Since the TLC show Extreme Couponing has aired, I have received numerous emails from readers begging me to give them tips on how to be an extreme couponer like the people they see on the show.
I’m sorry to break it to ya, folks, but what you see on the show is not really how it all goes down. They save up all of their “Free Product” and “High Value” coupons to use on the show, so that their hauls will be much more impressive.
They know well in advance when their shopping date will be, so they have plenty of time to order coupons (many use a coupon clipping service at a cost – a cost that is never factored into their out of pocket total).
It’s television – pure entertainment.
Is it possible to be an extreme couponer in Canada?
Yes, but don’t expect to get the same types of deals as those you see on Extreme Couponing.
Many of the people on the show have stores in their community that will double (sometimes triple!) the value of coupons. They also have catalina’s that print on your receipt, which are coupons you can use for future purchases (for example: save $5 on your next purchase of $20).
In addition, they often have better in store promotions than those of us in Canada (for example: buy 5 General Mills products and get $5 off your purchase).
So, yes, you can be an extreme couponer in Canada. Just don’t expect to go to the store every week and buy $600 worth of groceries for $10. It’s near impossible.
My eBook, Money In Your Pocket, is a great resource for saving money on groceries in Canada. Please check it out if you are looking to cut back on your grocery bills.
How to Become an Extreme Couponer
First, let me stress that becoming an extreme couponer and building a large stockpile doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time to learn how to shop smart and get used to using coupons in large quantities. It took me well over a year to build my stockpile and I am still (and always will be) constantly taking from and adding items to it.
Find Coupons
If you really want to get serious about couponing, the first thing you need to do is find coupons – and find a lot of them. There are many ways to do this: tear pad coupons, coupon inserts, online coupon companies, printable coupons, coupon trading, etc.
Organize Coupons
Once you find a bunch of coupons, you will then need to organize them. My favourite way to organize coupons is the binder method, but of course, there are many other options. Choose the organizational system that you think would work best for you.
It’s important to always stay on top of your coupons. When you get new ones, organize them right away. They start to pile up very fast! Also, don’t forget to go through your coupons at least once per month (at least) and remove all of the expired ones.
Check Your Flyers
There are new store flyers every week. When you receive them, look them over and circle all of the items that you think are good deals and would like to buy. Then, check your coupons to see if you have any to match up to those items.
I post weekly coupon match-ups every Thursday, so if you don’t have time to check your flyers, just watch for that post.
You always want to shop with a list when you go grocery shopping. Otherwise, you will just walk up and down the aisles adding random items to your cart with no real rhyme or reason. To save yourself some money, always shop with a list and never buy anything that is not on it (unless you find some great clearance deals, of course!).
Also, you need to fill your belly before you go shopping, otherwise you will shop on impulse and fill up your cart with junk food. Trust me on that one.
Stock-Up On Sale Items
You always want to stock up on items when they are at their rock-bottom prices. This is how you build a stockpile. Give yourself a monthly “stocking up” budget and use that money to stock up on items when they go on sale. If you use lots of frozen vegetables and normally pay $1.99 a bag, wait until they go on sale for $1 or less and then stock up. Sales typically run about every 3 months, so purchase a 3 month supply (if you can afford it) at that low price and then you don’t have to worry about frozen vegetables for 3 months.
Always save your coupons to match them up with great deals. I know it can be tempting to use a whole bunch of coupons when you first start out, but you will get the best bang for your buck if you hold on to those coupons and wait for a sale.
Organize Your Stockpile
Once you start using coupons for awhile and purchasing things that are on sale, you will begin to amass a collection of items. This is called a stockpile. In order to avoid chaos in your home, you need to organize your stockpile. Basements work best, but if you don’t have one available to use, here are some other ideas for stockpile storage.
Remember to always add newer items to the back and move older items to the front, to prevent expiration issues. You’re not saving any money if you just end up throwing things out!
Donate Your Extras
When you start getting the hang of using coupons and stockpiling, you will probably end up having a whole heap of items that you can’t possibly use before they expire. I would suggest donating those stockpile items to local food banks, shelters or even friends and family. Help others in need. Pay it forward. If you do good, good will come to you.
