# Coupons and prepping



## RainBoKatchr (Jan 27, 2010)

I have been watching the Extreme Couponing show on TLC and have found that I am quite good at matching coupons with store sales. This has allowed me to get many things for extremely good prices and in some cases, free. It has made something that was daunting into something doable all the while saving money! I cannot recommend using coupons enough if you want to save money and gather a really good stock pile of food and other necessities. While I am not an extreme couponer, I do quite well with it!


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

:congrat: good for you!

If you use the 'search' feature, you will find quite a few examples of others of us on this forum doing this as well.


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## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

RainBo, good for you. Wish it were possible where I live. I use coupons, but here in the NW, can usually only save about 50%, and that is on full priced items at stores that really sell for full prices. No stores here do anything more than 4 double coupons per transaction and those clerks in those stores will only allow one transaction from you. 

I see on the coupon show how areas of the US stores have unlimited double coupons and it boggle my mind why our stores here are so stingy. Albertsons (Sav-On) used to allow any other stores coupons, all other stores double coupons, plus theirs and had one day a week od unlimited double coupons, but that was over a decade ago, now Albertsons here has double coupons only once every 2 weeks, and they are the highest priced store around. Needless to say I never shop there.

Our best bet here is a store called Winco. They sell a lot in bulk, in fact recently they have been selling storage buckets and all....Their prices just cannot be beat by anyone, well maybe those stores could but refuse to. My other favorite is a couple of little salvage good stores. No coupons of course, but lord the deals that I find. Cake mixes 3 for $1.00, name brand mayo .80 cents, cerals $1.25 a box.....just a few examples, plus, the money one of them earns goes to their mission of helping people living on reservations.


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## Jason (Jul 25, 2009)

We can do ok here in Pittsburgh with coupons, but to the best of my knowledge there aren't any salvage or scratch n dent food stores around here. Any other PGH preppers know of any?


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## Salekdarling (Aug 15, 2010)

Jason said:


> We can do ok here in Pittsburgh with coupons, but to the best of my knowledge there aren't any salvage or scratch n dent food stores around here. Any other PGH preppers know of any?


I'll let you know when and if I find one. :dunno:


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

We're like what Hoppe wrote. Stores here grudgingly take coupons, and only those issued by the product company, but none offer double or triple coupon redemption. I have relatives back east that make a killing with coupons, but you just can't do it in Montana. Or most places I've been in the west.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

Yeah, we haven't had double coupons at Krogers for some time now - I wonder when some of these shows were filmed? And no scratch-n-dent stuff, either. But I find that if you pay attention to sales, you can do pretty well. Over time, anyway. Slow and stead wins the race.


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## ajsmith (Feb 1, 2010)

Here in central Oregon there's not to many killer deals from the big stores, aka Albertsons, Safeway or even Wal-Mart, but we do have some small scratch-n-dent stores. In Madras there's Millers Discount and the Dollar Tree. In Redmond there's the Caned Food Store (lots more than canned food). In Bend there's Food For Less and United Grocers, maybe a few more that I don't know of. 
We're pretty limited on the use of coupons tho.........


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## Clarice (Aug 19, 2010)

The Kroger's in Greenville, MS double coupons up to 50cents everyday, but then they are right across the street from a WM supercenter.


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

Here in Wisconsin you can only use one coupon per item. It doesn't help very much.


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## ilovetigger (Aug 10, 2011)

In Michigan.................ALDIS is your friend. Better prices than couponing.


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## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

AJSmith, it is hard to get ANY deals over there, stores are not as close together as over here on the wet side. My parents had a bakery/donut shop in Burns back in the 80's and there were two stores, and then it was about 150 miles either way to any other town with stores....shopping and deals were highly limited.

AJ, you might be getting some of the stuff from the company Everyday Deals here in Portland. I ran across a store on the coast that was getting this stuff too and making a killing over there. I keep hoping there is a way to buy palletized goods from them and share the cost with others who are stocking up in my area, so far we are far and few in between, too many "live for the moment" yupster types, and far too many of the minimalistic sustainable living groupies as well (they only peek a meals worth of food on hand, I know firsthand have a couple of family members in this group).

AJ, if I were you, and_ if _you are able, maybe make a Portland run out of it. Hit up Winco (it is well worth the trip alone) and then go to my haunt on 202nd and Stark Street.


