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.
Your absolutely right! Couponing 101: The “deals” come in cycles. Wait 4-13 weeks and whatever it is will be able again.
A great Collin quote: “Ask yourself these questions before clipping a coupon: Will my family use the product? Even if I snag it for free, will it get used? Can it be donated? Don’t save the coupon if you answer NO to all these questions.”
And, remember, reality TV is NOT Real.
Seriously?! How realistic is it that these people are getting that many items at once? I am lucky if there are two or three available, and I usually only take one or two to make sure others get a good deal as well…
Collin, I agree with you 100% from top to bottom and that’s why I follow your blog!
Lol @ Tanya
I’m gonna watch this show tonight, and honestly I’m nervous that “this” show may change the way some stores allow coupon usage!!! 🙁
I agree. Showcasing people taking couponing to such an extreme might be a bad thing for the rest of us couponers. Plus, what does one do with 1,100 boxes of cereal and 300 toothbrushes?!
get really fat but have great teeth? 🙂
Hehehe – I’m not sure you can have good teeth eating that much cereal….and you might not live to use all your toothbrushes!
And what store stocks 1,100 boxes of cereal??? I have a hard time finding 4 sticks of deodorant let alone that much cereal! I’m thinking that the store is in on it for the publicity.
I’m sure he put an order in with that store for that many boxes of cereal because they are still in the packing/shipping cardboard it looked like in the preview for the show. If your wanting alot of one item chances are your store will order them for you so your not emptying the shelfs for other customers or because they just don’t carry that much quanity of that item at once.
Thank you for this post Collin! You are such a major “part of my life” through your posts. In regards to the show, I am going to watch, but I think it might just end up hurting us “not-so-extreme couponers”. It is hard enough to shop without a hassle, and I’m afraid the show will only portray all of us as EXTREMEly obsessed with buying 300 toothbrushes, etc. But, I’ll be DVR’ing it~ that is, if hubby can figure out why it’s not getting signal right now….:)
I wish this guy luck with buying 300 toothbrushes in one trip. I can hardly get one when they are free or close to free at Riteaid for the week.
I agree with you Colin! Couponing shouldn’t be as life consuming as these people are making it to be. I watched a sneak peak of this show on Entertainment Tonight last night and think that “Nathan” is nothing but greedy and ridiculous! My jaw dropped when he gathered the entire display of toothbrushes in his arms and dumped all of them in his cart just because he can! No wonder so many of us come across empty shelves on a regular basis! Don’t get me wrong, I think it is great to have a stockpile, but he is completely obsessive!
I think my post 136? may have been skipped or overlooked.
Before people “judge” the people on the TLC show, you should “google” their names and see what Blogs they own or post on . They were ASKED to go to the extreme for this show!!
They HAD corporate permission prior to shooting the show and asked the store to PRE-ORDER the large quantities in far advance. They also had made prearrangements to DONATE their huge shopping orders and while most of that was shot with a camera it probably won’t air on tv tonight. We will only see 10 minutes of each persons scene.
One of the 3 people is a suposedly a reseller(that is a whole other can of worms!!!!) but that is not mentioned on the episode.
Of the 3 people all donate to friends and family and from what I have researched, one of the gals garage looked BAD for TV purposes only, she usually does not have a huge stockpile as was pictured, but of course the show wants to make things look larger than it really is. It would be wise to do a little research before watching the show. Reality TV is not REAL
I do not like the premise of this show and I do not like how it cast a negative light on couponing, but I also hate how it will change how our stores view the casual couponer and the changes that will be implemented afterward. I do not agree with the people who are on the show but I thought I would point out that people here are casting stones without knowing more of the story.
I didn’t even think of that–thanks for sharing. makes the premise of the show (and the people in it) seem less disturbing. 🙂
I like the point you made about how the stores will veiw casual couponers. I already have some problems when shopping but now that you mention it I wonder if it will be more of a problem shopping with coupons. Although it could bring some companies to make some policies for using coupons??? But then having the employees learn those policies maybe a problem? Who knows.
Ya I follow one of the blogs of a lady who is going to be on the show. It’s very similar to this blog. The lady donates back to the community aswell 🙂 It’s sad that people are not going to be seeing the whole picture!
Do you think they “stage” the Hoarders Show. I’ll bet they do……
I follow the Krazy coupon lady and I have to say I thought my stockpile looked bigger than hers. I am interested in this show, but know that its “made” for good tv.