Becoming an extreme couponer is hard. It takes a lot of time, and it can be stressful. You have to find coupons, clip coupons, organize coupons, plan shopping trips, go shopping and put everything away. You will sometimes deal with cashiers that don’t want to accept your coupons. There will be great big hauls and there will be very small hauls. Expect that.
If you want to be extreme, couponing becomes a job. It’s not easy – but it can certainly be worth it!
Kylee: Not that I’m aware of.
Is there a site that focuses on match-ups and coupons in Quebec (Montreal) specificly?
I don’t feel you will save like the usa here in Canada the Toronto area. I’m planing a trip to buffalo NYC for a weekend for saving and shopping . I feel that is the only way is work Please contact me I’m looking to start a fashionista 416 saving and shopping group
Kim: Check this – http://www.mrsjanuary.com/frugal-living/where-to-find-coupons
Am new to couponing. I live in Alberta. Just wondering what are some tips on getting the coupons. What sites do you guys all use???
a great way to save money on eggs is go straight t the source I usually buy eggs by the flat for 5.00 from a local farmer they will store in the fridge 3-6 wks
Tyler: No, that is considered stacking and is not allowed.
Cynthia c: It just means only one coupon per item.
So I’m in Ontario and I was wondering if the following scenario would/has worked for you in the past ?
What happens if i have a coupon for buy 1 get 1 free of an item. Then i have another coupon for buy 1 of those items and get another different product for free ? Lets say for example. Buy 1 Chicken Soup, Get 1 Free. Then another coupon Buy 1 Chicken Soup – Get Crackers free. Is this within coupon policy ? Lets say Walmart ?
I have a question as I’m new to the whole couponing world.
I have a coupon that says “one coupon per product, offer limited to one coupon per purchase”
Does that mean I cam only buy one of those products and use my coupon or can I still buy more of the product and use more coupons got each item?
Lynn: Dollarama accepts coupons… well, certain locations do. I suggest calling your local store before attempting to use them there.
Hi!! I just fell in love with your site. Thank you so much for having it here for us! So here is my question….I am a little embarrased to ask but here goes. Can you use coupons at Dollar Stores? Thank you so much again Lynn
Mrs. January, I just saw you on Global News last night, congratulations! I have never heard of your site until I saw the news segment. I am really inspired to try this, and have in the past but always gave up because I could never be organized enough and the coupons would always expire on me. I now want to give it another go because I am no longer deriving an income (its hopefully temporary!)so our money is way down. I look forward to really mining this site for good tips to use. I am so thankful that I found out about you and this website!
For anyone who wants to use the binder method, the plastic coupon holding pages are at the Dollar Store in with the children’s book ilse of all places.This is the best coupon site ever. Thanks Cassie.
Laura,
next time you are in watertown go into price chopper to customer service , fill in the form to join their program advantage plus, show them your driver’s license and they will issue it on the spot.
Erika,
I am looking forward to how you do too, as I have been thinking of doing that myself. I just find it hard getting the coupons mailed to me.
Hi there. Just wondering how erica got an advantage card for price chopper. I am not too far from watertown myself and have thought of trying to go there?
Erika: Good luck with your trip. Let us know how it goes!
I was watching extreme couponing the last night and the girls went shopping at Price Chopper in Watertown NY. My friend and I have decided that we want to try do this as we are only an hr away from Watertown. But we are going to start small and see how we do first. I am going to make a small list of things (10 items or so) Add the coupons to my Advantage card and then see what other coupons we can find to use there as well. We are planning tis for Black Friday so what a time to go cause it will already be busy but we are ready to give it a try. If it works out well for us we are going to try to go more often. The only thing is making sure we stay within what we are allowed to bring back to Canada. We are really looking forward to this up coming trip
Also Thank you for your get ideas Cassie. I am finding I am able to go and do small shopping trips and pay about half of what I would of paid before I started using coupons!!
Melanie: Thank you so much for your very sweet comment! I really appreciate it and am so happy that you have found Mrs January to be helpful to you.
This site is amazing. I have been a small time couponer and frugal shopper for years. Long before TLC and extreme couponing. I will admit that I wasn’t a smart couponer. The show has taught me to always buy the smallest size allowable and also to always, always, always double up by using my coupon when the item is on sale. These two key rules have allowed me to take my couponing to a whole new level.
