Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Crazy for Coupons?

Okay, so by now most everyone has seen, or at the very least heard of, the new TLC show "Extreme Couponing." This show highlights the talents of couponing gurus around the country, showing viewers stockpiles of products that these extreme couponers have obtained for next to nothing or even FREE through careful planning, clipping, and shopping. Every week you can watch as a new set of  everyday people, many whom have turned to couponing because of economic hardships and family necessity, take full advantage of sales, store discount cards, double- and triple-coupon policies, and, yes, even printable internet coupons.

My question is this.... Is it possible for the average family in Miami County, Kansas to do this too?

The answer? Maybe. 

Every month the P&G brandSAVER can be found in the Miami County Republic, offering up to several hundred dollars in savings on some of the most common everyday items most people are likely to use. Add to that coupons available through customer rewards programs (such as at Starbucks), product rewards (like Huggies Enjoy the Ride), birthday clubs (like Baskin-Robbins & Red Robin) and store loyalty cards (yep, just like our local Chopper Shopper Card), and you've got a potential for impressive discounts and potential freebies. Don't forget your internet coupons, too!

However, there are not many options for double-coupons in Miami County, KS. I've made some inquiries, and so far the only store that I have found in the county that doubles coupons is Moon's Hometown Market in Osawatomie. Now, Wal-Mart and Price-Chopper both take coupons, but when I spoke with representatives from their stores, I was informed that current company policy is not to double coupons. The manager I spoke with at Moon's, however, said their company policy is to double coupons "up to and including $0.50." They don't double coupons that say "DO NOT DOUBLE," and should a coupon value end up being greater than the current sale price of an item, the customer does get the credit, with the potential of cash back should the final balance warrant it. However, tax is still charged on all items, even if you are getting paid to buy them.

So, is it possible to walk away with only paying a fraction of the total  retail cost of your grocery bill? We think so. Can it be done in Miami County? Personally, I think the limited doubling options on coupons on the area has a pretty big impact on this topic. I do, however, plan to doing some additional "research" on this topic the next time I go grocery shopping for my family of 6 to see just how much money I can save... and how much time is involved!

What's your experience with couponing in Miami County, Kansas?

1 comment:

  1. Another good resource for local couponing is the blog http://cuttingcouponsinkc.blogspot.com and Money Saving Mom :)

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