Extreme Couponing… What are Your Thoughts?
As many of you have emailed, there is a new show airing tonight at 8pm EST on TLC called Extreme Couponing. The show profiles four coupon-obsessed savers (as TLC calls them) trying to get as much as they can for as little as they can. The show sounded pretty interesting, but as I started to read the description… well, I am not sure if interesting is the right word. Why you ask? Well, here goes…
*Important Note: The statements I make below are just my opinions. You do not have to agree with them and I have no problem with you sharing your points, even if they differ. I do, however, have a problem with disrespectful comments, inappropriate language and just being downright cruel. Those type of comments will be deleted. Thank you for your understanding.
So now my thoughts on this new show… I personally do not like how couponers are portrayed on the show. Now before I go on, I know they are portrayed like this for ratings… I get that. They want people’s jaws to drop and eyes to be wide open. But, it still stinks.
Meet the shoppers of TLC’s EXTREME COUPONING:
Nathan started clipping coupons four years ago when he and his wife took a closer look at their finances. Now, debt free with more than 10,000 items stockpiled in his garage, Nathan is preparing for the biggest haul of his life. On his latest visit to the supermarket, Nathan is leaving with over 2,000 items – his most massive checkout to date. With 1,100 boxes of cereal, 300 toothbrushes and 60 bottles of hand soap, Nathan is looking forward to topping himself and saving thousands of dollars in the process!
Retail value: $5,743.00 Nathan’s cost after utilizing his coupons: $241.00 – 95% savings!
Amanda is a full-time Storage Facility Manger in Cincinnati, OH who spends up to 70 hours a week researching in-store promotions, clipping coupons and surfing the internet for the latest and greatest deals. She already has a stockpile of products from previous couponing ventures worth up to $15,000. But this extreme saver is most proud of her collection of toilet paper – over 3,000 rolls – enough to last the average couple about 40 years! Now, with the help of her husband, Amanda is preparing for her largest checkout ever consisting of nine baskets of food, beauty and pet products including 218 boxes of pasta, 268 containers of noodles, 100 bottles of sport drink and 150 candy bars.
Retail value: $1,175.33. Amanda’s cost after utilizing her coupons: $51.67.
To me a great show on couponing would be a show that is teaching the average person how to coupon. A person that doesn’t have 70 hours a week to scour ads and clip coupons, a person that doesn’t have access to an entire garage to store all of their “goods”… and really, who needs that many “goods”?!
It’s called reality TV… but in my opinion, it’s definitely not realistic. As a coupon blogger, I hope Hip2Save motivates and inspires all of you. I try to make sure the videos I make ARE realistic and with that I mean, you will be able to go to the store and snatch up the same deals shown in the videos.
Again, I know this show is called Extreme Couponing, but I’m just not getting the point of the show and maybe that’s because I coupon in such a different way.
I don’t coupon so I have a receipt to frame… OK, so that may be a little bit of a fib. In the beginning, when I first started my couponing adventures back in 2007, I was very excited about the savings displayed on all my receipts and I did proudly show them to everyone I could… even people who didn’t want to see them! 😉 Yes, I was annoying like that. And I do think that’s normal, as I would assume most newbie couponers are very excited about their new-found talent! …But I quickly learned that couponing can become all too consuming. From clipping and organizing coupons to going through the weekly ads and then planning your trips… and on top of that, planning your days around when you need to go to the store. Too consuming!
I am still learning how to have balance in my life, but one thing I have learned along the way… well, it’s quite simple. When it comes to couponing, Nothing is a BIG deal!
Example: I let my high value $2/1 Pampers Wipes coupon expire and I would have been able to score FREE wipes at Walmart. Guess what? Not a BIG deal! Do you get what I’m saying? Start thinking like that and all the annoying stress you feel about rushing to the store so you don’t miss that oh so amazing deal will be gone!
I love my hubby. Random, right?! Well, not really because he is the one who taught me to really understand that most things are “Not a Big Deal”. And as you may know from reading my blog, I am a neurotic, high energy and very spastic woman… so for me to be able to step back and say, “It’s Not a Big Deal”… well, it’s HUGE and if I can do it, so can you!
