By now you might have heard that the Garrison Command at Fort Bragg had to crack down on “Coupon Hoarders” who have been waiting for the base paper to be delivered (which happens to be free) and then grabbing dozens of copies at time , leaving no papers or coupons for others. Residents of Fort Bragg are complaining that no papers are ever available anymore.
Click Here to Read the Article!
What makes it worse is that according to one spouse I know, it’s not all coupon loving dependents grabbing them up but civilians too.
What these folks fail to realize is the base paper shares information of important happenings on post. So many are quick to complain that the military base doesn’t have a good flow of information or they never hear about the happenings but if you are grabbing up all the papers just to obtain the coupon circulars , what in the world do you expect?
In addition this is the kind of crap that will cause the commissaries and other off post retailers to keep changing their coupon policies until eventually we will no longer be able to do all the cool things we do now such as stacking or doubling etc(No you can’t do neither of these at the commissary…just making a point of what could happen).
I know you are probably sitting there saying “Oh Shutup…you love coupons too”! You would be right , but not enough to take a whole bunch of circulars and lose my damn privileges.
Frankly while I love couponing I love saving money on stuff my little crumb snatchers can eat off daily. I am all for the occasional body wash or deodorant haul but deodorant does expire after a while so I really don’t need a 25 circulars with the same coupon or 60 sticks of deodorant. Now if you want to give me 25 coupons for:
Bread
Beef
JuiceBoxes
Poptarts
Cereal …Then I will gladly take it because we can actually survive off of those!
Is getting twenty coupon circulars really worth losing your privileges onpost? I bet you wouldn’t want those 25 or 30 circulars if you couldn’t shop in your local commissary anymore!
Sound off am I wrong? …No matter what you have to say I want to hear it!
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Army Wife 101
Krystel is the mom of two and an Army Wife. In addition to Army Wife 101 she is the Co-Founder of SoFluential.com a digital media agency that connects brands with the military market. She has appeared on MSNBC ,FOX LA and formerly was a weekly contributor to HLN's "Raising America". She has written for various outlets including Sheknows and Lifetime and is a big fan of cupcakes and french fries.
Krystel is the mom of two and an Army Wife. In addition to Army Wife 101 she is the Co-Founder of SoFluential.com a digital media agency that connects brands with the military market.
She has appeared on MSNBC ,FOX LA and formerly was a weekly contributor to HLN's "Raising America". She has written for various outlets including Sheknows and Lifetime and is a big fan of cupcakes and french fries. 30 Comments on Are You a Coupon Thief? Coupon Hoarders Onpost Could Lose Post Privileges…My Thoughts!
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I am in complete agreement with you Krystel!!! I had no idea this was going on. I like coupons as much as the next guy, but if I lose the priveliges to use them here at Bragg because of the greediness of others I am going to be VERY unhappy! I hope they come up with a way to monitor this and put a stop to it.
I am shocked about this! People need to control themselves a bit honestly. I love my coupons but I do not go overboard like that, plus our newspaper on fort hood never has coupons. Once in a while a coupon for a subway but never anything to use at the grocery store honestly. Wow! is all I have to say!
No you are not wrong. I just did a post not to long ago about the Germans abusing the privledges here one lady 35 cans of formula, more bags of doritos and other chips than any one family can eat in a year. Diapars and more. I know we have some americans doing the same thing but when you go to grab your son a box of granola bars and the lady swipes the last one before you can grab it. While she has literally 30 other boxes in her buggy it gets old. I can see where the coupon thing is just as annoying. I don’t think your wrong to sound off at all. At least your post does something about it. we are told there is nothing you can do but put in an ice complaint.
I dont think your wrong bc i feel the same way!!! I live on post so we get one on our door step but there have been PLENTY of times where mine is stolen or i have even had someone take the coupons out of my news paper and put it back on my porch!!! this is insane.. I coupon to but i think this is a little crazy!!
I totally agree with you coupons are great but abusing them that way is wrong. Besides losing your privlilages it is just plain rude to not leave any for the next person.. If at the end of the week or day or however often the paper is delievered that there are extras then would be th time to take them in my opinion not take them before others have the chance.
I agree with you as well that taking way more than you need is a out of hand. I coupon and save money however I do not take 100s of paper to do so, there are other resources out there when it comes to using coupons besides getting an insert. Coupons come out every day so these “hoarders” need to take a “chill lax pill” and calm their nerves and stop while they are ahead of themselves. Maybe the shelves won’t be empty the next time I go to the store to get that item I have a coupon for. We shall see.