This week I got 3 Advil Night 10 packs FREE as well as 3 Gillette shaving creams FREE. I live in Nova Scotia so some of the stores we shop at are different than those posted here. Lawtons had the Advil on the front page of the flyer $3.99 and I used coupons from a tear pad $4 off any size item. So the Advil was free. Zellers had Gillette shave cream on 50% off ($1.49) Friday and Saturday only. I bought 3 and used my buy 3 save $5 coupon from either websaver or brandsaver. So they were FREE as well.
Also a good deal on yogurt tubes. In store discount at Atlantic Superstore on soon expiring packs for $1.49. Used $0.50 tear pad coupons to get each pack for $0.99 then we just pop them in the freezer.
Everyone seems to have such bad experiences redeeming coupons at Zellers. I have had great luck and success at my local zellers so far. Maybe because we are such a small community.
Anyways…I think this site is great. I found it this morning and have read probably 10 of the articles already, added it to my favourites and liked it on facebook. Way to go Carrie!
Gabrielle: If they say “one per customer”, then you will only be able to use one.
I love your blog. I think these tips are very helpful. But almost all the coupons I get say “limit one coupon per customer” What am i suppose to do with those?
aj: Thanks for sharing your tips, I totally agree!
extreme couponing is not only possible in Canada, it’s really fun.
of course it takes an insane amount of time, skill, and patience.
I just did a major haul, and got several hundred cans of Campbells soup. it took me forever to gather the coupons, then hours to organize them all. From there I had to wait for a good sale on it. Then I price matched at Walmart. Now, once I got to Walmart I had even more work to do. I had to load the soup into the cart. find the varieties I liked, and make sure the numbers all lined up. Then I got to the checkout. I was very friendly, and informed her I was price matching, and had coupons. a lot of them.
you have to be really nice, and really patient with clerks. a lot of the time they are just plain old worn out, the stores are never properly air conditioned, and if the coupons are wrong it comes on them. Explain as best you can what the coupons mean if they ask any questions. Don’t get huffy. Be polite and pleasant. Always compliment them in some way., this is going to take them a lot of time, and manually ringing in hundreds of items.
always have your coupons organized, and sorted. If i’m doing a big haul I separate them by product, and then into groups of ten clipped with paper clips. The clerks appreciate organization. Then each product is stored in its own envelope with the name written on it. Be prepared to produce extra coupons if needed. we all miscount from time to time.
I also take the time to tell people that are in line behind me that i’m couponing and that it might take awhile. Most people are more interested than annoyed, and if time is an issue they go to another aisle.
it all boils down to, be nice, be organized, and be prepared.
where can I get cupons online mailed? I signed up to save.ca and gocupons.com but there’s not many there… any help would be appreciated.
I have always been about budgeting carfully, making lists trying to spend the least and always going for sales. I live in sault ste. marie, Ontario and never thought of using coupons, only when my fiance is getting take out and I have those little 2 for one coupons for the burgers.
I’ve only seen a few here and there in magazines and stuff but never any for food.
I am expecting my first on June 9th, and have been trying to budget even more but it’s been hard, my fiance smokes, we have the car to worry about our dog, and of course food and utilities. Recently I got some coupons in for diapers and I have a little pile saved up, I’ve been finding them in magazines and I got some in the mail, when my fiance saw them he made a comment about if I keep going I’ll turn into an extreme couponer, I didn’t know what he was talking about as I had never before seen the show, I just started watching it about 2 weeks ago and would like to give couponing a shot.
I know I’m not going to have the kind of sales they show on tv but anything will help but I don’t know where to get coupons
Yes, you can. That line just means that you can’t use more than 1 coupon per 1 item.
I have tons of coupons and I check the flier sales often, but I’m often hit with coupons that say “cannot be combined with any other offer”…can I still use coupons towards these items if they are already on sale in store?
Brandy – Yes, technically that is okay because you are using the $3 coupon to pay for 1 purex and the B1G1 free coupon to pay for the other coupon. You could not, however, use 2 $3 coupons on 1 bottle.
I am not totally clear on the whole coupon thing. I have managed to get a bunch, and my last shopping trip mananged to save over 60 dollars with coupons and two items where the wrong price so i got for free. But say i go to Walmart and i have a 3 dollar off purex coupon and a buy one get one free purex coupon can i use them both on the same purchase?
