Extreme Couponing on TLC - Continued

Ok, maybe I was a bit harsh on my earlier post about Extreme Couponing.  It was good to see that not everyone buys more than they need or they donate the extra products to a local charity.  The people featured on the show dedicate a lot of time to save that much on groceries.  Realistically, most of us couldn't leave the store with $1000 in product and only pay $8.  Before I seriously started using coupons I would save 30% at the most on my grocery receipt from in-store sales.  With the coupons, catalina promotions and store rewards I can average around 50% and occassionally 60-70%

The one thing the Extreme Couponers had in common was a strategy.  Just think how much you would save if you spent 30 minutes each day strategically planning your next grocery store trip by keeping your coupons organized, creating a grocery list, and matching your coupons to local sales.  Of course, reading my blog for deals and using my coupon database would help you out, too!

Another thing I noticed on this Extreme Couponer program was that you have to keep an eye on the register as the items and coupons are being scanned.  Missing a coupon could mess up your budget.  I've been working on a spreadsheet that is helpful in keeping track of your out of pocket (OOP) expenses.  Look for my posting of this spreadsheet in the next couple of days.

Overall, the program was good and I hope it shows other that you really can save on your groceries and score some pretty good deals.  Just don't clear out the shelves and save some for me!