How do Stockpilers know to get that many coupons on all those items?

[overwhelmedshopper]

so each week I watch extreme couponing and I still cant seem to wrap my head around this whole idea although I want to so bad. How do these people know when they go in those stores and get lets say 32 bottles of hot sauce and 22 boxes of pasta or whatever,. How did they know to either send away or buy or however they get all those coupons .. How do they know to get that many?
I have 3 newspapers I am getting and I have yet to be able to even use 3 coupons at a time.

[Jen1]

I think you will find that show to be very unrealistic.

If you are just starting to use coupons, and want to start it right, here are some suggestions:
pick a couple of stores that you go to often - find the store forums here, and check out the store policies on coupon limits, double coupons, etc.

Read as much as you can, and start slow. Become a member of traders in training here, and you'll be on your way to success!

I hope this information helps!

[caylascreations]

Extremely unrealistic is right. And not only that, but most of them say they spend 35-40 hours a week finding, clipping, and organizing their coupons. Many of them get many, many inserts each week and then when there is a deal, they just have that many. I've gotten some good deals, but that show is insane.

IMO, just do what you can do. A penny saved is a penny earned kinda thing, you know? If it's a 5.00 product you use, and you only have a 1.00 coupon, that's okay! You're still saving a buck!

[434Teresa]

That show is super unrealistic...

You need to order your coupons as soon as you can get your hands on the sales ad for the stores you shop at. Find the items you need and then go online and see if you can find coupons for thsoe items. Most of my ads change on sunday so if I buy coupons on sunday I usually have them by thursday or friday but keep in mind that there is no promise to have them before the sale ends IF its a one week sale. Plus there is no promise that the store will have the items in stock.

That show is just to far out there so only beleive 1/3 of what you see on there..Stores have coupon pollicy and double/triple limits that dont let us use that many coupons in shopping trip. Plus now because of that show alot of store have started to limit how many of one item you can even buy in a day with or without coupons because of shelf clearning has got so bad.

You need to slow down and use a few coupon this week and a few next week until soon you have coupons for every or almost every item you are buying. All the finding and knowing when to buy coupons will come with time and your learning what to do..you learn by useing what you can each week and going from there

[thickbluebug]

Ditto what everyone else said.

Go slow and research are the main things to me.

I just ordered my Publix coupons for the sale that starts Wed. My coupons will be in Thursday to Monday and the sales ends Tuesday.

I don't buy 600 cereal cups but I buy what I can use or give to the inlaws.

[overwhelmedshopper]

OH WOW YOU ARE ALL AMAZING.. thank you .. makes SO much sense..
who doesnt want a stockpile.. but everytime I get so excited when I think IM going to get something free, like 2 weeks ago I am always buying Airwick air fresheners and candles etc. so I was jumping thinking I was going to get finaly 3 or 4 free yea right.. the little writing on the coupon that I never saw said up only to 4. 68 or something like that so I ended up just getting maybe 1 so its frustrating learning but thank ou.
okk QUESTION. where do you buy these coupons you are all talking about?

[Jen1]

QUESTION. where do you buy these coupons you are all talking about?

Well, first step is to join the TNT forum I mentioned above. Once joined, you can ride TNT trains and put on your wishlist what coupons you are seeking. Then you can trade for them, or watch the auction site here and get them from there. Does that help?

[thickbluebug]

By far, the traders on here are cheaper than clipping services, couponfleamarket and ebay.


I suggest if you go to a clipping services or ebay - think about where the q's are coming from.

I know I rarely buy from people in California cause it has been known to take a week to get to Alabama. Crazy mail delivery or because some of the areas have to be trucked so much.

I just know San Diego is 7 days but San Fransisco can take 3/4 days.
Michigan and Illinois can take 5/6 days.
Georgia, the next state to me can take a week (lots of trucking the mail) but North Carolina - I can get the next day.

Like you weren't confused enough already.

Post in the welcome thread to see if anyone pops up from your area to swap q's with.
Look in the social groups and see if there are some local groups in your area too. Ask in your local stores to see if there are some swap groups in your area. Most shoppers in stores have binders - I would be asking some peeps if they are part of a club or group.

Also pick 1 store to get good at like wags. Most of the time we have 2 or 3 weeks of preview ads for wags.
So you could trade for the q's a little early.

Just do not try to do multi grocery stores or drugstores in the beginning. It's really hard and can get frustrating.

[CW&M Mom]

Also carefully look at the dates of the coupons.

If they are going to expire in a month...IMO it's not worth it..If they are going to expire in 4 months..totally worth it to get them..because if you can't use them that week...odds are they will go on sale again before they expire.

I mostly shop at walmart because I live in a rural area..so I don't shop sales..as Walmart doesn't do normal sales..so I do things a bit differently. I go by what we use..and stock up that way. So recently..I was on a clipping site and they had welches grape juice coupons $1.00/1. Those are good coupons..and I buy that juice all the time..and they don't exp till dec. So I bought a bunch. I will use every single one of them. I buy that product whether I have a coupon or not..cause that is what my family drinks without my little ones have bad diaper issues..if ya know what i mean.

That is how I do it.

[434Teresa]

Also carefully look at the dates of the coupons.

If they are going to expire in a month...IMO it's not worth it..If they are going to expire in 4 months..totally worth it to get them..because if you can't use them that week...odds are they will go on sale again before they expire.

I mostly shop at walmart because I live in a rural area..so I don't shop sales..as Walmart doesn't do normal sales..so I do things a bit differently. I go by what we use..and stock up that way. So recently..I was on a clipping site and they had welches grape juice coupons $1.00/1. Those are good coupons..and I buy that juice all the time..and they don't exp till dec. So I bought a bunch. I will use every single one of them. I buy that product whether I have a coupon or not..cause that is what my family drinks without my little ones have bad diaper issues..if ya know what i mean.

That is how I do it.

Dont let the this on expire dates get you down because alot of expire dates now are only like three weeks long now. I am finding it harder and harder to find any good coupons with expires date of more than 4 weeks at all even when they first come to print. I do see a few but very few with expire dates long as months at a time..its getting to where you have to use them pretty fast..I think they are doing this to make it hared to trade or sale them...

I shop at walmart more than any other place but I do shop with sales ads because I use them to price match. Just the other day I saved like $30 with price matching..it dont show up on the total because it is never add to the total so you have to add those savings up yourself..