So what can WE all do about this if the show makes couponers look bad. How can we let them know our disappointment? Anything? (Is there a proactive stance we can take?)
I don’t think this show will make couponers look bad at all, after all, how many of us are buying 1,100 boxes of cereal at once?! I coupon, but I’m not an extreme couponer, I’m not worried or anxious at all about what this show might do. Stores and manufacturers put coupons out for a reason and the small amounts of stuff we get for free every week utilizing those coupons don’t compare to the deals these people are getting, and that’s okay w/me. I’m a busy mom of 3 boys with a fourth baby due any day now & I let good deals slip past me all the time. Deals aren’t my life, my family is. Coupons and deals help me save money every week and I appreciate that and the awesome advice I also get from this site, but I don’t let that take over my life. Relax everybody and enjoy saving money 🙂
“Not a big deal” 🙂
I live in a 2 bedroom apartment so space is limited. I am still able to stockpile quite a bit. I am satisfied with only 10-15 boxes fo cereal on hand at a time. I have 20 boxes of pasta that were free after coupons. Too much will expire before I use the items to buy much more, but couponing and shopping are an adventure for me. My grandmother taught me well! Hoarding is a separate issue as these people suffer from in my humble opinion.
But I do have 3 computers to print coupons from, so maybe I have a little bit of a hoarder in me!
http://www.gaynycdad.com
I totally gree about the hoarding–or some other condition like it. It is sad to think of how much of their lives are wasted–who can eat 1100 boxes of cereal before it goes bad???
If you will take the time to actually look him up you will realize that Nathan donates quite a bit.
I responded to another person’s comments about the details of the people featured (which I wasn’t aware of–never even heard of he show until five minutes ago :). I was responding to the synopsis, not anyone in particular. That being said, it is true that things like this are not always as they seem! I just figured it was another TLC show about obsessions going too far.
you know, to be honest, this show slighlty disturbs me. Beside the fact of “reality tv”, this show has the potential to continue to give regular couponers a very bad name. As a mother of three teenage boys, and whose husband is in full time ministry, we need to save a buck anywhere we can! We rely on coupons and banking on free or almost free. That much stuff? Really!! Unless they donate it, my thinking is it will go bad. Thanks for your awesome website.
Hi there. I have read through some of you comments and can agree with a lot of you. On the flip side of things, one of the ladies on the show if from another coupon blog that I follow. I only follow two, that one and this one. They cover the grocery stores and Collin covers drug and department stores, so I think it’s the best of both worlds! I LOVE all of the deals and help I get from this site. But I also want to let you know that the other bloggers on the show tonight have put MANY posts on their blog about how they coupon and how they don’t clear shelves, how they donate so much stuff and don’t resell any of it, they do preorder stuff that way they don’t clear the shelves for others, and they don’t hoard. They get a stockpile for emergencies. I am working on my stockpile now. Our family owns a furniture business. If it goes under, we are sunk and I want to be able to take care of my family if that happens. Or if there is a flood in my city or whatever… I can be ok. You should check out their blog videos. They are good women couponers just like us! But I have to say, Collin, you are amazing at this and I thank you again for all that you do for us!!
I am very anxious to see the show tonight. I am so glad that some of you posted that you know of these people and their blogs and very glad that this is cleared up a bit that they don’t really hoard and that they did pre-order some of these things…but I do want to ask..why would you want to portray yourself as a hoarder or obsessive about couponing? I think a better show would have been to show how to coupon, how much savings, etc…rather than portray them as excessive couponers? Does that make any sense…I guess it wouldn’t get any ratings…but I just think that sometimes these shows go to far, rather than show the truth.
As I said..I’m anxious to see it tonight to see what is really portrayed, etc….Can’t wait to come back after the show! lol
I agree. I would put the blog address for the one gal on the show, but not sure if I could/should. She has made videos and posts about this tv show and how they are going to portray how “they” want to. Hopefully a good thing comes from this, but you never know how tv people will twist stuff. I actually don’t have cable or dish or anything (money is really that tight for me) so I won’t be watching, but will be awaiting comments on what people thought about it.
I went to a coupon workshop taught by a lady that writes another blog. Her advice is to buy what you would need to last you 6 weeks. She says that things in the south goes on sale about every 6 weeks so you only need to stock up for that amount of time. I can’t imagine buying 1,100 boxes of cereal and what I would do with it! I think these shows give people that are just trying to same money a bad name!
