Do any of these "extreme couponning" jackasses ever donate what they buy

[Flaxbee]

to homeless shelters or animal shelters? Or are they just a cleaner version of extreme hoarders?

I see photos of women in their basements with a zillion boxes of dixie cups, 80 packages of paper towels ... more than they could EVER use. How about donating it, guys? Get the thrill of shopping 'til you drop, and then do some good with it. :shrug:

[qnr]

1. I've never watched it, but I heard someone explaining to their husband how

most of the items received by at least one individual had been donated.

[Flaxbee]

3. ...

I don't think I quite understand what you're saying. Was it someone on the show explaining to their husband something about donating stuff? Or what items received had been donated, and by whom?

[qnr]

11. No, it was a friend of mine. Her grandmother was talking to her grandfather,

and she was involved in the conversation with him too. I just happened to hear that one conversation, so I don't know if that is what generally happens, but that particular guy in the one particular show they were discussing donated almost everything to various charitable organizations, apparently.

[Flaxbee]

22. ah! OK, thanks

I was a bit confused there :crazy:

[blueamy66]

2. I'm with ya.

I coupon, but cannot imagine saving the amount of $ that these people do. I seriously don't believe it.

I said the same thing the other day....donate the shit you hoarders!

[Flaxbee]

4. It's ridiculous. 80 cans of pasta sauce, 35 bottles of Maalox

WTF? And it's all crammed into every spare closet or shelf they can find in their homes.

So you buy $1000 worth of food and spend $2; what do you DO with all that stuff?

They should give it away. I rarely say "should" to anyone b/c it's so obnoxious, but in this case, they SHOULD donate it to those in need. Animal shelters can always use paper towels, cleaners, and of course, food and kitty litter. Homeless shelters and food banks -- goddamn, I'm sure they could easily use all that pasta sauce. Add 100 boxes of the pasta you're hoarding, you crazy idiots, and do some good for the world.

[blueamy66]

14. My guy brings home craploads of shampoo and soap

and the like cause he travels for a living.

I make up bags and give them to the homeless shelters.

Why wouldn't people do that with food?

[Flaxbee]

23. that's a great idea ...

those small sizes would be really useful at shelters, I imagine.

I suspect some of these extreme couponing people have certain psychological issues with hoarding, feelings of deprivation, etc.

[blueamy66]

26. Perhaps.

Or maybe they are waiting for the end of the world. :-)

It doesn't take much to go to the 99 cent store and buy some bags.

It makes it so worth while to see the smiles on peoples' faces when you donate.......

[Akoto]

5. Extreme couponning? Is this a new show or something?

If you mean people who use lots of coupons, well, I can't exactly blame them. Times are tough and prices are high. For someone like me, who gets $107 for a whole month via food stamps (permanent disability), a little saved can go a long way.

Now, the people who get a thousand cans of tomato sauce and dozens of Maalox bottles, those I can't really explain. Well, unless Glenn Beck scared the shit out of them about the Apocalypse coming.

[Gormy Cuss]

6. "Extreme couponing" is not just shaving a few bucks off the grocery bill

These are people who are obsessed with using coupons and rebates to get stuff for free - or as close to free as they can. It goes way beyond being thrifty. They spend hours every day looking for deals and they accumulate products well in excess of what their families can use.

[Flaxbee]

24. I know. Friends on disability also have

seriously tight budgets and really have to make their money stretch.

These are people who take it as a challenge to buy huge quantities of stuff for a few bucks. Some, it seems, do give it away, but many just store all of it in their basements. They have to consume the perishables, but canned goods, paper towels, etc. all get crammed onto already-loaded shelves. Yes, maybe you can fathom eating 250 cans of corn in your lifetime, but I can guarantee you if they get a chance to buy another 500 cans in the next month, they'll do so. So, what does a person do after buying 750 cans of corn in two months? Hang on to it, of course!

[suninvited]

7. yes

I saw one guy have so many coupons for a certain box of cereal he had to have it special ordered by his store. He mentioned several times how much his local food bank could use this cereal. He only kept as many boxes as he would eat himself, something like fifty boxes, but he donated several hundred.

[Flaxbee]

15. that's great -- and IMHO, the way all these coupons should be used.

There was ONE WOMAN last night who spent $1900, paid about $103, and her house was crammed full of so much stuff. She did it mostly, it seems, because it was a challenge.

[Duer 157099]

8. I thought that they should teach the pantry admins to do the same

Why don't food pantries have volunteers who just do that one thing? Seems like it would be a good investment of their time.

[Flaxbee]

16. yup - some of these people need to set aside a few weekends

and do training so all the food banks can score the same way.

[Arugula Latte]

9. I did read about a woman who routinely gave products to women's shelters and the like.

However, I doubt that's the norm. Most of 'em stockpile.

[Flaxbee]

17. wish she were the norm, not the stockpilers.

But actually - not that I have time - I'd do that if I found a way to routinely get good deals on products for the local shelters (animal and human).

Maybe I should try to find time.

[LynneSin]

10. My mother can get like that. I have enough TP to wipe my ass for the next decade or so

But she's so pleased with how cheap she buys it.

[Flaxbee]

18. lol. but - if she could buy quantity paper towels, the animal shelter

would love having them.

Moms are hard to dissuade.

[fishwax]

12. Here's a guy who used couponing to turn a penny he found on the sidewalk into thousands in donations

to local foodbanks: http://www.pennyexperiment.com/about/

Here he explains how he got 200+ boxes of fruit snacks for free: http://www.pennyexperiment.com/free-betty-crocker-fruit-snacks/

[Flaxbee]

19. really nice idea / site ...

thanks for posting the link... :hi:

[alphafemale]

13. I don't EXTREME coupon by any means. Hate spending the time. But I do have a tip to share.

At Publix the store I most often shop they put out a flyer with some coupons at the entrance of the store. There is one flyer per month.

At sometime during that month every item there is a coupon for, is also on a buyone/getone offer.

That's usually an awesome deal.

But 90% of coupons in a Sunday paper are for processed foods or high end cleaning products i don't buy anyway.

[Flaxbee]

20. I know, re Sunday paper coupons -- they're always for really processed

crap food with tons of sodium, sugar and preservatives.

It'd be great if they could offer discounts on produce (national brands like Dole...) so people could afford to eat healthier.

The only Sunday coupons I use (my mom clips then and sends them to me) are for cat food, cat litter, and things like toothpaste or lotion or whatever...

[suninvited]

21. Also, at the Publix here, at least

one the buy one/get one offers, you can use TWO coupons. We really save some money on those deals.

[Capn Sunshine]

25. was there ever a more antithetical use of the word "Extreme"?

couponing? Really? Wow, right up there with weather.

[Duer 157099]

27. You know, maybe this is one way we the people can show the

corporations what power in numbers really means.

What if a whole bunch of us coordinated and organized to do exactly this, to basically fill up the food banks with free supplies, courtesy of couponing?

Now there's a project that is worth the time and effort, imho.