I don’t use coupons, but i can certainly see the few spoiling it for the many in this situation. I don’t even know what stacking means. LOL They are say first come, first served, but in a situation where there’s information that the post it trying to put out to as many people as possible something obviously has to change.
The thing that bothers me the most is that there are some of us who actually want to READ the paper. I mean, the coupons are a nice bonus, and I am as much about saving money as the next person…but there’s so much that happens on base that I don’t know about, and while I don’t live on base, I do shop at the commissary and PX frequently – if it weren’t for people taking a stack of 60 papers, I might actually be able to pick one up during a trip to post. I have just as much right to actually read that paper as anyone else does to have the coupons.
Furthermore, the people who sell those free coupons should be ashamed of themselves. Look, money is tight for most people now – how dare these people deprive other families of some savings so they can make a few extra dollars. The whole thing makes me so sick.
you live off post there are locations off post where you can pick one up as well.
On a slightly off-topic matter…..you can read the paraglide online.
http://paraglideonline.net/
The commisary does not allow doubling or stacking anyway. and they are not as cheap as they use to be. Now taking a cart full is wrong but limiting what is free is also wrong. If they made people pay for the paraglide and the machines were still empty people would still complain. Its just called military spouses coming up with a new way to complain. whats gonna be next weeks issues. and yeah i get more then one copy but for those 60 sticks of deodrant that expire is it so wrong that i make care packages to send to deployed troops. so limit what i can get coupons on limit the things i can donate. every one should mind their own.
I love to coupon and we have to coupon to be able to pay our other bills. I usually save 75 to 90% off of my grocery bill. Here at Bragg the paraglides are always gone. My husband actually gets me the papers that his company has that they throw away because no one wants them. So I do get a stack of 10 to 20- papers. They are going in the trash anyway. If you want a paper like some have said to read the news and activities then you can also go online if you can’t find the paper on post. No I don’t think you should take hundreds of papers. I think some people are taking that many and turning around and selling them on coupon sites and on ebay. But to grab a few to have several of the same coupon is fine to me. There is no way that they can monitor how many newspapers someone takes. There are many places on and off post you can get the paraglide from and 7 days a week. I don’t think they are going to pay 40 people to guard the paraglides. They are free and a lot of people are saying that if you take more than one you are stealing. You can’t steal free items!
exactly. this is just a classic case of people sticking their nose where it doesnt belong
The best that we could do is report it when we see it… Stand up to the bandits or they could kill our privileges of having coupons altogether and this could stop them… I think it is great the newspaper is going around taking photos… At the post, at shopettes.. There are enough of us that can be advocates to stop the craziness…
It isnt free the military pays for our privilege of the paper. It is against the law to steal and if I see anyone I have an iPhone and will take your photo and report you! I am not going to standby and watch you take away my privilege
you gotta be joking. you might want to becareful with that. every one is not from the same place your from taking pics of people is also against the law without their permission so that will make you just as guilty. and someone could press charges on you for harrsement. what is you privilege again because if your not taking more then one nothing will be done. please put more effort into other things. At the end of the day this is so little compared to other problems people have. get a life
Jada you might re think what you posted a actually look up the law before you speak. If a person is taking a photo of another person to report to the police ect it is not against the law. Also the freedom of press protects that person even if they posted your picture online. The only way it is against the law is if they use your photo in an advertisement or post your name with the photo. Then still pressing charges are hard because to be upheld in court it has to happen more than once to the same person. I think this whole couponing thing has become crazy. Selling coupons that are free, taking more than one paper to get coupons ect and even though taking away post privilages is going over board for a paper that IS stated as free something has to be done to chill out these people that clean out the shelves at the commissary all because they can get products for “free”. There are alot of stores who only limit you say 2 coupons per type of items ect. The commissary needs to crack down on these things. And give me a break 60 sticks of deoderant to “send to troops” yeah right. Tell me another story lol
well ellie…if you read the orginal blog she stated 60 sticks i just used that for a freakin example. and unless you are here with me boxing up anything you might want to watch who you call a liar. either way some coupons do have limits to how many products purchased and the comissary is very strict on that. also he shelves are always empty because there are way to many people on this post for just two commisaries. if you find that on the 1st and 15th its empty simple go another day. and again showing a pic with no ones name to show to the police alot of good that will do. i love how we have so many spouse lawyers on this situation. i have said it way to many times i have no problem buying the paper and wish it would come to that so when i do have multiple in hand then what will the peanut gallery have to say. I bought 20 sunday papers today and guess what no one cared so why care about this. waste of time
