Saving money on groceries by shopping at an extreme couponer's yard, stockpile sale

EASTLAKE, Ohio - Stockpile sales are the latest money-saving trend. It's a little bit grocery store, a little bit flea market. With a stockpile sale, you shop in an extreme couponer's front yard. Spend five minutes at a stockpile sale, and you'll save 50 percent or more.

"I wish I had the time to do the couponing myself, but they take the work out of it for me. So, I look for the sales," Scott Sanderson said.

Instead of spending time weeding through weekly inserts, Sanderson scans the internet looking for the latest stockpile sale. They're happening all over Northeast Ohio.

"We try to save a buck wherever we can," Sanderson said.

He often ends up at Cristina Neumann's sale. She holds them almost every weekend, and offers shoppers sales on brand name items like Splenda, Soleil, and Snuggle.

"Everything out here will be gone by the end of the day," Cristina Neumann said.

Neumann says she follows coupon rules

Neumann is an extreme couponer. She has so many coupons, they fill four binders. Each one is stuffed, and barely closes.

"I'd never pay full price for anything again," Neumann said.

When an item goes on sale, Neumann searches her inventory of coupons. Then, she stocks up.

Neumann says while she buys multiple items, she follows couponing rules and limits.

"We are really particular about the coupon policies because if people play with them they disappear. No more coupons. That would be horrible," Neumann said.

Sometimes it means making repeated shopping trips.

However, NewsChannel5 has heard from couponers who think the stockpile sales are unethical and harm the average person trying to use coupons the right way.

Since extreme couponing has become high profile, there have been policy changes and limits on coupons .

Some coupons now say "limit of 4 like coupons in same shopping trip." Some also say, "Coupons not authorized if purchasing products for resale."

The problem is policing this, and remembering which coupon can't be used for resale.

Some couponers holding these stockpile sales did not want to speak on camera, but the sales are publicly posted online for anyone to see.

Neumann wasn't bashful about her sale. It all started because her niece is taking a trip to Florida.

"We were sitting there trying to figure out how to fundraise. We did a car wash. We did a spaghetti dinner, and lost money. We finally said I wonder if we could  sell these things," Neumann said.

Neumann says she makes $300 profit in just one day.

For instance, Neumann says she bought Axe body wash for sixty cents. She sells it for $2.50 a bottle, and makes $1.90 on every sale.

Other couponers I spoke with say they hold the sales to clear out their stockpile within their home because they eventually run out of room. Another person held the sale because she was moving.

Negotiate to save even more

We spent several hours at the sale, and there was a constant flow of traffic. Some were regulars.

"This is my third time here," Gisela Evola said.

"She has a cult following," Sanderson said laughing.

Sanderson doesn't even pay full price. He negotiates just like you would at any yard sale.

To make money and save money, both sides need to know their prices.

What do you think about stockpile sales? Let us know by commenting below or on our Facebook page.