I like the “It’s Not a Big Deal” concept because I’ve been accused (and rightly so) by my family of being obsessed or addicted to coupons and even more so to being on the computer searching out the latest deals. I’ve been couponing for years but since May, when I discovered your wonderful site and one or two others that I follow throughout the day, I really have gone “over the top”. Christmas became overwhelming to me and I’ve been really “scattered” for at least a month and I need to get some balance back in my life. I’ve wanted to go to every Target in town (and we have quite a few) every day to grab up Christmas markdowns but being “driven” like this isn’t good for me. So I’m determined to change and decided I wasn’t going to go to Walgreens this week even tho I have a $1 Jingle Buck to use by the end of the week. I want the joy of saving money back, and to leave this rut I’ve gotten into.
I think I’ll give the show a miss – I find your blog and especially the videos far more entertaining. Thanks for all your hard work and the fun and laughter you give us every day.
Good for you!
I also know that a lot us here, have actually put coupons on the shelves, beside an item….that I printed out, but couldn’t use in time.
I also do that…leave coupons next to items that I wouldn’t use…. Is this OK? I hope the store doesn’t mind, and someone else can save a buck or two 🙂
Keep it up sister we call this being a coupon fairy. When you really get into it you will find yourself looking in other peoples shopping cart for items you can give them a coupon for. It is no different than handing them a dollar 🙂
I am a coupon fairy!!!
It is so fun! At JoAnns, Micheals, Bath and Body Works and sometimes Fred Meyers!!
“Coupon Fairy” I <3 this 🙂 Thank you!!!
sisterhood of savings right here, gotta love it 🙂 Happy holidays ladies and gents!
I do this too! I wish I could see the persons face when they find it! Would be fun! I have given many coupons to people in the isles also. That is really fun. Once I gave a lady my free item w/$10 purchase coupon from Bath and Body works and she was extatic!
I agree with you Collin, I believe this type of show might actually hurt those of us who are simply trying to save on necessary day to day items so we can keep our family afloat in these tough times. There will always be nut jobs who take anything to an extreme, but most couponers are just ordinary folks like us. I’m sure this show will appeal to some people who have no experience with couponing or consider themselves to good to pay less than the highest price for goods and services, but we are not like that! We donate what we can’t use and don’t buy stores out of an item just to prove we can. We love helping our families have the things they need, helping others and not putting the whole burden on our husbands buy spending smart!
I would watch it purely for entertainment. They sound pretty unhealthily obsessed. I think most people would understand though that this is an addiction for these people, not your typical couponer.
Wow first I will say that I did not even know that this show was on. I do plan to watch it tonight if I have time. I will say from my perspective that couponing has been a very fun and rewarding experience for me. As a single mom, on one income I have been able to provide for my son, share deals and coupons with friends and even strangers as well as donate my “goods” as they are called to others. Since I have been following this blog I have seen the good, the bad and the downright ugly of some of the bloggers but all and all I have seen mainly the good! I have seen complete strangers getting excited about sharing their experiences and helping each other! That is what has really motivated me. The spirit of the Collin and the “Hip to savers” on this site. I also take that spirit with me when I shop and use it to pay it forward and help someone when I can. That is the true spirit of who we are on here. Thank you all for listening. We know what type of people we are and we know that this show is only for ratings and nothing else. Take care guys and thanks again.
I used to get very upset if I missed a deal. I’d read about a great deal online and would run out the door with my three daughters in tow. Now four years later I go shopping once a week and I assume if I am supposed to get that deal it will be on the shelf when I get there. But if it isn’t it will be o.k. I do try to stock up on hba products for 6 months – 1 year since my dh is in construction and it really slows down in the winter months. This makes it easier on everyone during the Holiday season. I am also constantly giving items away to family and friends. I honestly have no idea how anyone could walk into a store and get all of that with a good conscience knowing they are cleaning them out. I will watch though just out of curiosity.
While my children have been off of school this week I have had to remind myself to just enjoy my time with them and not push so hard to get deals this week! Thanks for the reminder that it is not a big deal. It would have been a very big deal if I had missed this time with them!
