Extreme Couponing

[twiggadoodledoo]

Do any of you do it?

Basically put, it's a hard world we live in if your short of a few bob. And on TV at the moment on TLC is a programme called Extreme Couponing and it focuses on Americans who use coupons on a dwily basis to save themselves money, and some people even walk away with a $700 food bill down to as little as $19 !

Fucking mental cuz over here (UK) we don't have this privilege as such, and since being ill and not working I wrote to a few companies complimenting their products and they actually sent me vouchers to use in store as discount, I'm currently up to £70 at the moment, and I just think how ridiculously easy this is ! And why everyone else isn't doing it.

Are you an American? And is this a bigger thing where you live or am I being narrow minded and believing the TV too much?

Comments and criticism welcome!

[T Agent Crane HK]

It is not the economic world we live in anymore. Some people know the value of money, some people don't. There is nothing wrong with saving as many coupons to save yourself some cash that can go towards whether a bill for utilities or a car payment, in fact I prefer it. Sometimes I go to the store to get a few of the necessary items like toilet paper, milk, bread, eggs, meats ect. And it cost me a well over a hundred dollars. After all I live in America and not to mention in one of the highest paying taxed states in my opinion. I get by though and do okay for myself, but there's always that time I worry about losing something that worked I hard for over the value of money and that's something I learned growing up watching my parents go through. I use coupons occasionally because I can never get my hands on any. Sometimes I have to work a lot of overtime whether ill or not just to make ends meet and I take it whenever given and that includes on holidays like Christmas Eve, Thanksgiving ect. and sometimes I would like to spend time with my family and don't get a chance to just to provide for them, but they understand so they say, but it just don't feel right to me. Coupon saving is very popular where I live and I see and witness it all the time when i'm at the stores. That and welfare food stamps which is a card they give you with so much money on it issued by the American government to assist you in buying foods for your household. Again I don't judge, people got to eat and nowadays at least where I live foods are outrageous in price and only get higher since Winter season is here, but once Spring / Summer arrives prices die down. I just think coupon saving is another step in smart saving.  

Edited February 14, 2014 by ChildrenOfTheCorn

[twiggadoodledoo]

Glad that you are one to do it Corn, I don't see any problem with it, we all gotta live and if prices in your state are so high then do it more! I just want this to be a topic people can actually say they do it, rather than pretend they didn't just because they don't wanna look so skint.

Times are hard ans my job depends on the weather and ever since Xmas it has rained almost every day! I'm so skint I'm relying on this to get me thru !

Respect to you Corn mate.

[T Agent Crane HK]

Glad that you are one to do it Corn, I don't see any problem with it, we all gotta live and if prices in your state are so high then do it more! I just want this to be a topic people can actually say they do it, rather than pretend they didn't just because they don't wanna look so skint.

Times are hard ans my job depends on the weather and ever since Xmas it has rained almost every day! I'm so skint I'm relying on this to get me thru !

Respect to you Corn mate.

Thank you, appreciate it twiggadoodledoo. Much respect back for making this topic.

[Tamer™]

Might consider doing this when im older.

[T Agent Crane HK]