Now I know I’ve kind of veered off from the topic at hand, but what I really wanted you to get out of my post is to not let couponing and deal hunting consume you. The same deals always come back over and over again.
Before I finish this post, I have a challenge for you – miss a deal this week and remember, it’s NOT a Big Deal! When you’re missing that deal, do whatever you like… take a bath, read a book, play with your kiddos, laugh, love, smile. Life is wonderful, so take full advantage of it! 🙂
Thanks for listening to me ramble.
This show needs to be on Hoarders. Honestly 3,000 rolls of toilet paper you are hoarding…being a selfish couponer…. DONATE THEM….
10,000 items in your garage/basement… donate them… There are so many people who would love to have these things, but these people will brag about it and save it..There are people that would love that tube of toothpaste that you have 40 of just lying around… Take a picture of the items being donated. To me that is a better satisfaction. I did a fantastic deal getting it WAY cheap and then i donated it and someone in need can use it… I really only purchase my free toothbrushes just so i can donate them and I will NEVER swipe a store clean for my benefit….
I’ll will watch this show ,im sure, and when people shall ask me about it i will tell them that these couponers are selfish and extreme….. if you want to be extreme, dont be selfish… =)
LOL Since it is on TLC they should totally go with other networks shows… Confront them about their hoarding…then have a coupon intervention and how they need help, make them donate all the items that just their family won’t use within a year time or will expire before then… and then in the end have a cupcake war =)
Collin, you need a “like” button or in this case a “love” button like facebook has! I started to dislike a lot of people because of this couponing business. I saw a lot of nasty sides to a few woman because of coupons! They think their world is coming to an end because they didn’t get a deal or the deal did not work out the way they planned. Their always calling stores head quarters and know every store managers by name! It’s disgusting!
This is just hoarding and it’s sad.
It’s true. I’m glad the people on the show were able to score great deals and get free items…but why keep 40 years worth of toilet paper around??? Donate it to someone in need and do something really useful. I hope future episodes of this show feature people who do that….do something good for others instead of keeping all the “wealth” to yourself. This blog features stories like that quite often!
my concern is that this is just going to make all coupon-users look just as crazy/extreme. How many people have gotten the eye-roll from cashiers and other shoppers as it is?! Now they will think we ALL have a million rolls of TP in the basement! LOL!
OH well, I can take it:)
That was my thought exactly. I know the cashiers are usually nice to my face, but I have a friend who used to work at CVS and she told me (not knowing that I just starting to couponing) that they used to HATE it when couponers would come in. I just dont want them thinking Im one of these Extreme Couponers because I totally am not. I miss good deals all the time because it just doesnt work into my day.
Umm, what store even has 300 toothbrushes for you to buy??? That’s craziness, but I can’t wait to watch because I love to watch crazy act crazy.
LOL! You are awesome!
Thats what i want to know. What stores carry these quanities of products?
Or even what store would allow you to buy that much. You can’t hardly buy three of the same thing where I live.
You are right on the mark Collin. I couldn’t have said it any better, I agree with you on every point!
Hey Collin,
I was excited to learn about the show but after reading up more about the show before you posted this post, it kinda turned me off. Especially with the Nathan story and how he has 10,000 items stockpiled in his garage. To me that portrays couponers as selfish hoarders (my opinion only).
I began using coupons about 2 years ago and since then I have been able to get so many items for free. I keep what our family will use and I donate the rest to other families and charities. In my opinion it is a little silly to have 10,000 items stored up when there are so many other people in need? If we, as couponers can get the items for free, how can we not afford to give them away ?
Now days I may spend 6-7 hours a week searching for deals, clipping and organizing my coupons. I agree with you it is not a big deal if I miss a sale, two or three of them for that fact. What matters to me is when I am able I stretch my dollars to supply my families needs and if I can help others too that is a added bonus!
