American culture has permeated the rest of the world so deeply that even people who have never set foot in the U.S. are familiar with it. Many people grow up watching American movies, following American influencers, and absorbing many aspects of American culture in the process. However, there are some things about the U.S. that are exaggerated, whether in fictional stories on the screen, comments online, or other forms of media.
Not every high schooler's experience is like that of HBO's hit show Euphoria, but some Americans are really afraid to call an ambulance because of the high medical bills. In fact, 23% of Americans admitted in 2024 that they didn't call 911 during a medical emergency precisely because of that.
Recently, one Redditor asked people all around the globe: "Non-Americans, what is something about the US that you've always wondered if it was real or just myth/hyperbole?" And people got a chance to dispel any misconceptions they have had about the U.S. and what life there is really like.
Bored Panda also got in touch with the Redditor who posted this thread, and they kindly agreed to have a chat with us. Read our conversation below!
#1
Is it really a common thing that the police busts partys of high-schoolers? Do young people get arrested then because of underage drinking?
ugh_this_world_sucks:
I have ran and hid from the cops many times as a teenager. Almost always exclusively at parties
Image credits: RememberValentine
#2
Is it true that prices of goods in shops is displayed without the tax and you have to work that bit out yourself? Surely not.
ItsNotKenough:
The sales tax also varies from state to state and can even vary from counties and cities within each individual state. Typically people don’t take the time to calculate the sales tax and just know it’ll be more than the price tag.
#3
For those that are against universal healthcare because they don't want to be paying for other people's treatment, do they really not understand how medical insurance works ?
AllRhythmNoBlues:
Yes. They really do not understand. At all.
ETA: I should clarify that the health care system in the U.S. is purposely convoluted. There are a multitude of reasons for this thought process. Some, for example, may think everyone should simply be responsible for themselves, even though that is impossible in a functioning society. Mostly, it's corporate greed driven. Aside from the money structure which has been discussed in another answer, health insurance is tied to employment. It's seen as something to be earned or deserved for working. If you don't work, you supposedly don't deserve to be healthy? Very broadly speaking, the American perspective is that things should be earned and for some reason, your health is included in that. It's depressing on a whole new level because it's self-inflicted.
The Redditor u/Bush_Hiders says that most of the responses in the thread weren't very surprising. "America is one of those countries that gets dogged on a lot, so I would be only feeding into the 'Americans being dumb' stereotype if I didn't see those responses coming from a mile away," he tells Bored Panda.
"That being said, I enjoyed reading the less expected responses, and I'd have to say my favorite was someone asking about Cheez Whiz. It's just kinda silly and random, and I can totally see how to someone who doesn't have it in their country, Cheez Whiz is this crazy bizarre thing."
#4
Are house numbers really as big as they are in movies. Every house is like 51234 something or other street. It's a rare road here in Oz that cracks more than 200.
Flame_MadeByHumans:
The beginning number of a house in the US usually relates to the cross street.
So all the houses between 42nd and 43rd street will be 4210, 4220, etc. It’s typically a codified system instead of houses 1-20 specific to a single street.
#5
Is it actually true you're scared to call the ambulance or go to the hospital?
Lily_Lupin:
Called the ambulance in college once. Got a bill equal to several months’ rent afterwards. Haven’t called one since - uber or friends it is.
Image credits: WhoregasmPerfection
#6
Are there really beer kegs in big parties? Where do you even buy kegs?
GeorgeCabana:
Yes. Many liquor stores offer kegs (you have to return the empty keg and taps).
Image credits: pseudo__gamer
We can't deny that Cheez Whiz is a very American thing, but, surprisingly, other countries have it too. It's also marketed in The Philippines, Canada, Venezuela, and Mexico. What's perhaps even more surprising, is that Cheez Whiz was originally created for the British market, not for Americans!
In 1952, Cheez Whiz came to Britain as an ingredient that would help make the Welsh rarebit quicker. According to legends, the dish was considered tavern food in the 1700s, almost an old-timey version of cheese fries. It's a fairly simple recipe: rye or pumpernickel toast with a cheddar cheese sauce poured over it. To make the recipe even simpler, James. L. Kraft came up with a pre-packaged cheese sauce: Cheez Whiz. And the Brits liked it – Cheez Whiz is still available in Britain today, only, it's not as popular as it is in America.