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## ajsmith (Feb 1, 2010)

HoppeEL4, I know what your saying about Burns, It's still that way even today. We go through there a lot on trips to Idaho (wifes family lives in the treasure valley). We eat lunch at the Subway there and have stopped at the Safeway. Not much else there, closest places are Bend to the west and Ontario to the east. 

As far as those that "live in the moment", we have one of our sons that fits that profile. After 4 years at Willamette University he moved to Portland for a couple years. But you couldn't find any food in his place at any time, pretty much a bed and a computer witch makes no sense 'cause he makes over a hundred grand a year, kids these days????

202nd and Stark St., doesn't that put you out in Gresham? Well I guess Gresham and Portland kind of all run together now. I do know what you mean tho about better deals over on that side of the mountains. We would run across some from time to time, you just have to know where to look. Would have to be a really good deal for me to make a special trip, about 250 miles round trip (including running around town), so would take quite a bit of gas for me. 

Thanks for the info tho...


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## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

AJSmith, we're towards the mountain, outside of Sandy, used to live in Gresham though, and escaped a year ago...I literally mean escaped (was a drug dealer in the neighborhood where we lived).

I know it is a long haul over here, but Winco is the best, well worth a once or twice yearly trip (bulk foods galore). 

As for Burns, WOW they have a Subway now!!! It was a huge deal when I moved away, and went to visit my parents and they told me a McDonalds had been opened up there....That town has never changed or grown, which overall is not terrible, but it also limits choices. The way things are right now, I am ok with being where we are, it gives us the chance to be around ammenities if we need to drive to them, but far enough from the rat race that we feel if all you-know-what breaks loose we will have some sanctuary. Besides the place we are in is humble looking, so it is sort of being incognito.


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## ajsmith (Feb 1, 2010)

HoppeEL4, Yep Burns has a McDonald's just down the road from Subway. Kinda in that stretch of road between Burns and Hines, by the Chevron Station. 
If your up closer to the mountain side of things that is a lot better than in the city. Very pretty in that area but still to wet for me. 
I've never been to a Winco, sounds like a good place tho... 
We usually about twice a year take a fist full of coupons and head to Wal Mart for about $400 worth then to Fred Meyer for about $200 worth, the canned food store for another $100 worth and some times we'll hit up Food for Less for another $200. Needless to say when we do this we take the truck and make a day of it. Oh ya, we hit up Costco about ever two months for things like the Kirkland cheese and things.
Next time I head over the mountain I may just find a Winco and check it out!!
Thanks


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## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

ajsmith, that same area was where my parents had their bakery, in this small strip mall owned by some guy with the last name of Blackburn, I think he was a realtor...It's been a while. They started out at what used to be the Thriftway up the road closer to Hines, no idea what's there now. They had a full bakery, but then the Thriftway closed down, so they moved over to that smaller space and did donuts mainly, sold most of them to the ranches......wow, it has been a while since I thought about all of that, cannot believe I remembered as much as I did about it. They retired in 1994/95.

Honestly, it is too wet here for me plenty too, but my husbands job is here, and so are my kids, and grandkids. Family is everything, otherwise I would be out near John Day or Prairie City, I love it out there, but as for incomes, there is just not enough.


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## prairie (Jun 11, 2011)

My dd and I love couponing and do very well with them! Our grocery store does allow double coupons. The easiest items to stockpile for free or at a very low price are the toiletry items. That frees up extra money then to concentrate on food preps.


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## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

prairie, I envy it when people can go to a store and have the ability to coupon like this, we just don't have the capability due to the stores policies here. However, I am thankful I have my salvaged goods store, it may be my saving grace in this way, I can come out with what amounts to about $300-$500 worth of food and health aids for about $100, sometimes less depending on their move it off the shelf sales (cake mixes 3 for one $1)..

The only drawback is that you can only buy there what they got in, does not include everything other stores carry.


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## stayingthegame (Mar 22, 2011)

our salavge store looks like they picked off the dump. the boxes are torn and dirty, cans are rusty, the dates are expired, and they still wanted .60 a can for off name veggies.


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## musketjim (Dec 7, 2011)

We buy a lot of stuff in bulk at Sam's Club and then divide it into 5 gal. buckets and smaller Tupperware for use later. Buying in bulk is an easier way to put aside future food supplies for us at least.

The whole world sucks, America sucks a lot less and Alaska don't suck at all.


