Extreme Couponing

[HardyGirl]

Has anyone ever seen this show? Personally, I think it's beyond stupid. Not the coupons, but the amount of food and other products these people buy in the name of "saving money". It's hoarding plain and simple. There is no way these people are going to be able to eat all the food they're buying. It's going to expire before they get the chance. If they were to donate to their local food bank or homeless shelter, that would be one thing. But these people have 2 car garages full of food and go shopping every week! I know if you have a lot of kids, it's going to go faster, but really...these people are emptying shelves, meaning no one else who wanted a reasonable amount of these items are going to get them until the store places the next order. I wonder how they feel about that? Or the store managers feel when the register computers freeze up? I know I'm ranting...but I really think there should be a limit. The only exception might be The Duggar Family!

[livnxxxl]

Not being an avid TV fan I did not even know that such a show existed. I will take your word for it though.

I agree with what you are saying above. It is amazing what people will do thinking that they are saving money when in fact in most cases they are actually spending more.

Kind of like someone going nuts at a store "sale" using their credit card. They never factor in the high interest rates that they will have to pay long term. The only thing on their minds is the short term. Sale - cheap - I "saved" money. When in fact they end up paying more if they do not pay off their credit card bill the first month.

I believe a lot of it boils down to fear of loss. Just think what it would be like when and if the US has a real serious crisis. You have not seen anything yet.

At the rate the population continues to explode once simple little things like a gallon of milk or a carton of eggs will eventually become a real commodity.

[torgospizza]

In my mind, there's a direct correlation between how much it encroaches into your space and how quickly it begins to not be worth it. When you have more stuff for your bathroom (toothpaste, T.P., shampoo) than you have actual bathroom space, that's nuts and stretching into a sort of Doomsday phobia. "What will we do if we can't get the necessities?" Exactly what people did before they were invented. We'll survive.

[Rallygirl]

It is folks like the ones on Extreme Couponing that have made my local stores create such strict coupon policies. Once a few people took such great advantage of the system, the stores put rules in effect to stop those practices.

I used to be able to easily save $20-$25 a week, on items we actually used, just by shopping on double coupon days when items were on sale with a shoppers card. It was a tidy, little savings without being greedy and piggish.

Now my local stores no longer have shoppers cards, double coupons or Catalina coupons. They also have a limit of ten items used with the same kind of coupon. All this because a few greedy bad apples spoiled it for everyone.

[The Toyroom]

Has anyone ever seen this show? Personally, I think it's beyond stupid. Not the coupons, but the amount of food and other products these people buy in the name of "saving money". It's hoarding plain and simple. There is no way these people are going to be able to eat all the food they're buying. It's going to expire before they get the chance. If they were to donate to their local food bank or homeless shelter, that would be one thing. But these people have 2 car garages full of food and go shopping every week! I know if you have a lot of kids, it's going to go faster, but really...these people are emptying shelves, meaning no one else who wanted a reasonable amount of these items are going to get them until the store places the next order. I wonder how they feel about that? Or the store managers feel when the register computers freeze up? I know I'm ranting...but I really think there should be a limit. The only exception might be The Duggar Family!

We've been watching this and I pretty much agree with what you're saying...When they say they have 75 boxes of cereal for example that astounds me. Cereal doesn't have that long of a shelf life and if you're buying anything like say Golden Crisp or Honey Smacks you're going to have a solid chunk at the bottom of the box by the time you get to that 75th box.

We did see an episode where the couple donated a significant portion of their hauls to local food banks, so at least some people aren't hoarding just for the sake of hoarding.

[ksp]

...or that one couple that donated everything to the troops. They went specifically for that purpose, I believe. I think he "spent" $880 but his total was $0.00 He was a minister of some sort.

Peace,

Chip

[Adam West]

I haven't seen it but my wife has and said something to me about it in last few weeks. My response was that the amount of time it would take to clip coupons, look through store ads, shop, etc. would practically be a full time job and not worth it to me at least. It does sound like the type of hoarding that is a sickness. I see people at the local Goodwill with baskets and baskets full of clothing and just think to myself that they wouldn't go through that amount of clothing in a lifetime.

[4NDR01D]

I don't consider myself a violent person, quite the contrary, but watching this show made me want to curb stomp somebody.

[SUP-Ronin]

I suppose if you have nothing better to do with your time than shuffle coupons all day, and walk around with a freaking binder full of them then go for it. You know they must be the most annoying people in line EVER, and the checker people must shudder when those freaks show up. I'm all for saving money where I can, but that's just not worth the effort or the time involved, imo.

[Adam West]

One of my childhood friend's mom did some extreme shopping. She would always buy dented cans, cans without labels, expired food, etc. My friend grew up eating that way. I used to shudder when I would go to his house and I was served dinner. Most of the time it was some labeless dented can and the house rule was basically to eat what was inside. They were a little kinder to house guests but not much. My friend is still a bit strange about food to this day but nothing compared to his parents. It's kind of sad that they basically saw food as just a necessity of life and not something to be enjoyed. What's even worse is it wasn't even a monetary issue. Just cutting corners. I do remember my mom saying she ran into my friend's mom at the grocery store and the clerks would all roll their eyes as she would immediately ask for their near expired food and dented cans of unmarked who knows what.

[jwyblejr]

And they go through how much money on printer ink to print the on-line ones? When you sit and think about this stuff,it doesn't make much sense.

[MegoSteve]

This might interest people who are watching the show; someone has accused one of the regulars of committing coupon fraud.

Was coupon fraud shown on TLCs Extreme Couponing? | Jill Cataldo

[wayne foundation 07]

I think alot of it is bull.Its made up for TV,like most other reality shows,just made up.

[batmanrocks]

personally I think it is an addicition! My wife watches it and a lady the other night bought 60 bottles of hot sauce???? How in the world could anyone use that many bottles!! My wife does this to a point but only buys what we really need, her bill will be lile $80 and cost her like $10.00 but it stuff we need, these people are addicted!

[Adam West]

personally I think it is an addicition! My wife watches it and a lady the other night bought 60 bottles of hot sauce???? How in the world could anyone use that many bottles!! My wife does this to a point but only buys what we really need, her bill will be lile $80 and cost her like $10.00 but it stuff we need, these people are addicted!

Maybe it was the lady from the Frank's Hot Sauce Radio spot...she puts that s* on everything.