Shopping Discussion

Extreme Couponing?

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Newbie
Feb 11, 2010
47 posts

Extreme Couponing?

Lately, I've been watching a bit of Extreme Couponing on TLC and am interested in emulating the shoppers on the show, but of course, not to that extent! I'd love to save even 10% on my grocery bill! The only problem is, in Canada, every coupon states "Only one coupon per customer/purchase". So, how is it possible to stack coupons like our American counterparts? Does anyone have any cool tips or am I missing out on some couponing technique?
51 replies
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May 29, 2005
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Ive wondered that myself...i cant believe the money they can save. I saw one lady buy $400- worth of food for $50- :-0 CRAZY!
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Aug 20, 2010
287 posts
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Here's many reasons why "extreme couponing" won't work in Canada:

-No competition, oligopoly between Metro, Loblaws and Sobeys for the most part ensures that there's little difference between store choices. Stores won't price match stores within the same company.

-No clubs/memberships, no super saver discount membership clubs at these companies means no "double discount/coupon days" or other huge promotions the Americans see at their chains.

-Different items, the big 3 chains commission companies to make exclusive item sizes/quantities to avoid price matching. One chain will have 24can cases of soda, while another will have 18can cases of soda. One chain will have 20 roll count toilet paper while another chain will have 24 roll count toilet paper.

-Exclusive items, the big 3 chains will also carry different brands of items to avoid price matching. NoFrills has seemingly dropped Black Diamond cheese products in favor of Armstrong cheeses to avoid price matching. More and more PC items have been hitting the shelves at Loblaws' chains, while more and more Selection items have been doing the same at Metro's chains.

-Smaller market, Canada is a smaller market. With a total population similar to the state of California, means Canadian chains don't receive as large of a discount as American chains for purchasing products from manufacturers. American chains serve 300+ million people, while Canada is only 1/10th of that market.

-Government regulation, importing food items is made difficult since many industries are protected. It's actually bad for the economy to have a US company dump cheap items in Canada, it would hurt Canadian jobs. Many items have to be manufactured in Canada and have French-English packaging and have to abide by Canadian laws/regulations for quality, packaging and nutritional information, this drives the costs up. eg: Kraft Dinner in Canada vs. Kraft Mac & Cheese in the US.

Anyone care to add to the list?
It's basically a rehash of all the usual reasons why it's cheaper to shop in the US vs. Canada..
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Aug 23, 2010
990 posts
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RFD isn't really big on couponing

the "other" canadian deals forums is though

though obtaining coupons isn't as easy as the show makes it out to be
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Newbie
May 21, 2007
71 posts
75 upvotes
the only store you can coupon stack is at London Drugs. My wife is a big couponer and you can only stack at London Drugs. RCSS will sometimes allow you to use one of their in-store coupons and 1 manufacturer, you have to read the back of the coupon tho since they added new terms lately.
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Oct 22, 2007
9280 posts
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London
The trips you see on the show look impressive, but some only buy 6 different items that they can score for free.
Some of the people on those shows are cheating with the coupons as well.
Member
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Jun 19, 2008
452 posts
15 upvotes
Toronto
WOW. Just watched a few of the teaser clips, some couponers were getting PAID to take the products, and there was one girl where she had 2 for $1 coupon on candy bars and the store had a $1 off 2 sale, so she got a cartful of candy completely free..:O
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May 9, 2009
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Assuming what is seen in the show is legit, would it not be worth it to cross the border to do your groceries? Seems to me like a $500 discount would offset the cost of gas and time.
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Apr 24, 2006
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jackrabbit000 wrote: Extreme Couponing on TLC...you need to remember that this is a reality show on TV. Just like Mantracker, it's real right? All the camera's around and Mantracker doesn't notice where the guys are hiding?

They've talked about this before... Basically said they have several camera crews so he doesn't automatically equate a camera to people hiding.
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Mar 19, 2010
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Onterrible
cwb27 wrote: They've talked about this before... Basically said they have several camera crews so he doesn't automatically equate a camera to people hiding.

that doesn't matter.

Say you have five camera crews. You know one of them will be with the "runners"
I'm not knocking his skills, he's pretty amazing. Though, the show makes him seem way crazier than he really is.

