Community Spotlight ~ Hotcouponworld Member In The Media: Jane4girls in the Wall Street Journal

[hotcouponmama]

It's supposed to be in print, but it's here online as well...

WSJ Article


As to be expected, the comments so far are less than friendly - those who neither understand nor comprehend the value of couponing.

I thought the comment from the CEO of Supervalue, Albertsons/Jewel was interesting - "executing with surgical precision". I would agree with that statement.

I also like that Nielsen ratings reinforces what I have believed for years - that couponers are by and large, and educated lot, women, and higher earning families. The logic behind that? If you're working your way towards getting an education and accumulating wealth, or you're already there, and you're smart enough to understand these principles, then couponing makes lots of sense - a low-finance tactic that lets people accumulate wealth outside of other investment tools!

So that was gratifying to see cause now I can point to it and say, "see - we're not a bunch of crazy cat lady hoarders".

[justmeagain]

Really? Is it not good for grocery stores?

All the deal making isn't great for grocers, some of which have seen their profits squeezed by discounting. Craig Herkert, chief executive of Supervalu Inc., operator of Jewel, Albertson's and other supermarkets, recently told analysts that shoppers with an eye for discounts were "executing with surgical precision."

[Lori63]

Comments are a bit snarky-Julie tried to explain, but I guess they are just never gonna learn :)
Yes, my kids eat the unhealthy stuff I get cheap/free, and they also eat veggies, drink milk, play soccer, etc. and are very healthy.
And my coupon savings goes a long way towards buying the milk, veggies and soccer cleats.

[momabrown3]

Alot of people think you only get coupons for junk foods.I get alot of wine tags for beef,chicken,seafood.I do rebates also for the meats,seafood and that makes money also.I want shop without my coupons.

[gettinrevvin2007]

WTG Jane4Girls

We don't get winetags here. Unless you're part of a site like HCW, I don't think the average public is aware they are available. At least not in this area. I think I've come across maybe 3 in potluck trades.

[loaslaen]

I really don't know what to think of the article. It started out ok, but then seems to fall apart. At first it talks about the "cleverest shoppers" getting tons of stuff for free, and how economical it is, but then it talks about the grocers losing money and people buying lots of stuff that they can't use and end up donating. The article ended kind of weird and abruptly, leaving the reader to wonder if it's even worth it.

I guess I'm used to the model of providing a main idea, supporting data, and ending with a summary/conclusion of the main idea. It seems like this article was only used for its shock value or sensationalism instead of actually being informative. I would have expected more from a paper such as The Wall Street Journal.

[Ggbwg]

Nice job Jane4Girls & the mention of HCW too !

[Mothernature]

Originally Posted by loaslaen .... I guess I'm used to the model of providing a main idea, supporting data, and ending with a summary/conclusion of the main idea. It seems like this article was only used for its shock value or sensationalism instead of actually being informative. I would have expected more from a paper such as The Wall Street Journal.

This article is terrible. It is difficult to tell what the general idea of the article is, the paragraphs do not flow well, and the grammar is shoddy.

" Mr. Engels recently erected a 6-foot-tall tower featuring the 1,142 packages of Jell-O he had got for nothing."

I find two things disturbing:

1) This article labels all coupon users under the same assumptive generic category.

2) Craig Herkert's quote. The Supervalu chain in my area is Shaws/Star Market. I grew up with the Jewel brand. What the article failed to mention is Supervalu's gross price mark up. Supervalu's coupon policy differs between each brand name. Jewel does not offer double coupons where Shaws/Star Market doubles six coupons per transaction.

Supervalu should not blame coupon users. The company needs to address why their products are so expensive. This may stop customers like myself from leaving to shop at BJ's.

Most food coupons in the Sunday inserts are not healthy. The are full of additives and processed. This does not mean all food coupons are for such food though.

[Sherry3388]

My thoughts exactly loaslaen....

And hmm... no mention of price increases at an accelerated rate...as being part of the reason why some newer couponers opted to get into couponing..
Mr. Timothy W. Martin opted to only mention the recession...