I was talking with my husband just last night about this. I too seem to have the same personality as Collin and it seems my husband has the same attitude as Collin’s husband. He likes how much we can save with coupons and it really is helpful. I have 6 growing boys and we need a lot of stuff and I like to be prepared so coupons have been a great resource to help financially and to be prepared. However my husband does refer to it as my second job (first being mom). It’s a lot of work. Most of the time I enjoy it and love deals but some times I get tired of always feeling like I can’t just go to the store and pick up a few things because I don’t have my coupons and huge list together. I have not seen the show and don’t exactly know how they will portray the extreme couponers but my concerns are that sometimes the conotation is that we (couponers) might be cheating the system, hoarding, or be crazy. I’m sure there are some that might cheat the system, or hoarders, but I don’t like how that looks. I am a mom (with a big family), and I am trying to prepare for the future or any emergency so that I don’t have to depend on anyone else especially the government to bail my family out. My hope is that the show will encourage others to use coupons and try to take control of their finances so that they too can be prepared for the future or emergencies. I guess time will tell. (Of course this is just my opinion)
I was glad to read your post. I feel the same way! I have 3 kids under three and sometimes I would just to be a normal person and buy what we need when we need it without feeling the need to find out how to get it cheap or free. It has saved us a lot of money so it is important but it can become consuming sometime…I need to work on this perspective thing sometimes.
I have three under three too!! 🙂 Hang in there!!!
Perfectly said Kirsten:)
This show isn’t about people “saving money”. It is about GREED! Plain and simple! Who needs 40 years worth of toile paper? Really???
I can see this show will give the average couponers a bad name. 3,000 rolls of toilet paper?? That seems obsessive/compulsive! 218 boxes of pasta?? I’m Italian and my family wouldn’t go though that many boxes in a year! Are they donating or hoarding?
And I totally agree with missing deals. I have a pile of coupons expiring 12/31. I went through my binder last night pulling and made a run to Walmart today. I know there were a few coupons that would have gotten me free things (and some overage), but I passed. I pass all the time on deals, its not gonna kill me!
I, like to get a good deal on things, but I’m not obsessive about it. Heaven knows, I certainly don’t save a ton. If a cashier won’t accept a coupon, I’m fine with that. But I honestly feel really bad for the cashiers. At a Target before Christmas, I was talking with one of the cashiers, and she had had someone buy like over $300 in Glade candles, and ended up getting them for $1 something. She said it took over 45 minutes to do, and that she ended up even having to get the manager over to help because it didnt’ want to work right. Now honestly, is that woman ever going to use up all of those candles that she just had to have?? Probably not. And it probably ended up messing up that poor Cashiers numbers for the day for ringing up times. I don’t like it when people go crazy over it.
I probably bought $100-$200 regular priced worth of glade candles but didn’t get them that cheap. I think they came out to around $.60 a candle and would’ve been cheaper if I had a store that doubled coupons around here, but I gave alot of them away to people for Christmas and plan on donating some of them. I think it is always worth the trouble if it is going for a good cause like donating. If I didn’t coupon I couldn’t afford to donate. I agree it would be better to show the public how to do it and it is something that everyone CAN do. I agree it sounds like hoarding and what store does have that many toothbrushes and such available to purchase at any one given time? I hope they are planning on donating some of that. I think it would be great if we could teach all the food shelves how to coupon so when someone donates money to them, rather than food, they can make the dollar stretch further and help alot more people.
I couldn’t agree with you more!
I really think this new show is sort of like a spin off to hoarders. These people have compulsive addictions to stock piling and if it were not coupons feeding their addiction it would be something else. I think I am one of the few couponers that this show does not bother (infact it’s tivoed as we speak) because I know THAT is not me. I do not think this show will make couponers look any worse than we already do to the un-coupon friendly out there. People that coupon or know even just a little about it know this is NOT the norm. These people are obsessive. They have a problem. I think this makes couponers as a whole look no worse than the person who has an occasional drink (doesn’t make every one a drunk) or everyone that buys lottery tickets (doesnt make them a compulsive gambler). Maybe it’s just me I don’t know.