Then again, i've seen some pretty crazy hunters in the jungle on discovery that would blow your mind. Now their tracking/hunting skills are ridiculous!
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Member
Jul 31, 2009
202 posts
6 upvotes
i have watched that show too, unfortunately in canada its almost impossible to do same.
but i found same things that can help
save.ca
http://www.canadianfreestuff.com/category/coupons/
these are worth to check out once while.
also FreeStuffN​ews.ca

on the last one they send you every day some deals. some of them really worth to check out - i lately signed up for P&G news .got email later on saying they have some free samples and promos that they send by mail upon request. so you answer they questions such as what shower gel u use and general questions, after they send you smth that you receive in 4-5 weeks.
its not even close to the extreme couponing, but better then nothing i guess
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Apr 22, 2009
1058 posts
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London ON
psyko514 wrote: Assuming what is seen in the show is legit, would it not be worth it to cross the border to do your groceries? Seems to me like a $500 discount would offset the cost of gas and time.

its way different in the usa
i googled it once and found this thread
Many US stores offer a store reward card that give the shopper additional discounts. For example, let's say that a popular brand name cereal that is usually $4.50 per box is on sale for $2. You go to the store and purchase 4 boxes that total $8. Now you also have 4 $1 off coupons. Once you use your coupons your total is $4 for 4 boxes of cereal. Now you use your store rewards card and take advantage of a in store promotion that is "buy 4 boxes of XXX cereal and save $4" Guess what? You got it free. If you would have purchased at full price it would have been $18.
Catalina Coupons are coupons that print out with your receipt.
Basically Double Couponing is when a store will take your coupon and double the value. Depending on the store they will double a value of a 0.50 coupon to $1 or $1 coupon to a value of $2
on last night`s show a woman purchased mustard that is on sale for $1.39 and she had a 0.50 coupon that you store will double to equal $1. She had 77 coupons but the store did not have 77 bottles so she settled with 62 bottles.

http://www.moneysavingmomcanada.com/201 ... le-in.html
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Feb 5, 2009
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psyko514 wrote: Assuming what is seen in the show is legit, would it not be worth it to cross the border to do your groceries? Seems to me like a $500 discount would offset the cost of gas and time.

Have you watch one of the episode? You have to do "homework". That women spent 50+ hours weekly to gather/prepare/sort her coupons.

You need the Sunday papers (you won't know before hand what the coupons are) where usually supermarket printed store coupons, then you combine with manufacturer's coupons - that is a full time job.

Double coupon usually up to 99cents or $1 only.

You can wide guess what the Sunday paper has & gather US coupons before you cross the border.

Another thing is - US store are happy you use coupons (you shopped there they will get reimburse by manufacturer). In Canada, even the store got reimburse, it seems the cashier/store manager not happy with customer walk away with free or almost free items. They will just made up some rules telling you you can't use the coupons because the store will loose money.
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May 9, 2009
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emmafb wrote: Have you watch one of the episode? You have to do "homework". That women spent 50+ hours weekly to gather/prepare/sort her coupons.

You need the Sunday papers (you won't know before hand what the coupons are) where usually supermarket printed store coupons, then you combine with manufacturer's coupons - that is a full time job.

Double coupon usually up to 99cents or $1 only.

You can wide guess what the Sunday paper has & gather US coupons before you cross the border.

Another thing is - US store are happy you use coupons (you shopped there they will get reimburse by manufacturer). In Canada, even the store got reimburse, it seems the cashier/store manager not happy with customer walk away with free or almost free items. They will just made up some rules telling you you can't use the coupons because the store will loose money.

I watched the very first episode and I remember at least one of the couponers mentioning they only prepped for about 6 hours, plus the cost of ordering the coupons from the clipping service.
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Jan 17, 2009
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ONTARIO
those people are straight up hoarders. ya lets get 30+ bottles of mustard or 52 packages of lunch meat. talk about wasteful
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May 21, 2010
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Ontario
BobSagget wrote: those people are straight up hoarders. ya lets get 30+ bottles of mustard or 52 packages of lunch meat. talk about wasteful

I actually laughed one episode when I saw some person buying in mass, bottles of Mustard (forget the exact count). My house uses around 1 bottle of mustard every 2 years...what are they doing? Drinking it?

Also another episode, they filled up a shopping cart with tubs of yogurt...do these people not realize that things have expiry dates and yogurt doesn't last long.

Another couple were bragging that they probably had more potato chips in their home than most grocery stores...no wonder they each looked to be over 300lbs

Americans... :facepalm:
Sr. Member
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Mar 3, 2008
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BobSagget wrote: those people are straight up hoarders. ya lets get 30+ bottles of mustard or 52 packages of lunch meat. talk about wasteful


I agree.. complete waste of food. Power to the people who can get stuff for free (because I know I am always looking), but there is a limit. "Settling" for 62 bottles of mustard? How generous... :facepalm:
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Dec 20, 2010
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That woman annoyed me too. Her husband was like "how about we only get 20" and she's like "How about 70?!"

And then when there were 3 left, he's like "okay, let's leave three" and she's like "no, let's leave one".

Other people have to buy groceries too, you filthy greedy cow.
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Mar 27, 2003
1542 posts
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Vancouver
BobSagget wrote: those people are straight up hoarders. ya lets get 30+ bottles of mustard or 52 packages of lunch meat. talk about wasteful

+1 the show's sending out the wrong message.

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