Great post, Colin!! My bestie (who taught me everything I know about couponing) and I were just talking about this last night on our Girl’s Night Out. 2011 is the year of not buying in excess. How many razors does one girl need? Really. And yes, I donate the excess to charity and yes, I’m so glad I can, but I will not stress out over making it to CVS just one more time this week even if they ARE free. 🙂
This is the year of moderation and margin and I’m really looking forward to it! GREAT post, great site!
Totally off topic, but who LOVES all the new themed logos Collin is putting up at the top of the page? I love how 2011 is so cleverly embedded. It’s exciting to see it change!
Thanks to those who did a little background research on the TLC couponers to show how the producers prepare their interviewees to make it successfully as extreme and eye-popping as they can. Problem is, everyone is addicted to “extreme” otherwise it would be very bland. It’s too bad, but I’m hopeful that it’s a fly-by-night show that has the opposite effect: that it makes all those managers thankful that we are as we are and not THAT!!!
I like the new logo too and hope it stays for awhile 🙂
Yes, I do take breaks from time to time. I need a break from running to the store to looking for coupons etc…I think I am on one of those breaks right now. We use up what is in our pantry and cabinets. Does not make much since to have a supply of toilet paper to last 40 years. When we bought my husbands grandmothers house we had 14 yard sales and 1 estate sale and the family took what they wanted. We even sold kleenex boxes at the yard sale because she had WAY to much. Moderation is best, I love to save money but I love having room in my home to enjoy it as well.
I completely agree with you! My mom has 11 of last weeks P&G inserts waiting for me, but that would mean I would have to drive 30 minutes to her house, clip them, and run to Walmart in search of the Gillette gift sets. I thought about it, but decided I didn’t want to waste my time. I have enjoyed this past week just hanging out and playing with my kids. Their time with mommy is more precious than me hunting down a deal. I know that my mom will bring the inserts to me the next time she visits (Friday) and if another deal comes my way, I can take part in it. It’s not a big deal! 🙂 Its all about setting boundaries. I am the weird person who doesn’t clear out the shelf even when I have the coupons that would allow me to. I just think its rude! If I can’t use it within 3 months, I won’t buy it. My house is way too small for stockpiling! I get what I can to last until the next sale. Sometimes we run out….its just life! I am thankful that I can save when I can, but I don’t beat myself up over a deal that I didn’t get!
i saw the show preview yesterday and i was also not really happy with it. I dont like the way they are potraying couponers. No matter it is extreme but it will change ppl s perspective about us couponers
I’m so afraid they will ruin it for all of us.
Thanks for letting me know about the show. I’ll have to DVR it to see some of these people.
I like couponing and have had some mostly positive experiences. But I really dislike when I try to go to my local store the Monday after the sale starts (I work all day on Sundays and don’t have much opportunity to go) and find that everything is gone. With my local Rite Aid, that means I won’t get it there unless I ask for an RC or go elsewhere because my store only receives stock once every two weeks. But my Wags gets at least two trucks in a week and CVS’s RCs are great so I don’t have to worry about them. I just wish CVS was closer to me, as I have to drive about 20 minutes to get there.
I try to focus on what we would use, but if I see a free item that we don’t use, I try to get one to donate. I think I’m going to stick to a $10-$15/month donation allowance.
BTW, I call the people that take everything and don’t leave any for the rest of us “harpies.” No offense to anyone on here. But it sounds like some of the people on TLC would qualify for that name.
I agree with Collin about “Nothing is a BIG Deal” it does take time to learn that when couponing but it is the best lesson learned for couponers. I started couponing after I had my twins. I went though diapers, wipes, baby food twice as fast and had to have twice as much on hand. So being able to go to the store and buy what I need and not have a large grocery bill was huge for me. I have stockpile but it is a small stock of items/brands that I like that do not go on sale as often. When I first started I went a bit overboard on sales and deals but it much more fun saving on item for your family when they are items that you really need and use instead of getting it because it was a good deal.
When I see a show like this one on TLC it makes me sad, this can be a positive influence on someone’s life to start couponing and now people who watch this are going to be “oh those crazy people” and people like us will be associated with that. We do this to better our lives and others when we are able to do this for a donation. I hear wonderful stories how people will pick up deals and send them to our troops and most of time the only thing they pay for is the amount to ship it to them or they find a originations that sends to the troops. Why are stories like that on the show, much more meaningful than what they are portraying…
Collin I love your site, I have learned from you and have gotten some great deals thanks to the time and effort that you put into your site, so keep up the good work!