On a side note though I will admit I am just a little envious of that ladys T.P. stockpile =) Ohhh not to have to ever buy TP again!! Also WHO KNEW you could take out an insurance policy on Tooth brushes and cereal???!! That’s the stuff that facinates me.. I would love to see her have to call the insurance company to revise the policy everytime her hubby brought home or opened a snack.
Either way I will be watching. I do not take this show personally because I know this is NOT me or anyone else I know who coupons..Ok off to dumpster dive now for T.P. Coupons..J/K =)
i am jealous of her tp stock pile too! 🙂 that is one thing that i don’t have a good stock pile of!
what kind of a store would actually let them use that may coupons and double them anyway? some people just have way too much time on there hands!!
I think these shows play on our ability to relate to the extreme. Am I a hoarder? No, but my linen closet is quite a mess. Am I a coupon extremist? No, but I love a good deal. I can relate to the people that have these outrageous stories because in my own life I’ve got a little touch of the obsession, even if it is just my linen closet and my free baby formula.
Collin, I guess the thing I did get from you was to do your best and don’t sweat the rest. I have been looking for a job in education. Having graduated at the age of 50 with a degree to teach, I am unable to find a full time job. My husband was laid off from a 35 year career 2 months later. All summer he has worked in the heat to provide for us while I sat. That was when I started couponing. I have since found a part time job tutoring and encouraging 4th graders as well as a longterm sub job. I am not able, at this point to coupon as I would like, but I am taking care of my family. Like you said…I do what I can, when I can. Thanks for all you do to make it easier for the rest of us.
I just don’t see how see how one of the ladies says that she only spends 2 hours per week towards couponing. There’s no way she clips multiple coupons and organizes, etc in only 2 hrs per week.
I agree with you! This is a little over the top for me! I enjoy getting good deals and free stuff too, but if I got this much stuff I would be showing up at all the food banks and homeless shelters that were in much need now!! Really how many people do you really see or hear of getting $5,000.00 worth of stuff at one time ???..and what grocery store allows this??? I don’t know of any where I live that have that many of one item on the self at a time!LOL!! This is just another crazy ..not so true… reality show,I believe! I’ll just keep couponing the way I have been doing and be thankful when a good deal comes my way! I think this will cause more hassles at the stores and less coupons to be found in the papers and online,because of this show…more like coupon hoarding!!! God bless you Collin for all you do to help others!
When I first starting couponing in May I was OBSESSED. I was even dreaming about coupons and wouldn’t be able to sleep because I couldn’t wait to get to Target at 7 am for the deals. Now I have eased way back and gladly made LOTS of gift bags for Xmas which pretty much emptied my stock pile. I was so proud of all the bags I gave away and now in the new year I know what I need, what I want and what I’ll use as gifts for next Xmas, basically I’m more aware of MY needs and have less of a knee jerk reaction to buy because of a sale. These people are obsessed, well I don’t like to say that because one of those couponers is also a popular blogger and although she was jumping through a dumpster for coupons I really don’t think she’s “KRAZY” (that was a hint). I like to stock pile 3 months worth of toilet paper, body wash, toothpaste (toiletries) and then replenish after it’s almost gone. 40 rolls of toilet paper is obsessive and in my opinion the word hoarder does apply even if it’s neatly put away. My bigger problem is I don’t want these shows putting a negative light on us because as many of us know we already get negative reactions from cashiers, this will just fuel the fire.
TLC used to have some good shows, but their choices are poor now. The impression the are making for couponers is not a good one. What about teaching to not clear shelves? What store carries 1100 boxes of cereal? It’s all set up for tv and I don’t see it being good for the ones who are trying to stretch their dollars a little bit further. After the show airs, I can see the word “coupon” becoming a bad word as people are going to associate that show with us. I don’t like it one bit.
Colin-you’re wise beyond your years. I mean that, sincerely, as a compliment.