"But amid the recession last year, the number of coupons redeemed rose 27%, to 3.3 billion from 2.6 billion in 2008, says Inmar Inc., a coupon-processing agent."

I don't believe everything I read...no matter WHERE it's printed...
So, unless I can be provided with fact-based or number-based proof...there's no way in hell I am gunna believe this lil statement that Mr. Timothy W. Martin wrote...

"All the deal making isn't great for grocers, some of which have seen their profits squeezed by discounting."

"Grocers" who accept coupons.... are "Grocers" who get fully reimbursed (plus .08c) per coupon....
So how is there "profit squeezing"?
If "Grocers" didn't set such HIGH expectations of their own profits from year to year, then perhaps coupon use wouldn't be looked at in this light..

Perhaps it's a lil more work than it was 10 yrs ago... to be an employee at a grocery store (or other chain store) because of the increased use of coupons...
(having to scan coupons, etc. and re-stock shelves more often)
But, it's not back breaking work to begin with... not like a construction worker or farmer! And it's not like 100% of "Grocers" offer a starting pay above minimum wage...

This article (IMHO) seems to slightly catagorize us couponers as being a bit on the nutty side...by these statements :

"Under a futon in her Charleston, S.C., apartment, Stacy Smith has stashed boxes of soy bars, bags of potato chips, bottles of vitamin water, canned vegetables, soup, barbecue sauce and antibacterial wipes. Her bedroom closet is jammed with soda and shampoo, her bookcase with garlic salt and meat marinades."
No, Ms. Smith isn't stocking up for a hurricane. The 39-year-old's apartment is stuffed with groceries because she's one of a growing flock of "extreme couponers."

Perhaps Stacy has a small apartment, so her storage space is limited.. hence the reason for the "what might seem odd" places for her to store her items. (Under a futon, in her bedroom closet, on a bookshelf..)

"Jill Lansky, 34, of Kalamazoo, Mich., likes to amuse friends by opening a cupboard to reveal 150 bottles of Powerade she bought for 25 cents each, thanks to coupons she collected..."

Perhaps Jill has six children and is a Soccer Mom... 150 bottles of ANY drink doesn't go far if there are 6 children + two adults in the house and thirsts to quench at soccer games/friends...

"Jody Wilson, 33, got turned onto the couponing Web site ... last March. Since then, she's posted nearly 9,500 messages to the site's forum."

Perhaps Jody is a quick learner and in exchange for the information she's gathered since joining the website, she's opted to post several good deals and/or ideas in return... or perhaps Jody is like me... a "chatterbox"... No harm in being a "chatterbox"...unless, of course, you're in a library...

"Some couponers brag online about stockpiling free groceries, then selling them at yard sales."

Perhaps some couponers view this as a way to extend the savings onto the community...not EVERYONE knows how to MAXimize savings... and not EVERYONE has access to multiple coupons...and not EVERYONE has time to keep up with the deals and shop like we do...
So, some couponers may hold yard sales to extend the savings onto members of their community... and make a little money for their time..
It's WORK : keeping up with the deals, obtaining the coupons, clipping the coupons, organizing the coupons, running around to do all of the shopping, THEN... all of the work involved to set up, organize, tag items, make signage, etc. to host yard sales..
So, if gals make a lil' profit off hosting yard sales... then they deserve it.
TIME is worth MONEY...

"Proud shoppers post photos of themselves posing with their latest hauls. Nathan Engels of Villa Hills, Ky., can't resist loading up on free products. Mr. Engels recently erected a 6-foot-tall tower featuring the 1,142 packages of Jell-O he had got for nothing. He brags about his jam-packed freezer holding 30 pounds of meat, 50 pounds of cheese and 200 bags of vegetables.
"I'm going to buy as much as I can—I don't care if it's a year's or two-year's supply," says Mr. Engels"

It's an accomplishment and proud feeling to know that, in the event of any natural disaster, or if an accident/injury/death causes a loss of income, we are stockpiled with items to help carry us through any hard time...
And so what if Nathan made it goofy by arranging his Jell-O into a 6-foot-tall tower for the pic... it's simply for entertainment purposes...
I wonder if Mr. Timothy W. Martin has taken any pix of his schnazzy new car? ..posing beside it, perhaps?
It's just one person's sense of pride & accomplishment versus another person's sense of pride & accomplishment...
Not EVERYONE is exactly alike... what a boring world it would be! And Mr. Timothy W. Martin wouldn't have anything to write about...lol.


