Extreme Couponer or Coupon Queen: Are They the Same? There's a huge difference between being being an extreme couponer and being a real coupon queen. Many people think that if they can get their totals down really low, or if they have a huge stockpile, that it makes them a coupon queen.  It doesn't.  Anyone can get really low totals. It's true--absolutely anyone, with a little practice and some good teaching, can get a lot of items for 80% off or more. That's really not that hard. People who do that all the time and build these massive stockpiles in their homes--those are Extreme Couponers. Coupon Queens are different. We like low totals, and we do stockpile. But the low totals and the large stockpiles aren't our ultimate goal. For coupon queens, we're looking for a long-term value. We're looking for improving our way of life overall. We aren't as interested in the rush of a trip with $100 down to $1. Fun? YES! Our goal? No. I went to a triple coupon event recently and had seen a lot of totals posted online of $300 down to $30, or similar savings.  Watching those totals, I was almost embarrassed to post my own totals, and found myself making excuses for why I didn't have them too.  Suddenly I realized how ridiculous that all was. My savings were really good! I was falling prey to the myth that high savings totals was all there was to saving money. What were my savings? About $150 or 70%. I was very happy with that! Why? Because instead of only going for the freebies, I took my time and invested into the higher-priced items that were also great deals at the sale. Things like: spray suncreen for an upcoming vacation; specialty cleaners; speciality cheeses; some organic and all-natural foods; plus some name brand treats that rarely have a big sale. Triple coupon sales are perfect spots for finding deals on items that often aren't on sale. You see, quite often Extreme Couponers will bypass those types of good deals, simply because they're looking for the rush of the big savings. They fill their homes with a lot of products that they aren't necessarily going to use--and then find themselves stuck when it comes time to purchase the better products. They get so fixated on the free items, that they miss the items that are also a great deal, even if they cost $2 to $4 after coupon.  I was just as excited over my 70% savings last week as I have been about 99% savings in the past. Why? Because stocking up on Neutrogena 100 SPF spray sunscreen for less than $5 a can is a phenomenal deal--and we have to have that brand and type for various reasons. I was able to look past the higher dollar total of my order to see the overall picture: huge savings. It may not have been 99% savings--but for the items I purchased it was really good! Short Term Rush vs Long Term Savings That's one of the main differences you'll find between an Extreme Couponer and a Coupon Queen. An Extreme Couponer will race through the store, buzzing from the high of getting free items. A Coupon Queen is more experienced, and will walk more calmly through the store, getting her free items--but also picking up on the good deals she finds in the aisles by taking her time. An Extreme Couponer often misses those because they miss them in their hurry to make sure they don't "miss a deal." In the end they miss some of the best deals of all!  And if a coupon queen "misses out" on a freebie because she took her time going through the store while the extreme couponers got them, well....*shrug*. That's the reaction most of us have. The deal will come again. We've seen it before and we'll see it again. I've been in the Extreme Couponer mode before. I know the rush, I know the excitement, and I understand why people get trapped into it. But over time I've developed this attitude that a free item doesn't always equal a great deal. My time, my energy, and my household needs are first. Deals are second. Learning to balance the two--to have time and energy but still get great deals? That's the mark of a true Coupon Queen. And I'm lucky enough to know many true Coupon Queens.  If you're new, enjoy this time. Enjoy the rush and the fun of learning to save lots of money. But remember--this is only one phase. Take time to enjoy life, to find the other hidden deals that will benefit you in the long run. And before you know it, you'll be a true Coupon Queen too!  

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