I know that I would have watched this show and had a really negative attitude towards these people until I have read some of the stuff they have had to say about the show. On other blogs, I have heard from two of the women who are featured and they said that they were asked to be as extreme as possible for the sake of the show and that all that they got was preordered. What they did wasn’t at all realistic for a normal person on a normal day. They also said that they donated a lot of what they got but the show doesn’t talk about that. I guess we just have to remember if we watch tonight that the show is only telling that story that they think will get the most viewers. One of the women has her stockpile pictured on her blog today and it really isn’t that extreme….it is HUGE compared to my little closet but it isn’t the same as what you would see from someone who is hoarding. I know it sounds like I am trying to defend these people but I am really just trying to remind myself and others that this is just a show trying to get ratings and we can’t believe everything we see.
Nathan is the owner of we use coupons . com & he is amazing! He has helped out couponers out 110% by allowing a forum that we can go to for every questions & every deal out there! He has donated so much of his stockpile & time to people!
Thank you, Collin! Not only am I thanking you for your amazing advice from week to week, day to day, and minute to minute, but also for that lovely little bit that you wrote at the end of this post about things not being a big deal. I’ve got a 6 month old, a three year old wild-man, and I’m homeschooling our 6 year old. I’m trying to get this couponing thing working for me, but it’s been hard getting it together. I do get stressed out about missing deals… a lot. Thanks so much for this! I’ve been trying to tell myself the same thing, but it really helps hearing you say it. 🙂
WOW! I thought I was bad with my one very small hallway closet full of stuff! This is definitely NOT realistic. Although going to a store and spending several hundred dollars on five thousand dollars worth of stuff would be worth it, I would rather get a brand spaken new washer and dryer that cost a couple thousand for a couple hundred…LOL! If you find a deal like that…then I’ll be impressed…oh and let me know so I can score some too!!! 🙂
I would say that if you had that many items that you obviously can’t use in a lifetime why not bless others with your gift? Really you could get a food pantry going 🙂 Bless others who need help by giving them your free items that you won’t need. How hard is that?
Thanks Collin, You hit the nail on the head! And Yeah I will probably watch the episode of Extreme Couponing just to see the craziness!!! And then get some calls from family members that know I coupon and ask if that’s what ‘all’ of us are like…And I’ll calmly reply “No the majority of us are parents and don’t have the time, energy or obsessiveness in us to spend that kinda time on it”–We’d rather spend that time with our spouse and kids 🙂 And yes Thank you for reminding us that we don’t need to snatch up EVERY deal 🙂 Moderation is so so Important!!!
Love this post!! You are soooooo sooooooo right! I had to work the other day when you posted the Recycle Bank post about a $5 ebay certificate for a point, and I was so disappointed because when I got home it had expired….so now I can say….it’s not a big deal!
I was watching the preview this morning and I was thinking of these people as hoarders not couponers, I my self have a little stock pile of 14 cent ceral, but I will never dig in a dumpster like the one lady was on that show.. there is a point in life when you have to look at your self and say enough is enough.
Very, very well said. I feel pretty much exactly the same way. I am all for the deals and won’t buy most things unless I can find a good deal. As a deal blogger myself, I am always on the hunt for the best buy and good coupons.
I use coupons, BUT, I don’t stock pile at all to be honest. I know that I will be able to get an incredible deal on what I need when I need it. Sales and coupons are ALWAYS happening. There is no need to hoard when you will be able to get the same (or very close to it) deal again, down the road when you need it.
Personally, I only buy 1, maybe two newspapers a week. So often times when bloggers (not you Collin but many others) write “use 6 or 7 of so and so coupon” I’m like “Huh??” I don’t have 6 or 7 of that coupon. So like you said, no big deal. I missed out on getting some deal.
My concern with the show is that it is going to portray the general coupon’er in a bad light. But we just have to keep in mind, yes, this is “EXTREME” couponing. I agree that a much more useful show would be one that taught people the basics of coupons and how to find good deals. Oh well, that is our sensationalistic (word? lol) television/society.
