Extreme coupons, advantages and disadvantages
The concept of getting free products with coupons is to find the product at a price that does not exceed the value of the coupon, as long as the product meets all the restrictions of the coupon, such as the size and the specific product. But, when evaluated, the product is often a small size that may have more packaging waste and still not meet the needs of the household. In this case, you still have to spend money to meet the needs. Or, if it is a product that is not used in the home, it can become a waste in the attempt to go looking for it or if it is thrown away due to lack of use and being too old over time.
Stocking up on products that can be had at reasonable or cheap prices is one of the extreme couponing techniques that helps save money in the long run. But, if the products in the stockpile are not rotated to use before they expire, or used before they go bad, they become waste as they are too old to use. This generates waste by having to be disposed of.
Printing coupons from the Internet is a good way to save money if you use coupons. On the other hand, there is paper and ink waste when excessive amounts of unused coupons are printed. This is especially true when printing coupons in the hope that upcoming sales will have the products on sale. There is no guarantee that the products are for sale or the particular size of the product listed on the coupon. And, if they are, the coupon may expire before the product goes on sale.
Extreme coupons are one way to save on the budget, but caution should be exercised to maximize savings. Questions should be asked before considering which offers to use. Does the household really need the product? Will the product be used in a timely manner to prevent spoilage? If the product is purchased for the stockpile, how much should be kept to eliminate waste and ensure use? What is currently in the stock pile as well as in the cupboards? In short, will the product be used without waste?
The same goes for determining which coupons to print from the Internet. Printing a few coupons to keep just in case is one way to keep your savings. But how many will be used to minimize the amount that will be thrown away? There is a chance of printing too many to use, especially if you are not sure if they will be used. The healthy benefits of extreme couponing are producing savings without creating unnecessary waste.
The general idea of extreme coupons is to save where possible and use the amount saved to reduce expenses and bills in other areas that reduce the overall monthly budget. To truly maximize savings, care must be taken to ensure savings are not wasted. The pros and cons of extreme coupons should be considered before making any purchase decision to ensure true savings and not additional waste on extreme coupons.