I can completely relate to you Collin. I come from a family of couponers. I have to force myself to say its ok if I occasionally miss out on a deal or two.
As for this TV show Im going to watch it just for laughs. But I honestly I dont feel that its worth any of us getting offended. We all coupon shop out of necessity. I wish I was rich enough to not have to spend my time cutting coupons, matching sales and then shopping. I would much rather just go to the store and buy what I need and be done with it. I mean it is very fulfilling when I save a ton of money but seriously I could find so much more joy in other things. I have a feeling that most of us feel the same way.
So these stories on this show are not true reality in my opinion. And I dont think any of us should give it a second thought when others compare us to this show. Who really cares what they think anyway.
I agree that I too coupon out of necessity/to survive. It would be nice to just go to the store, not even look at a price tag, and just fill a cart with whatever I wanted. Ummmmmm, Shrimp, Lobster, Crab Legs, gourmet cheeses….;-)
100% agree with you! Good points, and couponing is great as long as it doesn’t becomes your obbsession. At first I was dissapointed that I don’t have TLC channel in my house, but as extreme as it sounds, this show is probbaly not going to get many viewers, and it might make people generalize couponers, and think we are all “crazy”.
MY 9 year old was watching tot’s and tiaras and ran to me saying there will be a show about coupons tonight. If course I’ll be watching! From the script that Collin posted it looks like it’s “hoarders” part 2. As for the word “extreme” I thought buying 8 bottles of Pantene at once and having over 40 Glade candles… to me that’s extreme but excuse me 1100 boxes of cerial??? it will put us couponers in a bad light for some people. It’s hoarding!! He will not eat over a 1000 boxes in a lifetime… unless he donates it to HAITI …. we’ll can’t wait to see the show.
And Yeah… missing a deal.. story of my life… no big deal but sometimes it makes me sad… but then again…I always think, there will be another coupon, and another deal soon.
OMG Collin you let your pamper wipes coupon expire (did any one see that ) thats just so wrong!!!! and I need wipes now lol….but i get your point and i found the clip on GMA and yes thats alot….for sure extreme however if those 1000 boxes were for the church and I got one of those boxes and it fed my kids for a few days I would ever so grateful that someone cared about my kids to go get that deal!!!
Just like I was not able to get my kids christmas this year and my daughter’s teacher asked if we needed help so she told a good friend who worked for a local credit union …and lets just say those ladies totally hooked my kids up!!! from each a DS to each clothes etc…and lots of toys!!!
when i do my deals I always give some to some friends and family however since my husband does not make alot I try to get a few more deals to take the market and sell at a much cheaper price than walmart…..I have to ….to pay my bills and feed my family,,,,,
however I dont do it to that much however I wished I could go find that dumpster where those old papers are dang it!~!!!!
much love ladies~~~~~
I like this post and the fact that you said “it’s not a big deal!”. I agree couponing is a great source of saving money but it is not a big deal if I miss out on super duper deals or freebies. I take time away from couponing every now and then. I also will not buy a certain item if I have alot of an item on hand i.e. toothpaste, feminine pads, etc. I will use it down some and/or give some away before restocking it. It helps that I live in a small apartment. 🙂
Well, I am very nerveous about posting on here because I did post before about how it’s kinda upsetting that people will buy 20 items of one thing and that I feel like it takes away from us other couponers who only want 1 or 2, and it was deleted. I’m not sure why, because I wasn’t offensive, I just think that when people clear the shelves, like others have said it takes away from others who are couponing to try to make ends meet. I hope the show ends up with a good light on couponing, but I doubt it. No one ever reads the fine print or does the research on the shows. Maybe this will just remind us that life is to short to get all worked up over 1 deal missed 🙂
I agree with you too! I think that afer you’ve couponed for a while, you know there are other deals around the corner. I have a small pantry (my stockpile) but I really don’t worry about missing deals. I think they should do a show about you so they don’t make us all look like freaks!
Oh……………………I am so very glad you touched on this subject because I have become so obsessed at times I begin to drive myself crazy trying to find the time to research and get to the store. I have begun to let a few great sales go also and have lived thru it and once done, you know you can do it again. Thanks for sharing!
I really believe it is going to give couponers a bad name and how can you possibly have a life?
There is a difference between stockpiling and hoarding, 3,000 rolls of toilet paper will last 2 people 40 years.There will always be more deals. I have missed TONS of deals and I’m with Collin, it’s NOT a BIG deal.