I totally agree with you Collin, and I love reading each and every one of your post. =D
I’m with everyone else… The show is going to make it seem like we are all crazy. Why couldn’t they show a family that lost their job and to make ends meet they coupon. Or how about showing the importance of being able to give back with all the stuff that we get cheap… I guess that’ wouldn’t make good tv
I think everyone would agree that coupons are wonderful. However, anything in excess is not good. It’s an ambiguous question, but it’s the big one: ‘How much of a stockpile is too much?’. I think this will be an interesting show! I bet we’ll be shocked!
I just don’t get how they don’t have problems at the stores with coupons! How can you stand in line for $5k worth of groceries and not be “Red Flagged”? This really makes me so angry because it’s not about “gathering for your family” It’s a game, it’s a joke, it’s despicable! This puts a bad taste in our cashiers/managers mouths. So the honest couponers will have to take on the discrimination bc of people like this. Ugh! Great post Collin, I totally agree!
not even gonna watch this.. I save as much money as i can and hang the rest!! Collin, love your site. Thanks for everything you do!!
I hadn’t heard about this show…thanks for bringing it to my attention! Obviously the key word here is “extreme”. I agree that when you are purchasing that many items, donating a great portion of them would be the right thing to do (and in my opinion make for a better story). Although the show may enlighten people as to how much money a person can save by couponing. My response to the show as a “newbie” couponer would be that “amanda” is obviously a wack-a-doodle..but if she bought $1100 worth of stuff for $50…then maybe I ….I could save hundreds by using coupons….which is a reality. I do appreciate your post about “missing a deal isn’t a big deal”. It could be easy to get obsessed with couponing…good to keep yourself in balance!
What is really funny is one of the women on the show has her own blog site for couponing…Krazycouponlady.com….she is the one dumpster diving….you made a valid point I had not considered since I started couponing…its no Big Deal!!! I was just about to leave and hit some stores but instead I believe it should be a night at home with husband and four kids….thanks Collin for the slap in the head I sure needed it!!!!
As I look at my 4 large packages of TP, I remember thinking when I purchased the 6th, “That should last us a while. I think I will back off the TP now.” And I haven’t bought any since. Stockpiling is one thing… but practically running a warehouse? Um… I have a life outside of couponing. I still have plenty to spare to help those on need without letting couponing become an obsession.
I have it set to record on my DVR and I will watch it but like many of the other comments, I’m afraid that a show like this is not “reality’ couponing. I coupon, and bunch of my friends coupon. There is no right or wrong way, we all do it different, and we do what works for us.I haven’t watched the show yet so it too soon for me to say for sure but they seem GREEDY instead of THRIFTY to me. Only time will tell, but I REALLY hope that the next time i’m in target someone doesnt think I have 40 YEARS worth of TP in my house! 🙂
Colin, You go girl, I loved your comments. Anyone who does extreme couponing should have a donation place in mind. I started doing this because my son-in-law lost his job and we needed a way to help them out, now myself and several of my friends donate to Battered Women, Hope House and several other organizations. Can you imagine having to leave an abusive relationship with you children and the clothes on your back, with no future that you can see. Any time a person can give what they have has the oppertunity to turn a life around. The first time I donated the “goods”, they were so excited, beacuse these kinds of donations are not as frequent as clothing. Just getting a pretty bottle of Olay or Bath and Body lotion makes me smile. Your site is one of the best online, I check it out several times a day and always feel so “UPBEAT” when I read your posts. Thanks you and keep up the good job!!!
The issue I see with the TLC show is just perpetuating the problems that normal coupon users already have. We already get the checkers who do the heavy sighs when they see us break out the stack of coupons or the eye rollers behind us in line because we are taking up too much of their time. As many people as I know who do use coupons and deal shop there are twice as many who consider it a hassle and just can’t be convinced (pity for them!) Hopefully the TLC viewership will be bright enough to see through “reality” of television.
Thanks for all you do to keep your readers on top of the great deals out there. Just one more way that we can spend less time searching and more time doing the things we love.
