Great 'Extreme couponing UK' Hunt - tell us your tips and tales

MSE_Jenny
MSE_Jenny Posts: 1,312
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MSE Staff
edited 16 August 2011 at 12:00PM in Food shopping & groceries
A new series of the US TV show Extreme Couponing kicks off next week on Discovery Real Time. Something of a cult among forumites, the programme shows coupon addicts who spend 40 hours a week clipping coupons and stockpiling £1,000s of freebies.

We an exclusive sneak preview below, plus we want to hear your top UK extreme couponing techniques.


[title=http://images2.moneysavingexpert.com/images/dp/wtd_underline.gif]wtd_icon.gif Tell us your tips and tales
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Many Extreme Couponing techniques don't cross the pond - sadly US supermarkets are more generous than ours.


So we'd love to hear MoneySavers' (legal) Extreme Couponing UK tips and stories. For example, look for coupons on already-discounted products, as they'll work out uber-cheap.

Plus serious couponers draw up a coupon battle plan before hitting the store, and systematically file coupons in a concertina folder, split into sections such as meat or veggies.

Please hit reply to tell us your top coupon maximising strategies.

[title=http://images2.moneysavingexpert.com/images/dp/wtd_underline.gif]wtd_icon.gifExclusive Extreme Couponing clips
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Discovery Real Time has given us an exclusive glimpse of the new series, which launches Mon 22 Aug at 10pm. Watch the first clip below or watch all five clips.




[title=http://images2.moneysavingexpert.com/images/dp/wtd_underline.gif]wtd_icon.gif How to build your coupon stash
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Coupons are everywhere. Root through junk mail, scout around tills, rip them out of magazines - they all add up.

The Supermarket Coupons deals note is a regularly updated list of current legitimate coupons.
Also keep an eye on this forum's fab Printable money-off coupons thread.

The Magazine Offers Thread is another excellent resource, where MoneySavers kindly catalogue all coupons and offers in current magazines. If the magazine costs more than the coupon's worth, it's not worth it. But if you were buying your fave glossy anyway, you're quid's in.

Finally, dedicated MoneySavers update a daily newspaper summary with all the coupons from that day's papers. To find the info, go to the Discount codes ‘n' voucher Forum board and look at the NEWSPAPER SUMMARY thread.



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Comments

  • claire16c
    claire16c Posts: 7,074
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    I watched this in the US and wish I could do some of these techniques but there just dont seem to be the coupons and store policies to do it here. For example of the programme, all the supermarkets they go to seem to give the customer twice the discount thats on the coupon. Plus if a store has an offer on theyll let the customer use the coupon too, whereas here it will always say on the back 'Not in conjunction with any other offer' or something to that effect.

    So Id love to know if anyone has got anywhere near what the people on this programme do!
  • Errr this isn't a sneak preview of the new series, that's from Season 1 and I watched it about 6 months ago???
  • claire16c wrote: »
    nywhere near what the people on this programme do!
    There are ways to do very well, last week I got a £70 shop down to about £20 and built up my stockpile. I wasn't even using all of the techniques we can use to decrease it further.

    But like you say I wish the UK was more like the US when it comes to coupons. Stores here seem to hate them, I wonder if they have any idea how much more trade they'll attract if they loosen up a bit? :A
  • karlie88
    karlie88 Posts: 9,113
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    bah! this is nothing!

    a few months ago thousands of us did 'extreme couponing' in the UK....it was called Tesco Price Check.

    in most cases, we got paid to take the shopping away (unlike the woman above in the youtube video). furthermore, we didn't have piles and piles of coupons. in my case, i had £100 coupons (initially) then it went down to £20 coupons.

    :D

    :rotfl:

    :cool:
    :grouphug: :D Official MSE canny forumite and HUKD VIP badge member :D :grouphug:
  • Xyon81
    Xyon81 Posts: 124
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    edited 16 August 2011 at 11:17PM
    This show is amazing there are people saving 98% on their shopping bill where that equates to just under $2000 - almost feel sorry for the retailers.

    http://www.get-coupons.com/page/extreme-couponing has a top 10 tips for extreme couponing.

    A lot of basics that get forgotten like Checking store couponing policy before you go so your transaction isn't void'd and to make sure you can USE the items you stock pile before they expire.
  • HAHA, I love how dramatic the show makes it!
  • Raven
    Raven Posts: 1,729
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    karlie88 wrote: »
    bah! this is nothing!

    a few months ago thousands of us did 'extreme couponing' in the UK....it was called Tesco Price Check.

    in most cases, we got paid to take the shopping away (unlike the woman above in the youtube video). furthermore, we didn't have piles and piles of coupons. in my case, i had £100 coupons (initially) then it went down to £20 coupons.

    :D

    :rotfl:

    :cool:






    Ah yes, the good ole days. :T
    I'd like to teach the World to sing in perfect Harmony :grin: :j :D:)
  • CouponWoman
    CouponWoman Posts: 6,065 Forumite
    Using coupons is getting more and more difficult in the UK. My local tesco has decided to have a 3 identical coupons policy, so even if you buy 10 products you can only use 3 coupons agains them. (original coupons or internet ones, not copies btw)

    There are also some supermarkets that won't accept internet coupons at all.

    The UK will never be as good at couponning as the US as UK supermarkets hate coupons.

    CWxx
  • edinburgher
    edinburgher Posts: 13,450
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    edited 23 August 2011 at 3:24PM
    Another point to consider is will you actually *use* the items that the coupons are for? Because there's no point in buying groceries just because they're cheap.

    Fair enough, some staples like toiletries etc. will often work out as a great deal (and will last for ages), but how much room does the average person have for bottles of mouthwash, hair gel and shampoo? I watched an episode of Wipeswap USA (very classy I know, think I was hungover) and one sad sack couponer had a garage half full of toiletries, but looked like she barely even bothered to brush her hair of a morning! :p

    Also worth noting that many coupons are for pre-processed/junk food. While there's nothing wrong with having a few frozen pizzas or whatever on standby for when you're absolutely nackered, you don't want your entire diet to consist of white flour and preservatives. There's also no point in buying unhealthy food just because it's cheap - you only get one body!

  • Also worth noting that many coupons are for pre-processed/junk food. While there's nothing wrong with having a few frozen pizzas or whatever on standby for when you're absolutely nackered, you don't want your entire diet to consist of white flour and preservatives. There's also no point in buying unhealthy food just because it's cheap - you only get one body!

    Absolutely agree on that one! We saw what kind of weight problems the lady had unfortunately. If you stockpile not only unhealthy food, but also more than you can really eat before it goes off, you'll end up eating much more than you otherwise would have. So even if the 3 for 2 offers in supermarkets on some goods sound temping, if I only need one, I will only buy one.

    Personally I'd love to save more money using coupons, but if you do have a full-time job and kids there is only so much time you want to spend on collecting and organizing coupons. It is great though for people who do have the time at hand and get a kick out of it.
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