Erica – Thank you! Glad you like the site.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who was bothered by all that mustard. My family and I use mustard all the time. We’ve been a family for almst ten years now but I don’t think we’ve managed to go through 70 bottles yet. Unless they’re storing for future generations I think they could have saved even more by leaving a lot of it at the store.
That being said, thank you so much for all the valuable tips and links. I’ve just started couponing and I’m realizing what a lot of hard work this is but we’re looking forward to keeping more of our hard earned money. The effort is definately worth it.
Oh yes, it’s definetely helping. The only thing that I don’t really like is that now whenever I go shopping and people see my binder they always ask “omg are you one of THOSE PEOPLE”. Ugh!
Great post, thank you!
I agree the show isn’t accurate of how couponing actually is, but I think it’s really helping to promote couponing in Canada. The other day my boss starting talking about the show, and that he’s encouraged his wife to start couponing. Then my co-worker starting talking about how she wants to use more coupons, so I decided to open up and tell them both what sites to go to to order their coupons, and where else they can find coupons. I’m not very open about couponing, because there is this stigma associated with them that you’re either “poor” or “cheap” if you use coupons. So it was nice to know they both thought couponing is awesome, and want to start doing it! So even though this show is unrealistic of what couponing is like here in Canada, I think it is breaking down the stigma barriers about couponing.
LPC – Yep, the stores definetely bend the rules on that show, all for some free publicity. It’s totally not the way it would actually go down at the store!
Extreme Couponing is how I came to your site, being a Canadian and all. I never realised how much I could save with coupons! I’ve seen the light and use my Shoppers Optimum card judiciously.
I admit I love the show, but I also think we have to take into consideration that it’s a tv show with the goal of getting ratings, and like every thing else, it’s not necessarily the reality. The segments are staged for maximum effect. If that lady did buy 70 of bottles of mustard, there wouldn’t be a show.
There’s also the rumour flying around that the stores in the show are breaking their own coupon policies when TV crews show up. I mean, what store would let a customer hog a cash register while waiting for her five friends to show to get extradiscounts? Probably the store doesn’t want to be portrayed as customer unfriendly in front of a camera, but quite possibly to attract customers with the false belief they can save as much. It’s free publicity for them.
Lattelady – Yes, it is definetely getting better with the new WM coupon policy and for those of you that are lucky enough to have a LD nearby! i really hope they will start having scannable coupons though. that would really help to speed things up at the cash! I agree that most of the time, deals come from being in the right place at the right time.
Tia – Yeah, but we don’t know exactly what she bought. We may not have seen certain purchases. Now, if she had a website and posted her list we could see! But I can’t seem to find her anywhere online.
Overages are irrelevant as the lady paid $102 in the end. If she didn’t buy the mustard, her total would have been $72.
You did a great job explaining how we shop in Canada and each Province has different stores and discount available.
Im in BC and have London Drugs, who allows you to stack coupon and get free items. Also with Walmarts new coupon rule , you can use an overage to get money back in your pocket or apply it to other items that you are buying. I know i will do this to get milk and other food items.
Sometimes it being in the right place at the right time when things are on sale. Check your local stores meat department they do mark down meat by 30 – 50% , I go to McGavins Bread Basket and buy bread for $1.39 a loaf the regular price at the grocery store is $3.98.
I use coupons on marked down item to reduce the cost even more, at SDM, RCSS and Safeway always have a discount section
As Cassie has said, its takes work to do this , but a little saving here and there can add up fast.
Cynthia – I’m glad that you find my website useful! Congrats on your pasta brag!
Theresa – I agree. It also irritates and fascintes me, both at the same time. It’s upsetting that the one lady cleared the shelf and didn’t feel guilty about it, but we don’t know how the show was filmed. Perhaps she actually ordered all of those bottles of mustard and the store had them in boxes for her, but the show wanted to show her taking them off the shelf. I know that they did that with Nathan last time, when he bought over 200 toothbrushes. I agree with you about that one lady who took over her husbands space with her stockpile. She will definetely become a hoarder in no time.
monkette – Did I say that somewhere on my site, or are you talking about something you saw on Extreme Couponing?
Tia – She probably had other items that gave her overage and the overage would pay for the mustard.
