I've been mystery shopping for a few years now. The main reason I started was that I started (I know it sounds strange) going to the grocery store for my family and thought..."Really...somebody should be paying me to do this." I did some research and began shopping grocery stores within a month or so.

I also use a fair number of coupons. I swear I'm not as bad as those people on Extreme Coupons, but if a GREAT deal comes along, I don't mind stock-piling. I currently have a fair amount of Kleenex and Salsa--two things that my family uses a fair amount of. (I don't think the two are related!)

Anyway, I consider myself to be somewhat frugal, and I think both of these things are representative of my frugal nature.

Do any of you believe that the massive number of new coupon users that have been created by that annoying show have also crossed over into mystery shopping? Is the Extreme Couponing show bringing new shoppers into this business?

I don't see a connection between extreme couponers and mystery shopping. Overall, mystery shopping doesn't pay a lot of money. A Trendsource grocery shop pays $9. I think these extreme couponers are hoarders. Who really needs 500 bottles of mustard?

Extreme couponers are generally hoarders with scissors. There's something wrong with someone who can't help but buy 25 tubes of toothpaste just because they can get it on the cheap, then put 24 of them in their "stockroom" to use for the next 10-15 years (or until they expire, useless). I'm all about finding Slickdeals, but to me these people have OCD and need help. I don't see any of them overcoming their compulsions long enough to follow the guidelines of a shop :-)

My Trendsource trip to the grocery store to pick up a few things: Net cost, $0 ($5 + 9 in groceries)

An extreme couponer's trip to the store to pick up 25 years worth of shampoo: Net cost, $4, their dignity and 1/3 of their basement.

I win, and it's not even close.

Nor do I. The extreme couponers are looking or the highest $ 'value' for the least expenditure. It really doesn't matter to them what it was they bought, but if they can get $400 in retail value for 35 cents they have made their day.

On the other hand from the shopper perspective I try to stretch my reimbursement to as much useful-to-us material as possible. I do love doing the grocery shops when the store has good sales and BOGOs and by using coupons I can sometimes stretch my reimbursement to cover as much as $40 worth of useful items. But generally coupons and BOGOs do not show up for protein (except sausage, prepackaged sandwich 'meat' and frozen meals), fresh fruits and fresh vegetables. If you look at the bulk of sale items and coupons you will find they focus on carbohydrates, especially really overpriced cereals and snacks.

In my market it is not unusual to be able to mix coupons and BOGOs to get 4 packages of cookies for the price of one package (or less), but that is empty calories we need to avoid at our house. But give me a BOGO on mayo or salad dressing that I can use as a quick marinade for tougher cuts of meat and I'm there with my coupons! For this next round of shops there is mayo BOGO and I have store $1 off 1 bottle coupons and mfg $1 off 1 bottle, so I will be getting two jars for about $1 because my store will honor 1 store and 1 mfg coupon per item even on a BOGO. I will probably get a total of 8 bottles because it is something we use regularly and I have only one left in the panty.

A lot of the stores now are cracking down on these hoarders, thank goodness. It drives me crazy when I go to the store to buy something on sale and there is not a single item left.

If something that my family uses a lot of, like tissues, I'll buy 5 of them. Not 500! Those people need psychiatric help.

Flash Wrote:
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But generally
> coupons and BOGOs do not show up for protein
> (except sausage, prepackaged sandwich 'meat' and
> frozen meals), fresh fruits and fresh vegetables.
> If you look at the bulk of sale items and coupons
> you will find they focus on carbohydrates,
> especially really overpriced cereals and snacks.
>

Most are also for products which still contain trans fats (despite being allowed to show "0" on the label) and high fructose corn syrup. Both items which are hugely detrimental to everyone's health.

Really? I find that a lot more shops I do are saying no coupons or discounts allowed.

I don't see what the big deal is if I use a coupon or a discount with my retail purchase. I am still meeting the financial requirements of the shop and my reimbursement will not cover my purchase.

Quite frankly, if I feel I received a good deal, I am less likely to return the item. I win. The store wins.

Is there anyone who can help me understand why this no coupon or discount is showing up on more and more shops? What is the rationale behind it?

A lot of the thinking is that you are already being paid and reimbursed once and the use of coupons just costs the store more.

So lets look at a restaurant shop. Lets say that I am to be reimbursed up to $50 and that will cover 1 appetizer, 2 non alcoholic beverages and 2 entrees from the middle to low end of the menu and a 15% tip. I take in a coupon that provides a free appetizer with the purchase of 2 entrees. I now have enough left in the reimbursement to purchase 2 higher cost entrees and still stay under my $50 maximum reimbursement yet I am costing the restaurant more because I fulfilled the appetizer requirement at no cost toward my reimbursement.

Grocery stores make a profit on manufacturer coupons. I'm looking at a 40 cent off on purchase of two coupon and it will reimburse the retailer the 40 cents plus pay 8 cents for handling the coupon. When grocery store margins tend to run only 2% to 3%, that coupon represents additional profit for them in addition to encouragement for me to purchase 2 instead of just 1 of the item. Using these on grocery shops benefits the store rather than taking money out of their pocket.