Couponing According to Me

I absolutely love couponing. It wasn't always this way though. I hate to admit but I was one of those people who categorized couponers with old ladies who have nothing else to do with their lives.

Then I saw Extreme Couponing on TLC. I sat there with my cousin and was absolutely amazed that people can save that much money on the things that I always pay full price for. I then started small, I would buy a paper and clip the coupons I thought I would use and then they would just sit in and pile and eventually be thrown away because they had expired.

I decided to get more serious about it after I joined a Facebook group that was saving a lot of money, but doing it realistically, not the "extreme" way. I am in no way, shape or form an extreme couponer.

I do not buy 10+ papers a week.
I do not go to the store and steal inserts out of papers I don't intend on buying.
I do not buy 30+ of an item that I am not going to use just because I got it for free.
I do not clear shelves.

The TLC show Extreme Couponing has definitely caused some problems for us normal couponers. It shows completely ridiculous couponing tactics and the stock piles are just crazy. Who is going to use 100 bottles of mustard in the next year or two before it expires? At that point they are just doing it because they can, not to better their families.

I have bought things that I am not going to use if I can get them for free. I also donate those items to people who will use them.

I coupon because it has seriously helped my family economically and I can not believe that I used to pay full price for things like toothpaste, body wash and deoderant which I now almost always get for free or almost free.

Some couponing pet peeves:
-I hate the dirty looks that I get from cashiers who God forbid have to scan my coupons. How dare I?? Right? Why did couponing become such a negative thing to people?
-Then there are the dirty looks from fellow shoppers. How am I bothering you? Go to a different line if you can't stand to wait for my coupons to be scanned. I have to sit and wait while the person in front of me counts $10 in pennies, or when the person can't get their EBT card to work. Why can't someone be pateint for coupons too?
-Shelf clearers. Why yes dog treats for free is a really good deal. But you have to buy 80?? Save some for other people.

Being a couponer has opened my eyes that anyone who has the time can cut coupons and be as dedicated to it as you want, but when your local paper prints out free money every week, why not take advantage??  To me, what no longer makes sense is paying full price.