Jada, I don’t care as far as I really don’t care if someone takes 50 papers, but apparently the people who took the time to call the newspaper such as my neighbor in which she told everyone that would listen that she called and complained but then she is the one also who sent her kids around to take papers from ” empty ” houses. I do not agree with taking all the papers or from driveways and I honestly wouldn’t mind paying for it as well. That way I know I bought it and its mine and of course the papers that people buy have so much in stock that they won’t run out. These extreme couponers like my neighbor are the ones who are causing the problems. The garrison commander is the one that listened to all those phone calls and made it a big deal. My opinion is what I stated and no farther, I have way to much going on in my life to worry about newspapers. It does bother me when my neighbor has her kids take papers cause mine went missing one day cause I have a different opinion than hers on the whole extreme couponing thing. Sure buy 60 sticks of deoderant or whatever ( i just used the example too) and send to troops but make sure you don’t wipe the shelf out. my neighbor gets with other woman and they wipe out the commissary, heard her bragging one day as loud as she can. She also removed my stuff from a common tree and put her stuff there lol told me she was tired of it looking ugly.. gees who moves others stuff without asking .. guess people like her.. Anyway. I just think this whole thing is stupid and they just need to stop putting coupons in the paper. would calm alot of people down around here. I am glad you run an FCC , not to many people will do it , And with costs now days even what CYS pays you / or parents however that whole things works sometimes you do need all those coupons to feed the kids ect.. You have a reason. My neighbor and lots of others like her are getting this high from getting things free that they won’t use for a long time or might not need. I only go off of what is told and what I see. Also I know some laws because I have the background in it. Thank you for being one of those people who do things right and for taking care of all those kids in your home.
We have pretty much always lived off post and for the longest time the on Post newspapers where my lifeline to post. Here at Carson fortunately I can go online and read. This DOES NOT excuse that behavior of taking ALL the post newspapers just to get coupons. There is a moral baseline that folks shouldn’t cross. Now if you take 2 or 3 …oh well. But 60? That’s WRONG.
Jada – you are the type of person we are all talking about. it IS our business. it IS our paper too. and no, if you are stealing it (and yes it is stealing) in PUBLIC and someone films you or takes your picture, it is NOT harrassment nor is it against the law. check your privacy laws dear. YOU and others like you are the reason this debate is even having to occur. what ever happened to fairness? Consideration of others? SHARING. you know, those things your momma should of taught you in kindergarten? Take one or two. but not freakin 25. Abusing the services that the Military gives us will cause ALL of us to lose them. Those things are there to help us military families. if you want to send a ton of care packages, then do it the right way. get companies to donate, have a church or corporate group do a care drive. Ask the BN or CO for any extra papers they may throw away otherwise. Dont be selfish and self serving. and yes, you bet your ass i will take pictures. Just like i take pictures of biatches cutting to the front of the grocery line. follow the damn rules. they arent that freakin hard. We’re ALL military families, its time some of us started acting with a little more integrity.
and i guess your mom forgot to teach you to not call names or keep your nose out of other peoples affairs. but its ok because as i stated you self rightous people on here start getting bold and taking pics of people who dont know you and post or show them to whereever with out permission. you might not like the outcome. I dont know how many times i have said i dont take cart fulls and thinks that is a bit much but whats better how it use to be 2 years ago leaving paraglides to waste all over the solider support center and letting people trip all over them or happy that they are now for a good use. its people or should i say military spouses like you with no lives that make it bad calling any one who will listen just to have something to talk about. paraglides this week something else thats next week. and as far as taking pics of people cutting in line wtf are you still in highschool or what. please grow up and take care of your family and try doing lil charity work to consume your time instead of worrying about what the rest of ft bragg is doing with theirs.
FYI, it’s not just “military spouses” that are making the complaints. There have been Soldiers, featured in the paper, who have called to inquire where they can get a copy as all the racks were empty.
And the “extreme couponing” affects more than just those Soldiers. I’m glad they’re getting all those groceries for almost nothing, but let’s look at reality. Companies don’t sell things at a loss. They end up raising their prices to counter the discounts given from coupons. Whether it be the grocery store who raises prices to counter their double/triple/etc. coupon policies, or the manufacturers who raise their prices to counter having the reimburse those stores for the coupons, prices will rise. That leaves someone else to foot the bill.
So much for caring about others. It’s totally okay for someone else to pay for your couponing down the line, as long as you’re taken care of. What a selfish view.