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## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

stayinginthegame, I most certainly would not buy rusty canned goods or packaging that compromised the food in anyway. Sometimes the place I go has some boxes that were slightly crushed, but not too badly, and canned goods are still fine and not damaged. It is so risky to buy canned goods that have been dented, it can have a pinhole size hole, and air has been spoiling it...have heard of it happening.


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## RainBoKatchr (Jan 27, 2010)

I see there is some chatter here on the post that I did. Thanks!!! I wanted to say that I am from Sweet Home, Oregon and shop in Corvallis at Albertsons and using the Twice The Value coupons saves me lots of money. Yes, Albertsons is one of the more high priced stores, however, when using the double coupons combined with store sales and loss leaders, I do really well! Safeway is a stickler for only allowing four double coupons per person, per day. Albertsons is not as much. I shop there often enough that the evening manager rings in my order and does the overrides and he is very nice about it. I typically run 30 double coupons at Albertsons during a shopping trip. Last time I went there I saved $108 off my order at a savings of 58%. I consider it a home run when I save 50% or more. I bought Progresso soup for .50 a can using coupons and a store sale. Damn, if that did not feel nice! 

I agree that Winco cannot be beat. Even Walmart cannot always beat them. I shop at Fred Meyer and Winco and save big each time I shop there. Now, I consider saving big to be 50% off or more.


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## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

RainBo, hey, glad to see another Oregonian here. I am a Winco fan, just hate the crowds in there. I attempt to go on off hours, or it is impossible to think clearly and use coupons to their fullest.

I am not at all a Walmart grocery fan, they do not impress me. Safeway can have some great loss leader items, and I exploit those. The store here has only a few clerks, and I always seem to be in when there is this one, and she does whatever she can to make it hard or frustrate me into not wanting to even try there (I swear it). I think some of these clerks think it is coming out of their own dang pockets.

I have no working relationship with Albertsons so to speak. The only one is in Troutdale, a ways from us, and unless I am in town and close, I don't go there. I plan for it if I know I will be in the area, but lately their sales have not been good enough to draw me in. 

RainBo, if only you had what we do have up here, the salvage good store...Oh man this makes handling coupons almost obsolete. Though, the draw back is they do not have the full array of goods like the other stores. What they got in, is what you get to pick from. I am never disappointed though, and always come away with about $80.00 out of pocket, but can guarantee the worth is probably about $300, I can't save that much with coupons normally.

You are in a good location for prepping I think.


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## prairie (Jun 11, 2011)

HoppeEL4 said:


> RainBo, hey, glad to see another Oregonian here. I am a Winco fan, just hate the crowds in there. I attempt to go on off hours, or it is impossible to think clearly and use coupons to their fullest.
> 
> I am not at all a Walmart grocery fan, they do not impress me. Safeway can have some great loss leader items, and I exploit those. The store here has only a few clerks, and I always seem to be in when there is this one, and she does whatever she can to make it hard or frustrate me into not wanting to even try there (I swear it). *I think some of these clerks think it is coming out of their own dang pockets.
> *
> ...


That's how it is at our local Walmart. I'm at the point I don't want to use coupons there.


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## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

I have noticed that some people who work for the stores have such an issue about coupons. I took the advice on one of those Extreme Coupon shows, this woman said to find the young guy clerks, they just plug em' through and don't pick. It has worked for me so far. I have found also that you can also get this with the young women, but scope even those out for the newest ones, they will want to be particular because they are new.

My nephew grew up in Minnesota and worked for a store called "Rainbow", in his senior year, which he said was a lot like Winco, and he was this way about coupons, just run them through and what would not run through, he said, he just keyed in anyways. He said some managers could be so anal about it. He did not see the point unless it was a freebie one, because the companies reimburse stores.


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## LilRedHen (Aug 28, 2011)

HoppeEL4 said:


> I have noticed that some people who work for the stores have such an issue about coupons.


I was in line in WalMart behind a lady who had both coupons and price matches. The young lady clerk asked her if she had any price matches and she said no, only coupons. Then at the end of a very large buggy of items, the customer pulled out the price matches. The clerk almost cried. She had to take every item off the register one at a time and rering the item with the price match manually. I knew the clerk because she went to school with my Chicklet and she told me that price matches had to be done in a completely different way on the register and that was why she asked the customer at the beginning if she had them. The customer didn't appear to know what she was doing and the clerk was trying to do her job. The clerk apologized to me for having to wait so long. If I was on the other side of the counter and had to deal with that on a daily basis, I would probably come across as having issues with coupons too.