So, I just fired up the computer for the 1st time since 12/23. Thats a long time considering that I am enrolled in a masters program mostly on line (on holiday break right now), love facebook to keep in touch with friends, family and especially my kids. I also love to find savings and follow your blog and 2 others. I worked (I’m a nurse) on Christmas Eve then on to family celebrations. On 12/26, I fell down the stairs on my last trip down before leaving the house for another holiday get together:( Long story, shortened…no after Christmas bargain shopping for me and this post made me feel so much better about that! Thank you.
I am going to watch the show but I think a lot is probably staged to make for great TV. At first I hated missing any great freebie deal at Rite Aid or Walgreens. I can remember one trip to Rite Aid and realized after I got to the car that one of my VV coupons didn’t go through and I must of dropped it or the cashier didn’t scan it. I whined to my hubby for days and then he explained to me all I got for $3 after UP’s and what a great deal it was and it was just a dollar. He would have been happy to get all that for $10 let alone $3! Now this week I have a $5 UP that is going to expire and can’t find a good deal to spend it on that I need or have to have. I like to spend them and get more back but that may not be the case this week and I am OK with that. A stockpile is nice but I don’t have the extra time to get these deals just to donate them. Nothing against donating, I do plenty of it, but I can’t afford to make special trips for the freebies I won’t use. Thanks for the great advice Collin!!!
Wow! I am glad I read this. I am new to couponing and was excited when I heard about the show. But I too, thought it would be about helping me succeed with tips and such. I am not looking to watch the obsessive compulsive couponer. I enjoy your website very much and love the deals that you have. Even though I can’t take advantage of a lot of your deals because of where I live, I still LOVE it! I am learning that this does take a lot of my time and my friends tell me once I get the hang of it, it’ll be a lot easier and less time consuming. I hope so. Because for now, as I learned yesterday, sometimes I just have to walk away. It’s good to hear that you do the same. I have 2 little ones and a semi understanding husband when it comes to this. So I don’t have all the time in the world to stay online, hunt for deals and then hit multiple store all of the time.
Thank you for what you do. I truly appreciate your site and all the work you put into it. Like I said, I enjoy visiting your site. :0) HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Hi!
I think I am going to watch the show just to see where they get all these coupons and how to save with them.. Because in all honesty .. I SUCK AT IT! I see your posts on my FB page all the time but am often in a time crunch or don’t need what’s on sale.. I try to save on grocery’s with coupons but to be honest I have a hard time with the printed ones (they often don’t scan and just make me hold up the line at the grocery store!) and as for cutting them out of the paper.. well.. we just moved here and I wouldn’t really know where to begin.. I wish there was a class I could take! LOL! (I am all ears if anyone knows of one) I know it sounds stupid .. but some people just don’t catch on to those things as quickly as they would like.. (I.E. ME!) 😉 I have seen several people (who to me seem like extreme coupon savers), that run around with a BOOK full of coupons that are all organized etc.. Amazing! Wish I could be that organized when it comes to things like that.. My finances would LOVE the attention..lol I do however enjoy your blog tremendously..
Thanks a million for doing what you do! 😉
You are so right Collin, “It’s not a BIG deal” to miss a deal. It took me almost a year to realize this. I always felt like I was missing out if I didn’t make it too ALL the stores to do the deals.
I can’t imagine couponing like the extreme couponers, I hope they donate their stuff and I sure home they don’t ruin couponing for us!
GMA did a segment on tlc extreme couponing:
https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/video/extreme-couponing-saving-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-12491099
This was on Good Morning America yesterday with the slant that this extreme couponing can disrupt regular life. One of the ladies featured talked about how she will actually cancel dinner plans to go shopping and how her marriage has suffered. The expert GMA interviewed said that this could be considered OCD. The Nathan guy actually donated boxes of cereal to his church’s food bank, But what does a person need with 1,500 deodorants? Save some for the rest of us average couponers.
My goal with couponing is to just to save on a weekly basis. I do not try to stockpile. I do confess that I have about 15 boxes of pasta because they were free from grocery store or samples from dh’s work (dh works for a food distributor). I also have about 20 bottles of ketchup (also samples from dh’s work). But the pasta I accumulated over a period of time. I didn’t buy it all at once. 🙂 And with three boys, the pasta and ketchup will be gone in the next 6 months. 😉 I do sometimes share my overabundance with family though, esp. stuff from dh’s work.
