Extreme Couponing: A Bloggers Take

by Sandy on April 6, 2011

Extreme Couponing

Did you hear the news?  Tonight is the series premiere of Extreme Couponing on TLC.  I wanted to take a few minutes to explain what you will probably see on the show and also what you should understand about the show.

Looking back on what I saw on the pilot episode back in January, made me really think about how we (couponers) are being portrayed.   Yes it’s a so-called reality show, but honestly how can we really be portrayed as we are?  We all coupon (well, I hope you do!)   I know most of us don’t coupon to the extremes that were viewed by millions.  I have had friends tell me that they felt it was more like “coupon hording and that it is almost like watching A&E’s Hoarders or TLC’s Hoarding: Buried Alive.”  We are SAVERS making ends meet to feed our families in a tough economy that is only getting worse as each day passes.  If you have talked to the people on the show, you would know that each uses coupons and they are constantly giving back to their community through the deals that they receive each week.

Each year couponers donate or give family & friends a portion of their stockpiles.  I personally give to my local organizations about 4-6 times a year.  Yes, that doesn’t seem like a lot, but I only shop about once or twice a month because of my current stockpile and a little can go a long way.  For the past 2 years, I have been volunteering with our local Toys 4 Tots organization.  Earlier this year, I signed up for a promotion through Glad that was offering trash bags to give to charity organizations.  I signed up and was chosen to receive the trash bags to give to Toys 4 Tots.   While Toys 4 Tots needs toys to give to the children in every community, they also need trash bags to get all those toys to the children.  So, this year when you see the little Toys 4 Tots box @ your local store, grab a box of trash bags to throw in also so they can package up all those toys!  It’s just another way that we can help out a wonderful organization!

Ok, so back to TLC’s Extreme Couponing.   The first of 12 episodes airs tonight, April 6th @ 9pm EST and again at 9:30pm EST.  On Wednesday, April 13th it will move permanently to the 9:30pm EST time slot.

Set your DVR and watch a good friend and fellow blogger, Tiffany Ivanovsky with My Litter show us how she shops for her family of 9.  Here’s a little hint:  she saves 98% off her total purchase! (Please take into account that she shopped at a Houston area Kroger store and that the coupon policy for Kroger in the Houston area is changing.  See my post here.)  It is really disheartening to see this change take effect on April 13th, but we (couponers) are going to get strategic with our savings now and learn how to shop like never before!

Extreme couponing the way it is portrayed, may push you away from the idea of even thinking about using coupons, but realistically coupons can save every single one of us thousands of dollars a year!  Not all couponers purchase 1100 boxes of cereal, 70+ candy bars, 100+ boxes of pasta, or even 300 toothbrushes.  What we do is buy enough for our own stockpile to last us 2-4 meals or until the sale cycles around (usually every 6-12 weeks) and extra to give to local charities or friends that are in need of items.  Some couponers even trade through online groups or meet up once or twice a month to share their own stock and coupons.  (TLC didn’t show it on the pilot episode of Extreme Couponing, but I know for sure that the 1100 boxes of cereal and 300 toothbrushes were all donated to a charity organization.)

Another thing that was portrayed on the show was that couponing  takes a long time to do.  Trust me, couponing doesn’t mean that you have to spend 70+ plus hours each week searching and shopping for a deal.  I blog to save you time! Your time is precious and I want you to make the most of it!

If you are new to couponing or Frugally Thrifty, welcome!   Below are some great tips to help get started on your path to saving time and money:

1. Read my beginner Couponing 101:

2. Check out blogs that will help you save money.  My personal favorites include:

3. Coupon Resources (where to get those little pieces of paper couponers call “their money”)

4. Other Discounts (savings isn’t just at your local grocery store anymore!)

Lastly, I wanted to tackle the ugly debate over “extreme couponing” causing stores to relook at their current coupon policies.  Could the show have something to do with grocery chains changing their coupon policies?  In my opinion, yes and no.  We all know that there are tons of us “couponers” out there.  We see each other at the store (**HEY!! ;) **), the store managers see us, and we are all out there shopping for the same reason.  And that’s to get the most bang for our buck and put a nutritious meal on the table for our families.  Times are tough, prices at the pump and grocery stores are getting higher every day.  With the TLC show “Extreme Couponing” putting us out there on national television each week for 12 episodes, it could very well make for a lot of changes at many other stores nationwide (which scares me to no end).  We are being portrayed as something we are not (hoarders of food) and as one comment I read somewhere online (forgive me this quote may be completely misquoted, I can’t find the resource anymore) “compensating for something we are missing in our life” Huh?!?!  Last time I checked the only compensation I receive is a great deal at the checkout!   We are typical families, making ends meet in a tough economy, and saving money to get through the day so our families can survive and thrive.  And always remember what you see on TV is always above and beyond (no matter what you are watching).

Like this site? Please subscribe for free daily updates via Email to have the best coupons, freebies, and giveaways sent to you. Also follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Please note: This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure, Privacy & Disclaimer Policies.

Leave a Comment

Previous post:

Next post: