupon and the store coupon, so when shopping you can save as much as possible. While your grocery bill may be enviable, quite likely it is higher than “just a few dollars” – and that’s okay! These extreme couponers sometimes use tactics that simply twist the rules, and that’s not fair to anyone. When they do this, it makes stores less motivated to continue to accept coupons. It also makes them think of coupon users in a negative way.

You can save lots of money when you coupon. We think that’s extremely terrific!