And I do not do the drugstore deals. Too me that is way too time consuming not to mention confusing. I’m happy if I can save $30-$40 a week on a $100 grocery bill. I mainly just do my grocery store and Target deals. But I don’t buy more than 2-4 items at a time that are a good deal, esp. at Target.
Great post and interesting to read the comments. I’m not a big couponer, but let’s say I rarely spend much for toothpaste. And, I love my CVS EBs. I shop just for myself and live in a rather small apartment — so can’t really stock up that much anyway. I do try to give some stuff away, like donated some old clothes and such to a shelter and had some Herbal Essence that I scored for free so tossed in two bottles.
Funny thing is what I’ve decded to do in the last few weeks is to really cut back my CVS shopping (where I use most of my coupons for toiletries etc) and grocery shopping for the next few weeks to try to use up some of my inventory, since that is basically money sitting in my apartment (like a company having a warehouse with goods). Now I don’t have a big inventory — for example, three bottles of Tide, a few boxes of Cascade, 6 or so bottles of shower gel, 8 cans of shaving cream etc. So sure I could score a sale on something, but I’ve found that these sales come around pretty often. I just want to use up some of the stuff, and then watch for sales to restock.
I could get product x for super cheap, but often I’m spending something for it. And it adds up, so money is going out.. And, what I’ve found recently is that I bought Colgate for 25 cents, but than somehow Dove chocolate might end up in my bag (maybe a coupon, maybe not). Got to work on that — since I’m defeating the savings. That’s why I don’t go to Target, it costs me a few bucks to get there by bus, so I might save on something (perhaps with a coupon), but if I somehow get tempted to buy other stuff (often not what one could say essentials, there goes my savings. Plus, my time is worth something to.
So where its fun to see my cvs receipt that I spent $12 but saved $30 (or whatever), I’m going to try to really spend as little as possible. I’ve found that sometimes I get things that I don’t really need…. like do I need that conditioner? Or do I buy it since the price is good. It;s not like I wouldn’t use it, but do I need it.,
I agree with you, but I try to get the least OOP on all of my transactions. I separate them so that I don’t have to pay that much. Lets say I have 5 transactions. If i put those together into one, my total oop would be around 10 bucks. By separating them, my total OOP is only around 4 bucks! 🙂
I COMPLETELY agree with your post! While I think it is great to coupon and try to save your family money, it doesn’t seem fair to other people who are trying to coupon to buy SO much of one item. Some of the stores around me have started limiting how many of certain things you can buy a day to make it more fair to others. And seriously, why do you need so many of those things??? I think they should change the title to “Extreme Coupon Hoarders” LOL!
GMA made it look bad. if you see what these people did, they didn’t keep most of the items. The 1,100 boxes of cereal were ALL donated to charity. All of the people here went extreme, but then donated almost ALL of their products. the krazy coupon lady, one of the people in this show, was asked to go extreme, but then after the bad rep she posted “GMA wouldn’t even let me on the show to defend myself!” they made these people look bad, when in reality, they’re helping food banks and many people who can’t afford these products on their own. Hope this clears things up! 🙂
I had a “not a big deal” moment last week only the “Its not a big deal” came from my husband and it upset me. I couldnt get the $5 tinkerbell coupon to print and it got me upset. My husband said – so what, it’s no big deal. He didn’t understand that it was important to me to get that video for $8 rather than full price or even just on sale. I eventually got over it and he was right.
I decided because of this for 2011 my focus will not be on couponing for myself and family alone. I want to use Collin’s blog for more than just my own personal use. I am going to use all her postings for free items and great deals to gather needed items at the PHX Ronald McDonald House. I figured I can make huge donations to them and that will make me feel better than getting a movie for cheap! There are more important things in life!! 🙂
Next week you will see these people on Hoarders. Now those are some sick puppies. Thanks to Collin, I have a sufficient six month supply of toiletries and cleaning products. This is where I stop for a while. I don’t like shopping and detest clutter, so I’ll be taking a break unless it’s actual food or toys for the coming birthdays. I’ll still check in on this site four times a day because I like to see what’s going on, but I have no trouble letting stuff go by. In addition, why stockpile so much that you are using really old product? The beauty of couponing is getting a great deal on new to the market products. I don’t get it, or TLC unfortunately.