Extreme Couponing in College

Everyone has heard of “Extreme Couponing.” If you haven’t, it’s heading to the grocery store with about a million coupons, coming home with million-and-one things, and having only paid something outrageous like $5 for it. It seems like it takes a lot of meticulous planning and patience, but two college students from the University of North Carolina have mastered it, and they’re going to give us some of their tips and tricks today.

“It honestly just started off as us being broke college students, and spending too much time watching the show [Extreme Couponers] on TLC,” Antonio Forte, said.  The two boys, Antonio Forte and Elijah Cox, were friends in high school and decided to move in together when they both got into UNC. With both of them being athletes and having big appetites, their costs for food started skyrocketing. This is when the boys began asking their neighbors if it would be okay to have their weekly coupon ads that came in the mail, rather than just letting them go to waste. Luckily, the neighbors were very kind and multiple pamphlets began landing in their mailbox.

“We had to do a lot of research. Always check your store’s coupon policy. Going in with five of the same coupons is pointless if your store doesn’t accept multiples. Some stores also have a coupon limit which will result in you having to make multiple transactions.” Cox said. The boys also said it helps to make a list before you go, regardless of how many items you plan to buy. The key to successful couponing is a plan and organization. Keeping your coupons in an accordion folder and organizing them by product and expiration date makes sure you waste nothing.

 

Forte said it helps to go at a time when the store isn’t busy since you’ll probably have a very large haul. “When you’re using coupons, you’re always going to buy multiples. Making sure there aren’t 100 people in the aisle with you while you’re trying to count out a number of things you need, and make sure you’re handing the cashier the right coupons is a big help.” Another benefit of going at a less busy time is that there will more staff to help if you need anything or have questions, so you can make sure you’re getting the best bargain.

A lot of people don’t seem to realize that couponing can actually make you money. “Manufacturer’s coupons usually get forgotten because they’re found on product websites or in what looks like junk mail, but they are huge money savers,” Cox said. The two boys explained a situation where they had multiple manufacturer coupons that offered a product for $3.75. Most coupons of this type don’t expire for a year, so they held on to them until the product was on sale in their local store. Finally, the product went on sale for $3 apiece.  Using the coupon, the store actually had to refund the boys 75 cents. Forte mentioned that not all stores will honor the overage fee, but they will apply the discount at a lower price to make sure you get an even greater sale.

“You don’t have to be a math genius or someone with all the free time in the world in order to get this stuff down. It just takes some planning and practice,” said Cox. The boys have been extreme couponing for almost four semesters and have saved more money than they imagined. Go to their Instagram for more details, and make sure to reach out to them with any questions!

Money Saving Apps

Apps for Saving Money in Gainesville

On a college campus, it’s not always easy to get what you need, when you need it. Luckily a lot of new apps like JoyRun, Pocket Money and even ones that are for specific business make life a lot easier. Tons of savings can be found on these apps that are just a download away.

JoyRun is a new student-run business. Once you download the app you can view peoples’ posts who are out on “runs.” Say that you need milk and have not been able to

How you view different “runs” on JoyRun

get to the store and don’t want to spend money on a Zip Car or Uber. You can search for people who are at the supermarket and request a delivery just for milk. The grab it, deliver it to you, and you make the purchase through the app. There are no order minimums, no restaurant restrictions, and the fees are much lower than any other food delivery service in Gainesville. JoyRun also allows anyone who is a student to make deliveries, no application required. This means you can also make money while using the app, which is always a great thing! Use the offer code “3free” when signing up for free delivery on your first three orders.

 

Pocket Money is another great app that gives you mobile coupons for stores in your area. This app using GPS tracking to notify you whenever you are near a store that they have coupons for, so you’ll never miss out on a sale. They also offer digital punch cards from restaurants, so more no losing cards or forgetting to get them punched. Deals can be found by using your location or searching through categories, which makes for easy sorting. The app also gives you the contact info for stores, just in case you want to call ahead and ask about an item or clarify a deal.

The new trend in fast food and sit-down dining is having an app for your establishment. Blaze Pizza, Starbucks, Taco Bell, and Chick-Fil-A are just a few places that have apps that offer deals. Blaze’s app gives you a barcode to scan with each purchase, and when you hit 10 you get a free pizza. They also send out emails and promos that give you other free items just for having the app. Starbucks has a similar rewards system as well. Places like Panera Bread offer online ordering as part of their app, as well as a rewards program. They offer several coupons and discounts for online ordering through the app.  It’s always a good idea to look up your favorite food places in the App Store to see if they have one and see what it offers.

There are tons of ways to save just by using your phone. Look in the app store for other money saving apps by searching for keywords such as “coupon,” and  “discount.” These are great to use because unlike forgetting paper coupons at home, you’ll always have your phone with you wherever you go. Download a few apps and keep your phone charged and your pockets full. Happy saving!

How to save money in college.

Often times, college is the first place that many people have to manage their money on their own. When I got to college I thought $150 was a lot. Until I realized that $50 went to groceries. Eating on campus for the week was another $40. All the fun things my friends wanted to do took away $30 more, and God forbid I had to buy something for school or had a doctor’s appointment that week, that usually cost me another $20. After that, I was left with $10 and a lot of questions as to where all my money went.  It didn’t take long for me to realize that I needed to develop healthy spending habits. I did some research, and made a lot of phone calls to my mom, and discovered some easy ways to save money in Gainesville.

The beautiful University of Florida campus.

 

One of the first things I discovered was all the Facebook groups for UF students. There was a group for almost every class and for people buying and selling things. I realized that these pages were huge gold mines. Checking these pages once a week will give you tons of buying options for anything from appliances to clothing. There also a great place to buy old textbooks and discounted Smokin’ Notes, which we all need for a healthy semester. Instead of spending around $100 on that professional outfit for Career Showcase, there are several students who sell their business professional outfits that no longer fit them or they just don’t want anymore. Subscribing to these pages will give you first dibs on items you’ll get notifications as soon as someone posts something.

A huge money saver that most students ignore is the Gator Greenbacks coupon book. This is literally free money people! It gets sent out to everyone in the area so even if you don’t live on campus or just graduated and are no longer a student, you won’t miss out on this great opportunity. The pamphlet has coupons for almost every restaurant in Gainesville, on and off campus. They also last for months, as most of them don’t expire until the end of the semester which is when the new pamphlets are sent out. Holding on to one of these will save you hundreds on eating out, so going out with friends or eating on campus during the week won’t be as expensive as you think it would.

Gator Bucks is a great website that also offers coupons. Unlike Gator Greenbacks, Gator Bucks offers coupons for things other than just food. They offer specials on haircuts, gym memberships, tutoring services and even scooters. You can find great deals for food on the site as well. It’s a great site to check out if you’re looking to do something a little out of your budget without going way over it. Things like haircuts and tutoring fees are often overlooked when planning out your spending, so finding a way to save money while getting them done is always great.

Gainesville isn’t the cheapest place to live, and if this is your first time managing money on your own it can all feel very overwhelming. These are just a few ways to save money on a day to day basis. Coupons can go a long way, and there is no shame in getting second-hand dorm necessities or clothes you’ll only wear once or twice every semester. In the end, every dollar counts, so save them where you can!