#7
Do your police systems/databases not talk to each other? Like you always hear “they crossed state lines we lost them” whereas in australia everyone is in the one database. You do something in one state? You’ll show up in the next.
protomanEXE1995:
We are remarkably divided among states and localities. The cultural demand for various levels of local sovereignty means that centralized control is heavily discouraged and rather uncommon.
#8
Does your front door actually lead directly to the living room? that's so wild to me. Like if I'm lounging on the sofa and my room mate comes home with maybe even another guest in tow, they'd be entering right into the living room and the door is opened to the outside?
Ironhold:
Depends on region, age of house, design of house, and lots of other things. Most of my apartments had some kind of entryway, at least. A few of my friends' houses front door was straight to the living room/front room and the back door was straight to the kitchen.
Image credits: No_Step9082
#9
Do you just hang up the phone without saying goodbye, like in tv shows and the movies?
keirmeister:
No. That’s weird to us as well. I’m not sure where that concept in movies came from.
So, it's slightly a myth that Cheez Whiz is an American-only food. It also feeds into stereotypes that all Americans each junk food only. u/Bush_Hiders tells us that he's seen a lot of exaggerations about the U.S. online, both for misinformation purposes and for comedic effect. Yet, he believes similar misconceptions are floating around about many countries. "Pretty much every country has their fair share of people exaggerating their culture," he says.
One of such stereotypes is that French people apparently smell bad. "I've always wondered where [it] comes from," u/Bush_Hiders adds. "What's the deal with that? France has a lot of stereotypes to its name that I'm curious of the origin to."
#10
Is it true that millions of sedentary obese American citizens drive huge pickup trucks and hate cyclists & vegans?
AllieLoft:
If the other comments haven't answered your question- yes. All of those things: pickups, cycling, veganism, are tied to identity and politics at least loosely in this insane current political climate we have. At this point, a lot of us are programmed to make assumptions about people based on their car, eating habits, etc.
Basically, we're drowning in propaganda over here.
#11
Shark Week.
Is it really just about sharks?
vixiecat:
Sure is! It’s great! All day and night, nothing on that channel but programs about sharks.
Image credits: MisterBerry94
#12
Do schools really have their own police/security?
CuriousCuriousAlice:
Yes, the bigger ones. In my city you will see them in their own police cars that say ‘[school name] campus police’ on the side. Honestly, most of their time is spent dealing with traffic before and after school.
Image credits: TheLesserWeeviI
What about you, Pandas? What stereotypes about America have you always wanted to check? And which myth or misconception about your own country would you like to debunk the most? Let us know in the comments! And if you can't think of any, check out which stereotypes about their home countries these folks came up with!
#13
Can you really pull yourself up by your bootstraps all on your own and achieve the American dream?
Amenmeit:
Unless you get extremely lucky or severely neglect your health, not anymore. Round about the mid to late nineties that fizzled out.
#14
One of our exchange students was floored when she found out that the yellow school buses are real.
Image credits: SomePeopleCall
#15
Do people really drive drunk as casually as they do in tv and movies? It seems like in tv shows even cops just get behind the wheel after slamming a few whiskeys, and regular people drive black out drunk.
peternormal:
Absolutely. It is not as common as it used to be, but like, for example... When I was a kid in the 80s it was legal to drink a beer while driving in Texas.
Image credits: LenoreEvermore
#16
Do you really throw garbage down the sink? Doesn't it get clogged?
Kent_Knifen:
Some sinks are equipped with a garbage disposal. Think of it like a blender hidden just past the drain. It will chop up food particles small enough where they can go down the plumbing.
You would NOT use this for all garbage, just discarded food.
Image credits: Marco-YES
#17
How common are basements and attics in houses?
Is it exclusive for middle and upper middle class and above or most houses have them?
atomiku121:
Depends on the area you're in. In my area (Midwest) both are quite common for a couple reasons.
Attics are common because we can get a LOT of snow, so sloped roofs are needed to handle the load. Depending on the slope, the space may not be usable for much outside of storage, hence the attic. My home has an attic that was large enough to convert into a large master bedroom.
Basements are common here because the soil has a lot of clay and is generally soft enough to dig through without too much issue, and having a portion of your home below grade is very nice to have in the event a tornado comes through.
#18
In The Sopranos, Tony quotes another character saying "Nowhere else in the world [do] people expect to be happy except here in this country and still we're not."