And i dont beleive i said that. and i dont do it to an extreme do i make sure my family has what it needs. do i also run a daycare where i have to feed children and supply children with arts crafts and paper towels and soap to wash their hands yes. And the stores will always raise prices are you saying that people who use coupons should just stop all together. so everyone can pay equally high prices thats crazy. but here is the thing when the papers where available in high supply a year ago why wasnt there anyone taking them where were the soliders that all of a sudden were dying to take a copy. and why a year ago if you saw someone take more then one did no one want to pop their camera or i phone out and snap a pic? because truth be told like i said i used paraglides to cover my table and floors when doing art with these soliders children through out the days. my point is and has always been the people i dont care who are not really complaining becasue trhere is no paper because there are several different ways to access the paper one being the handy paraglide website. I do believe strongly that couponing has caught on and now people are trying to get in on it. ill say it again i have no problem paying for extras but even if they made people pay im sure some one would still have a gripe
And I never said there was anything wrong with using coupons. I use them. Generally I have a stack of 15-20 every time I grocery shop. There is, however, something wrong with abusing it, and I’m speaking of the women (and men) you see in the store with huge binders and printouts clearing the shelves of all the product on sale with four or five carts in tow (saw some in Harris Teeter last night). To me, that’s abusing the system. And yes, your fellow community member will end up paying more to cover it.
And I disagree about the demand only increasing due to couponing. I’ve been at Ft. Bragg, while not deployed, for my entire military career. Quite a few things have changed during my stay. First, that Bragg has increased its population. Second, that the Paraglides are, in my opinion, better distributed. I know, when I first got here, my unit didn’t have any copies delivered to them. And if we’re being honest, how many Soldiers would make the effort to drive across post to get a copy of the base paper. Which brings me to my third point. In the years I’ve been at Ft. Bragg, the Paraglide has changed. For whatever reason, I rarely bothered to read it. Maybe it was availability near work, maybe it was a lack of interesting information. I know, that in the last three years, there have been significant changes in the paper. It’s won awards, there’s a really great staff that works really hard in trying to cover all of the units on Ft. Bragg. Because of the prevalence of social media, it’s attracted a much wider audience.
So, I think it’s rather small-minded to assume that it’s only military spouses complaining. I’ve seen just as many military spouse on the “pro” side of the argument as there are on the “con” side. There are probably many reasons people want one, two, fifty copies of the Paraglide. I think the important thing is that everyone on Ft. Bragg is given the opportunity to take advantage of that resource, coupons and all.
ms j. you must not have read the whole post i dont care who it is complaining the point is why when there are so many other issues or problems going on. if they charged fine i would pay but that wouldnt even be good enough. this is a going no where debate. at the end of the day you think what you want and people are going to do what they want.
Actually, perhaps you don’t recall what you’ve written. I see in a few posts of yours where you call out “military spouses” with the “complaint of the week.”
I agree that there are many issues in the world that need solving. And being generous and giving go a long way towards solving a great many issues. I don’t think hoarding coupons counts as being generous. Just my .02.
And yes, I will think what I want, just as you will. And people will continue to do what they want, just as you will. Simple fact, the Garrison Commander said it’s an order. You either obey or you don’t, not a whole lot of gray area in there. I really don’t care if you want to violate the post regulation. Most will get away with it, I imagine. I suppose I live my life with the integrity to do the right thing even when no one’s looking.
Everyone thinks that they can coupon like that show on TLC. I have used coupons for years and I can’t even do that!! What a lot of the viewers don’t know is that they get special permission from the stores to use more coupons than their policy states in some insances. Also, who is gonna use 100 bottles of mustard!??! When I shop, I use coupons for items I use. Some people are just getting a high for getting Anything for free! I use a binder for my coupons, and have long before that show came on the air. A binder is the best way I can stay organized. I can’t stand it when someone says to me, “oh, you look like your on that show!”. Ugh! Far from it! And when it comes to seeing people take massive quantities of the paraglide, I have seen people outside the px sitting in their cars before it is delivered. For people that don’t know, whether or not you live on post at Ft Bragg, you can get it delivered to your house for free every Thursday :) Now, when it comes to hearing about people’s Paraglides being stolen off their driveways, I can say that if I ever catch anyone doing that on my street, I will take them to the MP station personally :)
thats exactly what i have been saying. its just very unfair to assume everyone that is bothered by this subject is a hoarder or using it for randome things
they don’t get a whole bunch of coupon to redeem, they sell them… on ebay