Melanie – Unfortunetely, no.
I wish there was! And thank you for the compliment! I really appreciate that. 
DL – Oh wow, that’s great! Thanks for sharing!
Just been bargain shopping at No Frills and found out that if the product being purchased has a coupon attached to it and your coupon that you brought with you is different from the coupon attached, then the store will accept both coupons for the product that you’re buying!!
I was wondering if there was a coupon website that allows multiple accounts on the same household. I know Save.ca won’t let you but I don’t know for the others. I have no family in my city so I can’t mail them to their houses. I’m just happy the gocoupons.ca will let you order some once a week.
P.S. You’re blog is the best! Everything in one place (coupon tips, organizing, financial tips, etc) I have no reason to visit other sites!
I agree that the lady buying 77 bottles of mustard is out of her mind. They weren’t even free, she said after coupons it’s 39 cents a bottle and the husband doesn’t even eat mustard. That’s already $30 of her $102 bill which most won’t be used. Not smart and waste of $30.
I dont understand how you get toilet paper for free if it is on sale for 5.99 and you only have a $2 coupon? Are you allowed to use more than 1 coupon?
That show both irritates and fascinates me at once. Some of the people are noble. The one black woman who was teaching everyone about couponing….that is wonderful. The lady who bought 77 bottles of mustard and cleared the shelf…….GET OVER YOURSELF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No one NEEDS 77 bottles of mustard. In your lifetime you wouldn’t even use half of that. If these people were saying that they were donating things to the food bank that would be amazing.
The worst was the obese lady with the extremely red face. She is bordering on a mental illness. I would bet my retirement savings that she will be living in a hoard of expired food in 10 years, divorced and obese. She disturbed me to no end.
Okay, rant over.
I want to start by saying thanks to Cassie, because your tips are incredibly useful and have helped me a lot! TLC’s Extreme Couponing show is definitely what got me interested in couponing, and I’ve just recently started getting coupons from save.ca, brandsaver.ca and the like. So far the best deal I got was getting a bag of pasta for 24 cents, because it was on sale plus I had a coupon. I was super excited about it hahahahah. I hope to be able to save as much as chrissyg did, that’s amazing!
Joanne – I don’t know about mustard, but if I could get free toilet paper and had no room in the stockpile, I would gladly put it under the bed! That stuff never expires, so I’ll take as much of it as I can get! but i agree with you that people compare all couponers to those on the shows, and many of us are NOT like that (although, I may seem extreme to some, I don’t believe that I am).
Di – Thank you very much! I really appreciate that.
chrissyg – Wow, you got a great deal at SDM. Good for you! I find it a major rush when I go shopping and get great deals too! And awww so adorable that your daughter gets excited about finding coupons. I hope Elliott is that way!
Samantha – I will have a blog post every Thursday (usually in the evening, sometimes earlier).
Hey,
Where on your site do you post:
“I post a weekly coupon match-up every Thursday, so if you don’t have time to check your fliers, just watch for that post.”
Thanks!
I really enjoy couponing and finding great deals. The show extreme couponing was amazing but I do agree with Mrs January on how they did it. I sometimes find great deals. My most recent one was at SDM I got 4 toothbrushes, 5 tubes of toothpaste, a box of cherios, and 18 bars of deodorant and ended up paying only $0.65 for the whole lot…yah me. That is my idea of extreme couponing. It doesn’t happen every shopping trip but when I can save $10 on my grocery bills it’s great. I’ve been couponing for a while I find it’s a major rush when you can get stuff for free or almost free. My 5 yr old daughter is even getting excitted over finding coupons now…so cute.
This is one of the best outlines I have seen online – esp since all the hub-ub after TLC’s insanity last week. Keep up the good work – your site is awesome.
I totally agree with you……..this is very extreme, and really why would you want all that mustard and toilet paper under your child’s bed?? We have very different coupons than what is offered in the USA. I only use coupons for what i will use, and stockpile mostly to share with my adults kids and some friends. I have introduced coupons to a few friends that are single moms, but find that most people just assume that i am like the extreme couponing ladies on the show, which i am not.
I love your web site and ideas etc……….i love to save money and i work hard for it so i should want to keep it:)
thanks for your advice and help
Joanne