Do most Americans actually have that expectation?
jimb575:
As an American, I can unequivocally say that this is 100% true. I never understood this drive that people have here that they need to be happy. Not content, but happy. We’re taught that if you’re not happy then there is something wrong. In my view, this causes all types of issues - hyper-materialism, self doubt, false competition, etc…
And the worst part is that the people that expect to be happy usually expect someone else to make them happy…
#19
That you have to "earn" your sick days at work.
ATLDeepCreeker:
Not earn, "accrue".
When you start a job that pays by the hour, you accrue a certain percentage of PAID sick time per week. The same holds true for vacation time.
You can also take unpaid sick time. Some companies are flexible also, allowing you to use un-accrued sick time, before you actually earn it.
If you are on salary, its a bit different. All of my sick and vacation time is available to me on January 1st.
Image credits: dexvoltage
#20
Haven't really thought about it "always", but become wondering some time ago if americans really can't go anywhere without car. Do they really can't come outside their homes and go by legs with friends to nearest park or some shopping mall to just chill there? Are they really imprisoned in their suburbs untill some parent drive them on their hammer 100 km to the nearest "fun place" or untill the same parents buy them a car?
LakeExtreme7444:
The more rural you are, the more dependent on a car you’ll be. Where I live, the closest gas station and grocery store are about 10-15 minutes away and I live 30 minutes from my work (this is all by car). We don’t have public transportation where I live, so if I didn’t have a car, I wouldn’t be able to work or buy things without a full day’s walk, at the very least.
Timtronic125:
My local park is about 1.4 miles away. That's 4 minutes by car, 35 minutes to walk.
I work in the next city over. 26 miles by interstate @ approximately 40 minutes commute time. Walking to work would take 9 hours. America is huge and really spread out. And I live in the suburbs. Couldn't imagine living in the Midwest.
#21
Do school kids really sell wrapping paper and cookies to make money?
budgie02:
Sometimes, school fundraisers are common. At least when I was in school we got a magazine of home items like candles, blankets and such and would have to canvas the neighborhood and our family to sell it. The kid who sold the most would win an Xbox, or something like that.
#22
From watching (admittedly too much) reality shows - how common is lip-fillers/Botox in people in their 20s/30s?
FluffyOwl30:
In every day people? Probably not high. In people who make money off their appearance? Probably high.
#23
I've always wondered if people really do have endless refills at restaurants or if it's just a thing in movies.
DonovanSarovir:
Yeah that's real, but generally only applies to fountain drinks like soda and cheap lemonade (NOT SPRITE), as well as black coffee. You'll pay once and they keep you topped up, or sometimes you can refill it yourself. Expensive drinks like cocktails and stuff are one-offs like other places though.
Soda is just so cheap because of corn subsidies that each glass costs them like five to ten cents.
Image credits: lunchbockslarry
#24
How you guys are able to punch a hole through a wall. Where I’m from, all our homes are brick and concrete so if you punched a wall you’d be pretty screwed for life.
arrius01:
Most residential walls in the US are sheetrock which is fairly easy to punch through between the studs which are generally 16 in apart.
Before sheetrock, many walls were strips of wood covered in plaster. I think hitting one of those would not have gone well for the person.
There are lots of homes here with brick as well, but that is not as common, particularly portions of the country that aren't constructed pre-turn of the century
#25
Grew up on American movies thinking prom was this glitter-bombed fairy tale with slow-mo entrances and no awkward dad dances—turns out my US cousin's was just sweatpants and pizza in a gym, but hey, the myth kept my teen dreams alive longer than reality ever could.
rancidmilkmonkey:
Prom really is like that (without the slo-motion part) depending on where you live. Every school does their prom differently. I went to a public high school school with a disproportionate amount of wealthy kids in Tampa. We usually had our proms in a nice hotel or large restaurant with everyone in full tuxedos and expensive dresses. It's not uncommon for a groups of kids to arrive in a limo. It was like that when my wife and I went there, our parents went there, and when my oldest son went there 7 years ago. I was a poor kid in a rich kids school, but anyone from Tampa can tell you the name of that school without me having to. Honestly though, most of the other local high schools have their proms hosted somewhere outside the school as well. Tuxes and custom dresses are common, limos not so much.