Hotcouponworld.com, which has seen its membership grow to 200,000 from 80,000 in the past year, targets couponers who think "there's an economic value in buying all your peanut butter for the year in one week in September," says site founder Julie Parrish, 35, of West Linn, Ore. Two years ago, she bought 50 18-ounce jars of Skippy creamy peanut butter for 17 cents each; last September, she paid 35 cents each. At retail, they cost around $3.59.

Again....it's an accomplishment and proud feeling to know that, in the event of any natural disaster, or if an accident/injury/death causes a loss of income, we are stockpiled with items to help carry us through any hard time...
And for moms of FIVE kiddo's like Julie, who have a disabled husband... kudos to her for being sooo shopping savvy that she is able to stretch ONE dollar in TEN+ dollars worth of items...
It means the world to her and her family... and to many of our other HCW members/families....
I've read several posts from members through the years that have stated that, if it weren't for the savings they get by couponing, they may have lost their homes, their kids, their cars, etc...
Some folks...like perhaps...Mr. Timothy W. Martin... may not have ever had to *truly* struggle (financially)... he may have never been at the risk of losing his home, his car, his kids, etc. ...all because of money...
So, he may not be able to ever fully comprehend/understand the multiple reasons why people stockpile by using coupons.
(Good for him...and...Bad for him)


Yet, if it's Mr. Timothy W. Martin's intent to deem us as greedy.. nutty.. borderline certifiable... then he contradicted his intent by adding in this little statement :

These users tend to be females under the age of 54 with college degrees and household incomes above $70,000, Nielsen says.

Because it's true... I myself fit that catagory!
- I am Female
- I am under 54
- I have a college degree
- I have a household income above $70,000

But I am not at all greedy...
- I share the deals I get with all of my wonderful online friends, my family, my friends...so they can go score the deals too!
- I never let anything go to waste! If my stockpiled items are soon-to-expire and I don't think I'll use them up...I give some to family, friends and donate the rest.
- I am always more than willing to share my goodies with friends, family and even complete strangers when in need... my IQ and Degree have provided me with the Ability to know how to MAXimize my savings...for the better good of my family AND my community! I've met some great "strangers" who are now my friends... simply because I was able to help them in a time of need... when NO "GROCER" or "MANUFACTURER" would...

I may be a bit nutty tho...
- Because when I find a super deal.. I do get an adrenalin rush and a big smile!! lol ..I don't know if that classifies me as "nutty" or "normal"... but in my opinion... it's "normal"...
We work hard for our money and it's always a pleasure to save it.
I wonder... has Mr. Timothy W. Martin ever gotten a good bargain and got excited over it?

I wish I could write an article and have it published in the Wall Street Journal...
I'd title it : "Hey Timmy... lemme send you a RAOK"... and write an educational article about WHY we use coupons, HOW to maximize savings and WAYS to pay it forward...

Ugh... and who said ignorance is bliss?

[puakinikini]

I have not read the WSJ for many years - I see that I am not missing much!

Congrats to Jane4Girls - glad to see HCW mentioned (although extreme couponing was not painted very positively!).

The comments are typical - same stuff we hear all the time. I have been couponing for about 2 years and I would compare my basket to any other mother of 4 small children. I have just as many healthy foods and I am saving about 55-70%. The difference is that I do not have to buy household items at the marked up grocery store price, I always buy what is on sale, and I match coupons to all my items. Smart shopping obviously does not have to be unhealthy.