I just can't find coupons for what I buy in my small town. I rarely buy name brands of anything, but will check if I see something that we eat. Most of the time, I can get a better price on the same type of item at Save A Lot than I can buying the name brand and using a coupon at the other grocery store in town. I can't leave the Rooster long enough to make a trip out of town, so I live with it.


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## naturegirl (Oct 9, 2011)

Rainbo,

Have you checked with your health food store? They do club buying for bulk orders. Saves about 40% off of retail. Since bulk is less than packaged products anyway, it can be a considerable savings.


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## RainBoKatchr (Jan 27, 2010)

I did another "extreme couponing" run last night and my savings at Albertsons was 79%! I was able to stock up on free salad dressing using Twice the Value coupons and I got more canned foods for low prices! Oh and PASTA!!!!! I only wish the Dollar Tree and Grocery Outlet Bargain Market took coupons!!!! I guess that would be a dream come true. It does not hurt to dream. 

I did have a slight issue with a clerk at another store that I shop at. She misunderstood the "one coupon per purchase" statement on the coupon as meaning one coupon per transaction. I had several coupons for several of the same items. I explained it to her and she was super nice about it. 

I have noticed that the men tend to just ring in the coupons without looking too deeply at them. I also noticed that the men have a bad habit of getting rushed and pull out two coupons and scan them as one. This happens more often during the busier times of the day. I tend to shop when it is slow. 

Winco is GREAT! However, the crowds are enormous! Corvallis, where I shop, is the home of Oregon State University and all the students shop there. It is also a slight pain when they restock the store as the block the isles and it does make it harder to take my time and get the best deals. But it is a necessary evil. 

Simply put, my only regret with couponing is that I did not start earlier! My stockpile of food and whatnot has been growing quite well! Knowing that it is there gives me a sense of security. Know that if the power goes out, I am ready with whatever we may need! 

Does anyone know how long the shelf life is for the single-serve Horizon Organic (ones that do not require refrigeration until opened) milks?


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## RainBoKatchr (Jan 27, 2010)

Naturegirl, I will look into that! I do not buy foods with HFCS or hydrogenated oils. I also and one of those that avoids MSG. I actually never gave any thought to buying in bulk from a health food store. We have several around here.


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## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

Rainbo, some Grocery Outlets are better than others when it comes to selection. Our local one is actually pretty good. You just have to be knowledgable about your prices elsewhere, as some of Grocery Outlets stuff is substandard size so you might basically be paying more. I always go for the stuff they have that I consider extreme deal. Canned tomatoes 4 for $1, or other packaged items for one dollar each or less. You just have to hunt and pick and not settle.

My best deal this week was Bayer Aspirin..Fred Meyers had the 24 bottle size on sale $1.99, I had three $1.50 off coupons and one $2.00 off coupons, got them all for about .38 cents a bottle. My husband is on them as a blood thinner. They also had Progresso soups on sale, only veg. classics, and I had coupons $1.00 off four, getting each can for .75 cents each. These tend to be bland to me (I normally make my own homemade soups), so they can be dressed up, and the hearty tomato soup can be used an an ingredient base to something else. These are good to keep on hand because they are ready to eat, and in a real pinch, it will be a meal.

Rainbo and naturegirl, I still wish you all had what I do up here, salvage good store (called "Everyday Deals" and another called "Frontier Missions"). I just went in and found Stouffers Mac n cheese party size packs for $4.00. If you are not aware, these are a sheet cake size pan full of mac n cheese, normally about $16.00. I take these and cut them into blocks with a hot knife and repack them with instructions, so the portions are individual. Yogurts .25 cents each (no bad dates). These poor clerks see me coming and call for help boxing it all. Most people who shop there (it is in a really financially depressed neighborhood) spend about $25, me I get a lot more, I tend to buy with my two out of house kids too.

I do tend to aim towards the canned and packaged goods for storage, but hard to pass up good frozen brands when they come up. Currently things are ok, we have electricity to store with and it saves huge dollars so I can aim those dollars towards me real stock up. Love it when I find things in stores like this and Grocery Outlet at several per dollar, I get excited so much my husband claims he is jealous...lol


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