#26
I was surprised that people wear shoes indoors in the US. I thought it was only a movie set thing.
LetsGoGators23:
It is very climate dependent I find. I grew up in snowy, muddy upstate NY and you absolutely took your shoes or boots off. The last 21 years in Florida, not nearly as necessary and you are in/out a lot more that makes it more impracticable to take them off. Not impossible, my Indian and Asian neighbors absolutely always take shoes off. It’s also heavily tiled indoors and it’s really hard on the feet/back to not have shoes on.
#27
Honestly, I always wondered if high school really had cliques like jocks, nerds, and cheerleaders or if that was just a movie thing. Also, are red Solo cups actually a party essential, or just Hollywood branding? 😄.
dontforgettowriteme:
Lol in my experience, it wasn't like Breakfast Club in terms of intensity and strict social order. Social circles were always fluid.
For example, I was a cheerleader but I had other interests as well, so I had friends from all of those circles and I was never mean to someone just because I was a cheerleader and they weren't or some such nonsense. It's not like people would gasp if you communed with people outside your "circle."
But it's also a normal part of human nature to form community with people who share your interests.
OhHowIMeantTo:
Nobody feels particularly drawn to red Solo cups, but they are essential to parties. They're good quality, can last all night, but are cheap enough to toss the next day. If you buy a store brand of disposable plastic cups, they do feel inferior in quality.
Most people don't have enough glassware for more than 8 people, and also don't host often enough to warrant dedicating an entire cabinet just to glasses for parties. It is kind of amusing how obsessed non Americans are with the red Solo cups. It's not something that we really think about or derive joy from, it's just something that you do.
#28
I had someone ask me if I live in a dorm "like in the movies." (Yes).
Image credits: justbreathe5678
#29
The pledge of alliance, is that something that is children actually have to say daily?
Elegant_Bluebird_460:
Yes, in public schools and many private schools. I can't think of a time in my adult life I have ever said it. However, kids cannot be forced to say it according to the Supreme Court.
Image credits: seweso
#30
I often wondered if people really go to places in their pajamas sometimes. Ive lived in the US now for a long time and I know that that answer is "sometimes yes in certain places".
I also heard that highschoolers sometimes would go to their classes in PJs, I dont know if this is true or not (or for college classes for that matter).
AngryKitty57:
I see people at the gas station and Walmart in Pajama pants very very often.
#31
Is it true Americans have no job security and your boss can just fire you for no reason, like Trump in the Apprentice?
tstackspaper:
Yes this is true. It’s called “at-will employment”
It is illegal for an employer to terminate an employee for reasons that violate federal or state laws, however you’d be burdened proving this in a court of law so typically people just move on instead of waisting time trying to sue over it.
#32
Columbus Day is that a thing you guys still celebrate?
km89:
"Celebrate" is a strong word.
Schools, banks, and some workplaces are closed for the day, but there's no particular celebration attached to it. The vast majority of the country treats it as somewhere between "business as usual" and "a random day off." Nobody's booking a reservation for Columbus Day dinner.
#33
Do kids really go on camps for months over summer? Supervised by teenagers/very young adults?
mightknowbackback:
Not all kids, but it’s a thing, or at least used to be. Parents that are used to having the kids out of the house at generally need a break, and the kids get to do fun stuff. There are definitely adults in charge at some point of the chain of command, but teenage camp counselors that lead activities and supervise things are common. These days people seem to have less extra money, and everyone is more worried about getting sued, so it’s probably less common. But if it’s in a movie set in the 1980s or earlier they’re pretty much bang on
#34
Are high school/college/university guidance councilors/advisors actually a thing? Like, is there actually someone who talks with you about which colleges/universities to apply to, about which classes you take, which course load to plan? And not just in a "well, there is someone you can get an appointment with if you really need to" way, but as an actual sceduled part of your education?
RogueRedShirt:
They are a thing. In high school, they help you make choices about what schools you should apply to and help with that process.
At the university level, they help you figure out what classes you need to take to complete your major and generally help the freshmans declare their major and things like that. Using them is mostly optional.
#35
I still don't understand soda fountains. I've seen pictures from back in the '50s of people using them, but I don't understand how people use them, or how the staff operate them, or the attraction of them.
homebody39:
I love soda fountains. The fresh carbonation is what makes it so much better than a can or bottle of Coke. They are easy to use. Just put the cup under the valve for the flavor you want and push the lever until the cup is full. Easy peasy.
