Extreme Couponing Book Review

I was excited to finally see this book at the library so I quickly put it on reserve.  I think that there was a wait but I have lost track with all the reserves that I make at the library.  I was excited to get to this book in my pile while I was just getting back from vacation.  Extreme Couponing: Learn How to Be a Savvy Shopper and Save Money... One Coupon At a Time by Joni Meyer-Crothers was a very quick book to read.  The chapters were easy to follow and filled with stories and lots of information to start couponing and make the habit stick.

In today's economy, being money savvy is a necessity. For most American households cutting back on the things they love has become harder and harder to bear. But there are ways to get what you want at a fraction of the cost--if not free.   With this book, extreme couponing expert Joni Meyer-Crothers (freetastesgood.com) explains precisely how she has managed to save thousands by clipping coupons, using them wisely and never paying full retail price for any product. She reveals what basic items you should never pay for (toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors, pasta, etc.), and teaches readers techniques to obtain coupons that do not cost a penny and turn them around to save big on groceries, cleaning items, hygienic supplies, and many other household products.  Learn the basics of couponing, maximizing your savings, and thinking outside of the box when it comes to how you shop. With Extreme Couponing, there's no reason to pay full price for the things you need in life.

 

I read this book after couponing for about 9 years so I know that I wasn't really the audience but I have wanted to check it out for so long.  It wasn't a disappointment because it was filled with great stories including boring her family with quizzes on how much things cost at the store and what she paid for them.  It is an amusing hobby of mine too and after 9 years, they really don't want to guess so I normally get about once or twice a year that I can play the guessing game.  There are 10 chapters in the book including What's Your Spending Situation, Collecting As Many Coupons as You Can and Getting Organized.  This book walks you through start to finish how to be frugal and why stocking up on things is a great idea and how getting the lowest price on items saves tons of money.  It is frequently the hardest things that I try to explain to people that I don't just use coupons but I coupon meaning that I won't waste using a coupon if the item isn't on sale and getting the best possible price.  There is tons in this book about giving back and how giving back a little helps a lot and I think that her perspective is very unique.  I used to donate a lot of items that we weren't going to use that I got free or nearly free but now I shop so infrequently and little that I have less excess to do that with.  I am hoping that I can get back to that eventually but this book certainly focuses on that message.  I thought it was way more uplifting then I expected but also jam packed with information like couponing lingo and more.  I hope that if you are interested in couponing that you check this out.  If you have already started or been doing it a long time, it might give you an interesting prospective that you might not of had before.