Also high taxes do concern me because i'm just starting a new life myself and I just recently bought a home through a personal house loan through the banks and now I have to manage to pay them back the amount I spent on the home plus interest and my yearly taxes when they come in. I live in decent household and I have no support anymore and no i'm not married or anything, i'm pretty much alone, but depending on the area and condition of the house is what counts towards on how much the state is willing to tax and again it is consider well living standards according to the real estate company I went through and as a beginner I have to admit I am little scared because i do feel like i'm alone even though i'm not. Growing up in my grandmother's house who literally raised me 18 years of my life had owe 15,000 dollars in back taxes on her home before she passed away in 2012 and at that time frame, we were at a economic crisis in terms of food and bills because of the outrageous prices and she was relying on her social security income and my grandfather's work pension after he passed away in 1994. So all together she was making close to 2,000 $ every month between both her income and his and you have to figure after paying the electric bill which was in the range from 300 to 400 $ for us because it was a pretty big home and it ran a lot of electricity. Water bill which was in the 200 $ range, gas bill which was in the 100 $ range and that goes towards your heat and ventilation in the household, plus where I live even if you don't live near any source of water such as lakes, rivers ect. Every person must have a thing called flood insurance and it cost around form 50 to 80 $ monthly. Also cable bill depending on the package you have and for us we had Timewarner and that include our internet, phone and television and we were paying for extra higher channels which is around sometimes from 100 to 150 $ monthly and sometimes we did order wrestling ppv's for personal pleasure. Also Car payments like insurance and check ups at the dealership are included and it was a long haul to the dealership and long haul means a hefty filled gas tank and gas cost money nowadays. Plus our health insurance was decent, but just a visit to the clinic cost you a 50 $ which sucked. I haven't been to a doctor going on 3 years now because of that and it concerns people around me because god knows what something can occur and best part is i'm not even worried about it myself. Also not to mention school tax / city tax and you don't even have to be attending school, you could be a graduate, you still have to pay it up yearly. You got state tax of course, but she was being charged for living on two streets even though we lived on one all because we lived on the corner between two streets so that was a blow itself. Then you gotta pay a thing called Home Owners which goes to bank just in case of technical problems like  fires and such occur and the bank will be able to grant you a new home after the house has been destroyed which is actually a good thing, but it does cost again. The list goes on and on.  

Edited February 15, 2014 by ChildrenOfTheCorn

[twiggadoodledoo]

Also high taxes do considered me because i'm just starting a new life myself and I just recently bought a home....

NOTE I cut out the whole quote as it saves on page space.

Man I did not realise to the extent how much harder done by people can be! I really feel for you mate, and people like myself don't even have it bad! I read your whole post and I was gobsmacked! For gas and electricity combined I pay £50 a month, water is £22 and on top of that is sky tv £50, car insurance £60 and council tax £100 aswell as my rent and all health care is free here, aswell as this anyone is entitled to "support" in housing benefits and council benefits if you work a certain amount of hours, without ever paying in a penny to the office! I can see why couponing in the US is quite a big thing, honestly now I look at it. In the UK we have it so easy !

I'm glad your going your own way and doing all this for yourself, I can only hope it all goes well ! And remember even when you feel alone, you never are mate

[T Agent Crane HK]

 

Also high taxes do concern me because i'm just starting a new life myself and I just recently bought a home....

NOTE I cut out the whole quote as it saves on page space.

Man I did not realise to the extent how much harder done by people can be! I really feel for you mate, and people like myself don't even have it bad! I read your whole post and I was gobsmacked! For gas and electricity combined I pay £50 a month, water is £22 and on top of that is sky tv £50, car insurance £60 and council tax £100 aswell as my rent and all health care is free here, aswell as this anyone is entitled to "support" in housing benefits and council benefits if you work a certain amount of hours, without ever paying in a penny to the office! I can see why couponing in the US is quite a big thing, honestly now I look at it. In the UK we have it so easy !

I'm glad your going your own way and doing all this for yourself, I can only hope it all goes well ! And remember even when you feel alone, you never are mate

 

Thanks man. It was kind of a lot I wrote down lol, but i'm just so pained and burned with the way the world works when it comes to the value of the almighty dollar. I mean I always believed everybody should live nice and have the equal amount money no matter what country they come from. I always dreamed of everybody having a house, a nice car, but it's so hard to get those things because things are so darn expensive and you gotta think of other things like bills and foods just to survive. I mean there's always the good and bad about every country in any living standard, there's always advantages and disadvantages and a catch to them. I mean it just might be hard where your from by your living standards in the U.K. and I wouldn't even know about it, nor I would doubt it. I'm glad i'm not alone though so thank you for that.  

Edited February 15, 2014 by ChildrenOfTheCorn

[twiggadoodledoo]

That's ok bud , sometimes it's good to get shit off your chest ! And look a like you did, the world is a miserable place and money is the only way it spins! Such a shame that we a grow up thinking, were go n a have nice cars, a nice house , a good job ....but the reality is the opposite! I mean I'm lucky my girlfriend is in a good job and we do have luxuries but without her I'd be lost ! I can't afford shit on my own especially at this moment with the current economic and weather climate! And definitely not alone mate, were all in the same shitty boat that seems to be sinking!