I think you hit the nail on the head! Great job. I’m excited to watch it but know that my life is not Hollywood “reality”. It took a long time to step back and stop worrying about “getting the deal”. I’m sure my family and friends HATED listening to me ramble about deals I got. Now I enjoy what I do and don’t stress over it. Some weeks I pay full price for things and most weeks I get good deals. Life goes on with or without me hitting the stores and with 3 young kids I’d rather enjoy playing with them than drag them to a store that I know they don’t want to go to just for a deal they won’t care anything about! Couponing did change my life for the better, financially, but I’ve had to work hard to achieve balance. I’m so glad I know what I know, but also I’m glad I’ve taken a step back and realized my world does not stop just because I don’t get the deal. Thanks for your insights!
Thanks for the post. I have to confess and say that I was a totally obsessed couponer when i started. It all started as something to do while I was pregnant lol but it eventually turned into an obsession where I would find myself getting all upset when a deal did not go my way. My hubby did not understand why I would be in tears over it. My hubby said it is not that big a deal and he was right. After I had my baby I found I had not time to clip coupons or keep up with the greatest deals. I took a break from it to focus on my new little one. The deals will always be there my baby will not lol Its not that big of a deal when you miss your childs childhood to stockpile a thousand rolls of toilet paper that can easily be destroyed by a broken pipe in the house lol
With shows like that, where people have such an excess- even more than they could use in the next 4 years- might seem to have an addiction to couponing and the thrill. I wonder how much time they have wasted chasing every single deal just get get more stuff (where in the world do they put all that stuff). I just keep wondering, what if the power goes out long term- all that frozen food gone to waste and all that time and money… and think about all those people that could use what they have. I could almost **almost** justify that much time and effort put into couponing if you were donating a good majority of it to a food bank or charity where it could be used by people who need it NOW.
I totally get the thrill that comes with saving (my own blog has way too many pictures). However, I found that I needed balance when it came to couponing. My friends and I coupon here for a short time and it lasts us a LONG time. For example: 2 years ago (in the spring) I couponed for about 4 months; hit every deal & stocked my shelves. I’ve learned that my family goes through about 40 bottles of shampoo and conditioner a year. I am down to “bare shelves” in the personal hygene world, but knowing that it only takes a few months, some dedication and some great sales I can have that stock pile back up in no time.
Other people might benefit from learning to coupon like regular people who just want to get a good deal on stuff their family needs/ uses and things that can be donated. It wouldn’t hurt to teach people that going to the extreme in everthing is necessary (I am still learning this one- slowly).
Thanks for giving us a place to vent!!
I totally agree with what you wrote. When I first got into couponing, which was around the same time you did, I thought I had to hit up every store to get EVERY deal. It was so consuming of my time and money, plus, I was buying things we really didn’t need or use. Even now, I stick to what we use, but I have to let some deals go. Actually, a lot of them go. With gas prices so high, I have to limit my trips where the major shopping is, which is about 30 miles away. I only stockpile what we use, and there is no way my husband would stay with me if we had thousands of boxes of cereal. Why don’t these “extreme couponers” donate to food shelves if they have so much? I can’t see anyone needing that much stuff, unless they were The Duggars. I agree, they should have a more normal show of couponers who still get stuff cheap or free, but are providing for everyday necessities.
Agreed.
And I already did that little challenge last week. My fiance’s truck broke down. He took my car to work, so I was stranded at home. I missed a bunch of good deals. At first I was upset because it was a great week of sales in my area, but later figured oh well. They’ll come around again.
This show seems way too much. Maybe someone who actually coupons should have put this together as to not give us regular couponers such a bad name. (My family says I’m an extreme, but I am nowhere near this! I’ve maybe two packs of bath tissue as it rarely goes on sale and maybe 15 boxes of pasta. This show is way unrealistic)
Collin, you are right on the money. It is wonderful to know that there will always be another great deal around the corner and not every deal has to be jumped on every time!
I am sure these people probably do yard/garage/ flea market sales …..thats why their stockpile is so huge…
Collin, I couldn’t agree with you more…!!! I respect you very much!!!
At what point do the “Extreme Couponers” end up on “Hoarders”?! Who has room for all that stuff let alone the need?
So very true! HAHA.