Extreme Couponing - TV show on TLC

[navane]

Has anyone been watching the Extreme Couponing TV show on TLC? I like the idea behind couponing, but these folks really go to town. One woman bought some 50+ bottles of mustard.....really? 50??? Another time, someone bought like 30-50 packages of salad croutons. They stockpile the stuff in their garages, basements, closets, bedroom, underneath their kids' beds. I've only seen one lady so far describing in any detail how she gives a decent portion of her purchases to charity.


I'd like paying $8 for $600 worth of groceries as much as the next person....but does one family really need $30,000 worth of groceries in the basement?


http://tlc.com/extremecouponing


.....Kelly

[Drolefille]

Supposedly at least one person on the show cheated the system, and could be in trouble for it. I'll look for links...

[knight_shadow]

I saw a clip of a woman buying $260 worth of groceries for $6.92.

That was interesting, but I don't know if I can tune in every week to watch people COUPON TO DEATH.

[nittanygirl]

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

That was interesting, but I don't know if I can tune in every week to watch people COUPON TO DEATH.

You'd be surprised how addicting it is to watch. Not something I'd specifically "tune in for" but it was on and I watched multiple episodes in a row.
I have learned a thing or two which I think will be useful to me in the future, but, honestly I don't understand having 20 years worth of toilet paper stockpiled.

My friend and I got in line behind a mini extreme coupon lady (maybe $100 groceries max) and we just stood in awe. She had two binders of coupons with her....thennnnnn she forgot her bag, so we took it too her bc she was still standing in front of the store and she was complaining because one thing didn't go through perfect.

I think they should just combine it with the hoarder's show.
These people are just OCD hoarders who hoard slightly more useful items.

[navane]

Originally Posted by nittanygirl

honestly I don't understand having 20 years worth of toilet paper stockpiled.

Yes, exactly. My sister and I were dumbfounded about what one family was going to do with 50 bottles of mustard. One bottle will last months!

.....Kelly

[amanda6035]

Those people don't have regular jobs...nobody who has a 40 hour a week job has time to do this kind of crap. I'm a couponer, and this show disgusts me. It should be on Hoarders. There's a difference between getting deals to save money and being CRAZY.

http://www.southernsavers.com/2011/0...not-a-reality/

[jflynn]

One of my brothers up here has been able to find some pretty good deals. He got boatload of mouthwash and toothpaste for next to nothing, and we donated the lot to a local homeless shelter We're hoping to save some on our food bills this term, too. We joked around a bit about his "extreme couponing", but I had no idea there was an entire show about it!

[ASUADPi]

It's one thing to get a crapload of stuff so that you can turn around and donate it to the needy, it is a whole other thing to stockpile the crap. The world isn't ending anytime soon.

I agree, this show should be called "couponing for horders"

[carnation]

Some of these couponers are scary. I've seen normal people totally change their personalities in the hunt to get, and maybe double, the best coupons; I went to one meeting many years ago and left because some of the people who were swapping coupons were about to come to blows. Really.

One woman we know got in some kind of trouble with the government for doing something shady with her coupons and refunds and had to pay back thousands.

[33girl]

If you have many children (I think that one of the episodes I saw, the woman had 5-6 children) you go through things more quickly than you'd think...I mean I can't believe how much toilet paper I go through and I live alone.

But when it gets to the point where you have to buy shelving and renovate your house to hold all the stuff you've bought, you're really not saving.

[Still BLUTANG]

i hope my dad NEVER EVER EVER finds out about this show. he stockpiles non-perishable items. sometimes i actually go to his house instead of the grocery store b/c i know i can get soup, canned veggies, and some juice from his pantry.

[tinydancer]

I can't imagine having enough storage space for all that stuff. I live in a 1954 house, and there's just not a lot of pantry/closet space.

One organization I am in collects the coupons and gives them to veterans and military families who are in need. I'd rather do that than stockpile a bunch of things just because they are cheap.

[KSUViolet06]

Couponing is great. Extreme couponing is dumb.

My biggest thing with it (besides leading to hoarding) is: if you're driving around between KMart, Walmart, Target, etc. to use your million coupons, aren't you potentially spending more in GAS than you're saving?

[UofISigKap]

Originally Posted by Still BLUTANG

i hope my dad NEVER EVER EVER finds out about this show. he stockpiles non-perishable items. sometimes i actually go to his house instead of the grocery store b/c i know i can get soup, canned veggies, and some juice from his pantry.

My dad, too. I used to go "shopping" when I would come home from college and stock up from the enormous pile of canned and jarred items downstairs. The only problem is my parents never use the pieces fast enough and I'll always find something that is way beyond expiration. My younger brother once ended up with some seriously fermented salsa from the stash of food.

I like to save money as much as the next person, but I am not going to fight someone over coupons, nor do I need 100 Butterfinger bars like that one lady.

[navane]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

Couponing is great. Extreme couponing is dumb.

My biggest thing with it (besides leading to hoarding) is: if you're driving around between KMart, Walmart, Target, etc. to use your million coupons, aren't you potentially spending more in GAS than you're saving?

Yeah and some of these women say they spend 40 hrs/wk clipping the coupons and even get friends and kids to help. I would have thought that a 40/hr wk JOB would bring in more money than would be "saved".


.....Kelly