#36
Do y'all really drink soda a lot? Or is it just when special occasions or travelling or things?
Character-Lack-9653:
IME people either drink lots of soda or very little soda and nothing in between.
Personally I never drink soda, I think it's sickeningly sweet. Most people in my social circle don't drink much soda either. OTOH I have a few (very overweight) coworkers who continuously drink soda all day.
Image credits: Weird_Strange_Odd
#37
Do you guys really get mad when people speak other languages?
RandomGen-Xer:
Most don't. When they get mad is when you and your friend obviously look them up and down, then turn to each other and speak in another language, laughing about them.
#38
Are there really no public transportation like subway or train except some big cities?
cwsjr2323:
Each State is divided into smaller political units called counties except Louisiana calls theirs parishes.
My county has one passenger train stop at 105 AM. We have zero buses, taxi, or Uber available. There are no pathways for bikes or walking between communities and no dedicated bike routes in the cities and towns.
This county is 565 square miles in size, 1463 square kilometers.
If you don’t have a car, you can’t go anywhere.
#39
This isn't a myth but something I see alot online. Using paper plates for a normal dinner at home? They are something you would only use for a party in Australia. Even if you work full time and have kids, which seems to be how most people defend it. Seems so wasteful.
SeekerOfSerenity:
In my family, and I would guess a lot of others, we used normal plates most of the time, and paper plates maybe once a week or less. If we had a pizza for dinner, we would usually use paper plates. But it's not an everyday thing.
#40
On the internet and social media, I always see Americans talking about fast food and fast food chains, the ones they love and dislike, and this discussion seems to pop up in completely unrelated topics.
How often does the average American eat fast food? Is it more than once a week? And how often do they drink Coca-Cola and other soft drinks?
elliealafolie:
I think you’d have a hard time finding a meaningful average. There are those of us who don’t even have fast food or soda once a month (some not even once a year) and there are those who eat 3 meals a day from fast food restaurants.
I don’t drink soda at all but my mom lives alone and buys a 12-pack per week.
#41
Pancakes for breakfast, also stacking a tower of them instead of eating each individually
I could get the first one, but the second just seems weird.
Cavfinder:
Yes to both but I only did those as a kid. I can’t eat wheat as an adult.
Lol, but yes, pancakes for breakfast is super common, stacking them 3-4 high is normal. I used to eat them 1 by 1 but my grandfather definitely cut into a stack of them.
#42
I've always wondered what meat loaf actually is but not enough to look it up, my imagination is it's just a big loaf sized joint of beef.
I know I'm wrong and would probably be disappointed which is probably why I've never actually bothered researching.
achoosier:
😂 imagine a loaf of bread, but with hamburger meat and seasonings mixed together and shaped into a loaf pan and baked. You slice it like bread and everything. It's never been my favorite but a lot of people love it ¯_(ツ)_/¯
#43
Those sitcom cars that look like they have wooden panels on the sides, is that actually wood?
Either way, the frick is up with that? .
wexlermendelssohn:
Nowadays cars are boring and nobody does it. But historically yes, first with actual wood and later with decorative faux wood panels.
#44
Do ya'll really egg people's house/cars?
Elegant_Bluebird_460:
It isn't as common now that there are doorbell cameras. On devil's night/mischief night (night before Halloween) it was especially common when I grew up for kids to egg/TP someone's house and to bologna their car. I was a forking kid, two thousand or more forks stuck in a person's lawn overnight. A real pain to remove, but actually more helpful for lawn health than destructive.
SmugScientistsDad:
Yes. This is a thing. The house across the street from mine got egged a few weeks ago. They have no idea who did it or why.
#45
Does everyone go to bars after work?
kitsucoon:
Definitely not everyone. I feel like it’s more common in smaller cities and was more common in the 90s, 2000s
#46
Sorority/Fraternity culture at university.
IKnowAllSeven:
Greek life as it’s called exists at the majority of four years universities. The vibe of the Greek life depends heavily on the university itself, and the frat/ soror.
All of them have an academic, social, and civic (volunteer) component, but how much emphasis is placed on each varies significantly.
My kid is in a sorority for STEM majors. You have to maintain a certain GPA to stay a current member - they do study groups together, and set up various science booths with kids activities at local fairs and have networking events and bring in speakers addressing career pointers and advice. Very academic.
