I used extreme couponing tips for my holiday shopping. It was time-consuming, but it changed the way I shop online.

Gabbi ShawJan 14, 2024, 18:15 IST

The Home Depot; Sephora; UGG; Jenny Chang-Rodriguez/Business Insider

Shows like "Extreme Couponing" exposed viewers to a lifestyle dedicated to getting the best deal.
As Black Friday becomes bigger, people have become experts at using coupons.
I used a few tips and tricks from couponing experts to get my holiday shopping out of the way.

With Black Friday approaching, I wanted to get some of my holiday shopping out of the way as early as possible.

I consider myself to be moderately good at getting deals. I use Honey, a browser extension that automatically applies discount codes at checkout so you know you're getting the best price. I've been known to price check at big-box stores like Target. And I have two store credit cards that rack up points.

But extreme couponing is a whole different beast. As seen on shows like TLC's "Extreme Couponing," which aired for two years, it involves planning, research, and lots of time spent comparing prices.

I knew if I wanted to try it, I'd need to reach out to some experts to get the best deals. Here's how it went.

I got advice from two experts: Clay Cary, the lead analyst at CouponFollow, and Oleg Segal, the CEO of DealA.

Clipping coupons is just the start.KAREN BLEIER/Getty Images

Cary pointed me to another community where I could get more tips: Reddit.

The homepage for r/Couponing.Reddit

Through Reddit, I was pointed to two cash-back apps: Shopmium and Ibotta. I chose to use Ibotta.

The homepage of Ibotta.Ibotta

When using Ibotta, you must make sure that your purchases are eligible.

What works at Walmart.Ibotta

I tried Sephora first, since I have a Sephora credit card and therefore already get discounts.

A Sephora store.Mary Altaffer/AP Photo

Something I didn't count on, though, was not being able to use Honey, the browser extension that compiles coupons, in conjunction with Ibotta.

The Honey error message.Sephora; Honey

In addition to the 2% cash-back, I was able to use a code to get a free lip gloss. I also had $15 worth of rewards between Sephora VIB points and my store card.

A Laneige gift set I purchased.Sephora

My mom has mentioned to me in passing that she's sick of her Keurig and wants to go back to a classic coffee maker. Like any good gift-giver, I added this to a note in my phone.

A Keurig.Sergi Alexander/Getty Images

My mom has mentioned to me in passing that she's sick of her Keurig and wants to go back to a classic coffee maker. Like any good gift-giver, I added this to a note in my phone.

I decided on the Ninja 12-cup Programmable Coffee Maker, which Wirecutter called the best "cheap" coffee maker, even though it can cost between $70 to $96 online.

The Ninja Coffee Maker I purchased.Home Depot

The last thing I attempted to get a deal on are the platform Uggs that everyone's obsessed with these days.

Platform Uggs.Jeremy Moeller/Getty Images

This time, I used CouponFollow, the site that Cary is an analyst for. I saw multiple coupons, but unfortunately, Ugg doesn't allow coupon stacking.

Coupon stacking in action.San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers/Getty Images

Ibotta provides .5% cash back at Ugg, which is pretty minuscule, but better than nothing.

Another pair of Ugg boots.Ralf Geithe/Getty Images

Segal and Cary gave me other tips that weren't applicable to these purchases, but I'll keep them in mind for Black Friday and other shopping trips.

A store on Black Friday.Stephen Chernin/Getty Images

I might not spend the same amount of time and energy researching deals for every purchase, but Ibotta and Honey are now both part of my shopping routine.

Honey activating Sephora deals.Sephora; Honey

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I used extreme couponing tips for my holiday shopping. It was time-consuming, but it changed the way I shop online.

I got advice from two experts: Clay Cary, the lead analyst at CouponFollow, and Oleg Segal, the CEO of DealA.

Cary pointed me to another community where I could get more tips: Reddit.

Through Reddit, I was pointed to two cash-back apps: Shopmium and Ibotta. I chose to use Ibotta.

When using Ibotta, you must make sure that your purchases are eligible.

I tried Sephora first, since I have a Sephora credit card and therefore already get discounts.

Something I didn't count on, though, was not being able to use Honey, the browser extension that compiles coupons, in conjunction with Ibotta.

In addition to the 2% cash-back, I was able to use a code to get a free lip gloss. I also had $15 worth of rewards between Sephora VIB points and my store card.

My mom has mentioned to me in passing that she's sick of her Keurig and wants to go back to a classic coffee maker. Like any good gift-giver, I added this to a note in my phone.

I decided on the Ninja 12-cup Programmable Coffee Maker, which Wirecutter called the best "cheap" coffee maker, even though it can cost between $70 to $96 online.

The last thing I attempted to get a deal on are the platform Uggs that everyone's obsessed with these days.

This time, I used CouponFollow, the site that Cary is an analyst for. I saw multiple coupons, but unfortunately, Ugg doesn't allow coupon stacking.

Ibotta provides .5% cash back at Ugg, which is pretty minuscule, but better than nothing.

Segal and Cary gave me other tips that weren't applicable to these purchases, but I'll keep them in mind for Black Friday and other shopping trips.

I might not spend the same amount of time and energy researching deals for every purchase, but Ibotta and Honey are now both part of my shopping routine.