Flattery will get you.....$5 in coupons!

Like many coupon seekers, I search the usual spots for coupons: Sunday newspapers, online, product websites.  And from those I've accumulated a good batch of coupons.

Last weekend I decided to try another tactic....flattery.   I visited many product websites, submitting compliments about how much I loved the product.   My hopes was that maybe one, or more, would mail me a coupon.

Today, barely a week later, I got my first reward for my efforts in the mail:  An envelope from Turkey Hill with several coupons totaling $5!  Oh, and the coupons don't expire until 2013!  That gives me plenty of time to plan the best way to use them to maximize my savings. 

Give it a try!  Go to http://turkeyhill.com.  Under "contact us" enter your information, add a compliment or suggestion, and soon you too may receive your $5 worth of coupons!

Why???? Let me explain....

So, why do I aspire to be an extreme couponer?

Let me explain.....

Like many, I have watched the show "Extreme Couponing" in awe as shoppers have gone into a store, purchased hundreds (even thousands) of dollars worth of items, and then paid a tiny fraction of that initial total for all of it.  

And, like many, I am trying to significantly reduce my expenses.   Even though I have a full time job and am earning more than I ever have before, my past debts are catching up with me.   A year ago I finished grad school and, in addition to my Master's, I also graduated with over $60,000 in student loans to repay.   The government wanted me to pay them $700 a month, I worked it down to $350.  Somewhat of a relief, but still a big chunk of my income.   Then we add in credit card debts acquired due to my (stupidly) choosing not to work full time while in grad school, car payments, insurance, etc.   Put it all together, along with rent, that barely gave me anything left over from my paychecks. 

Something had to be done.   I knew my parents were big on coupons and savings.  And, of course, I caught a few episodes of Extreme Couponing and became inspired.  Earlier this summer I decided to give it a try.  I began purchasing Sunday newspapers, starting clipping, but barely noticed a difference.   So I stopped.

Now I am ready to try it again.    I watched Extreme Couponing more closely, checked out blogs of people who are big on savings, and started buying those Sunday newspapers again for the coupons.

Although I admire the savings of those on Extreme Couponing,  I do have my limits.   I don't want to leave the store with hundreds of bottles of soda, endless bags of candy, and other things that I don't even use.  I don't intend to have a basement resembling a mini-grocery store, filled with huge stock piles of supplies (especially since I live in a small apartment and don't even have a basement).   So there is my big challenge.   I want to save, but I want to make realistic purchases of things I actually need and will use.  

From here on, I will make my effort to be a better shopper.   A better saver.   Today begins my journey as an aspiring Extreme Couponer.