How To Become an Extreme Couponer
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How To Become An Extreme Couponer In The UK
I know a lot of people have seen the US television programme Extreme Couponing and thought
‘I wish I could do that here in the UK’
Although it’s not quite possible to go the lengths of the American show here, it is still possible to get some amazing discounts on your shopping using a coupon or two (or three or four or five).
Way back in 2015, I had my first experience of extreme couponing.
I did an online shop with Sainsbury’s where I was able to stack several discount codes with new online customer codes and cashback.
In the end, the £60 shop cost me nothing, I only had to pay the delivery charge.
While the couponing and money-saving landscape has changed quite a bit since then, there are still plenty of ways to use coupons in your grocery shopping to save money.
Getting Started with Extreme Couponing
5 Places To Find Coupons In The UK
1. Finding Coupons In Newspapers and Magazines
Newspapers and magazines are great places to find both coupons and conditional spend vouchers (eg. £5 off a £40 spend).
Supermarket’s free in-store magazines (such as those found in Asda and Tesco) often have coupons for money off products so I always make sure I pick up more than one, meaning I can take advantage of coupons more than once.
Also, check the leaflets and flyers that come through your door, I seem to get regular conditional spend vouchers from Farmfoods.
2. Free Shopping Apps For Digital Coupons
There are several phone apps available that can help you cut the cost of your grocery shopping.
You simply buy the product listed then upload a photo of the receipt for a part or full refund on what you have bought.
Some of the offers can be redeemed more than once which is great for stocking up.
The shop pictured below had an RRP of around £13 and was completely FREE. It includes chocolates, pudding, chicken fillets, fizzy drinks, alcohol, and baby food.
As you can see the majority of the products are branded too.
CheckoutSmart is probably my favourite of these apps as it seems to have the most offers and is the easiest to use. I think it has the most freebies too! Find it here
Clicksnap which is linked to the cashback site Quidco and the Topcashback app also have good grocery offers. As the Checkout smart, Quidco and Topcashback apps sites are all linked you will need separate receipts for each offer you intend to claim from each app.
Sign up to Quidco here and Topcashback here
Shopmimum – works in the same way as the other apps listed above. Use my code KMFUKCCQ for a free bar of Green & Blacks chocolate when you sign up (registration must be via the app and not via the website) read my full Shopmium review here.
GreenJinn – is similar to the above apps, it tends to have fewer offers but is still worth checking out. You can combine offer from this app with the others at is totally separate. It only covers Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.
02 Priority – is an app for customers using the O2 network and is great for freebies and treats. You show a code on the app in-store and the item is free or discounted. They have lots of great freebies from places including Hotel Chocolat and WH Smiths. If O2 isn’t your current mobile provider you can get a free sim card to use here
Till Spit Coupons
These are the coupons that the till ‘spits’ at you when you finish your transaction. These can be for a multitude of things including conditional spend coupons, extra reward points, free products or money off an online shop with that retailer so they are worth hanging onto and having a good look through when you get home.
Tips For How To Extreme Coupon In The UK
It can be a bit daunting when you first start couponing but there are plenty of great pages online to help you get started and that will keep you up to date with all the latest coupons.
I find it helps to make some notes before I go, listing the exact size and product name I need for cashback or a voucher to work, which items need different receipts and which supermarket to but each item from.
Initially extreme couponing can take a bit of time and shopping around to get the best deals, however, I think once you get the hang of it can be a very rewarding way to save money. It’s also a great way to get free items to donate to charities or local food banks.
Last year I took part in a campaign to provide extra food banks in the run-up to Christmas. Couponing allowed me to do this without having to spend very much money at an already tight time of year. You can read my post all about it here.
Do you have any tips for how to become an extreme couponer? I’d love to hear them!
Couponing has always been one of those things I wish I could understand!
It’s really easy once you get the hang of it. If you’d like any help just let me know!
Most coupons will have the expiry date on them – sometimes it’s months, sometimes only a few days. I know when people get into extreme coupons they will often store their coupons by date to make sure they always get used before they expire
I would really love to coupon but wouldn’t know where to start is it even possible to do this on a large scale like i have seen done in america
I don’t think it’s possible to do quite the same scale as the USA here – going and filling a trolley and getting it down to pence just isn’t going to happen. However, with some effort and planning you can do some fab targeted coupon shops – using a combination of vouchers, coupons and cashback from the various shopping apps that are available. It really depends how much time you have too – sometimes you might need to go to more than one supermarket to get items for free or for the best price. If you have plenty nearby then it’s easy – if it means travelling a long way then it might not be worth the savings. I think it all depends on how much you want to save and how much you value your time. I would start by downloading apps like Shopmium and Checkoutsmart for the freebies and gradually build it up from there as you get the hang of things. I hope this helps and if you need any more help or guidance feel free to email me Fiona@savvyinsomerset.com
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