My friends kid is in one of the Divine Nine which are historically black Greek organizations. These were and are historically and socially important organizations and many of their members stay active in the organization for life. Again, it’s a social and networking club and also does philanthropy. The adult members often hold fundraisers to create scholarships and also serve as mentors for younger members.
There is one another friends kid is in - it’s mostly the frat parties you see on Tv.
And another friend goes to University of Alabama and her kid is spending thousands on clothes and jewelry so she has the right look to rush a specific sorority. I don’t know much about that type, just that it exists (I think it’s nuts).
#47
Having a big coffee place (like Starbucks or something) on almost every street corner. Like, fact or myth? 🤔 I've genuinely always wondered if that's true, hyperbole, or something that Hollywood just likes to joke about.
I'm European, and we have Starbucks in my neck of the woods too. But there's like only two different big coffee chains like that in my whole country; sure, there's small mom-and-pop cafés everywhere, but not big box coffee places like that aren't really as common here. Starbucks is actually one of the two big chains in my country, and someone would have to at least commute a few minutes by public transport to get to even one of those in the first place.
It's also generally considered pretty upscale too in my culture to regularly go to those big coffee chains. Most people in my culture just go to those small mom-and-pop cafe's for a cup of coffee, lol.
Salamok:
It is not unheard of to have 2 starbucks at the same intersection on different corners, but you probably will only see that in cities.
So I have to wonder; are places like Starbucks and Tim Horton's REALLY more common in the US or nah? 🤔 Like, I've actually always wanted to genuinely ask an American that, but never had the chance, lol.
#48
In american tv-series people near 30 can often be in a significant managerial position making big money.
Does that really happen with "ordinary people"?
As in, I can sorta understand that if you're some genius level guy, but a bright ordinary person? That's just unheard of where I'm from. All positions which actually pay money are taken by old (often incompetent) people.
nimblesunshine:
Yes, this is true. You can be nothing special and get into a cushy position with big bucks, in some careers. There are some industries where you can make a ton of money from a young age, sometimes even right out of college. But if you aren't in one of those industries, you might make shit and have few safety nets to fall back on + tens and tens of thousands of student loan debt that you may never be able to climb free of.
#49
Is it illegal to not have health insurance? Also, what happens if you don’t / can’t pay your hospital bill?
FreyjaTheMutt:
Not illegal, but certain states do have mandates and if you don't have health insurance then you can owe money on your tax return
Image credits: FunBat6170
#50
Do you really cut frogs on biology class?
didifallasleep13:
Yes and I almost threw up. I also had to dissect a squid on a school trip. Later in college, I took a human anatomy and physiology class and we had to dissect a sheep’s eye; I was too freaked out by the idea of the eye squirting to initially cut into it, so my lab partner did that part and then I took it apart after it had been opened which freaked her out
#51
Do teenagers always get really nice cars as soon as they can drive? People turning up in like pickups and stuff. Can’t get a 20 year old 1.2L Toyota Aygo insured for a teenager without selling a kidney in the UK.
wexlermendelssohn:
Definitely not. In my high school, about 20% of my friend group even had a car and even people with licenses took the bus at least some of the time. The people who did have cars either bought cheap used cars or had hand-me-downs from parents or other relatives.
NastaciaLove :
I'm going to disagree with the others in the comments here. Obviously it's not every single person and probablydependson location. Im a barber and ALL the kids who's hair I've been cutting since they were basically babies have ALL got significantly nicer and newer cars than I've ever had. I don't have a single teen customer that's driving age that doesn't have a 2020+ year super nice car.
#52
When you walk around NY do you see rats?
Working5daysaWeek:
You're most likely going to see rats in all major cities.
#53
Are people *really* as uneducated as the stereotype? Could you *really* pick a dozen random Americans and they couldn't identify their own country on a world map? I feel this is a bit exaggerated really, the videos must cherry-pick the worst they could find.
czarfalcon:
Definitely cherry-picked. Yes there are a lot of uneducated Americans, as you would expect in a country of 300+ million, but I feel like you could say the same of any country.
#54
Is it still so easy to coupon like in Extreme Couponing?
budgie02:
No, sadly. Couponing is actually a learned skill and extreme couponing like you’re talking about is incredibly rare.
