A shopper snags $4,000 worth of razors and pays zero. Couponers dive into Dumpsters in search of newspaper inserts. They purchase $1,000 worth of groceries and pay a few dollars. One man has a “wall of toothpaste” with 1,000 tubes. Twin sisters brag they have cleaned out a store’s supply of dental floss. Others boast of lifetime supplies of paper towels and toilet paper. Palm Beach Post
So, did the coupon craze inspire that wacky “Extreme Couponing” show on TLC? Or has the show inspired the couponing craze? Seems like it’s true both ways.
Somehow I managed to catch the premiere back in the spring (in between shows about guns and monster trucks!) Much of it was pretty interesting. First of all it was shot in my hometown of Cincinnati – I recognized the Kroger that lady shopped in, and her neighborhood.
Anyway, there were some really practical aspects to the show, and couponing in general. Who doesn’t like to save money, especially these days? Other aspects gave me a “Hoarders” vibe. Couponing as an obsession, you know. Still other aspects made me angry. I worked in a grocery store once. You get to tie up a register, and a cashier, and ten carts for two hours, AND crash the computer system, just so you can get $1000 worth of groceries for twenty bucks? Grrr.
Anyway, in this economy, I don’t think couponing is going away anytime soon. What do you think? Practical? Obsession? Menace to grocery stores everywhere? Let us know!
Hi! There is nothing wrong with the average person who uses coupons to save money. If that person can use the coupons to the best of their advantage and help others – to me that is fine! Grocery stores raise their prices to the highest they can so why can’t the individual consumer take advantage of the coupons that are available to them??? I for one have no problem with where you get the coupons as long as they are legal and not counterfeit…… More power to them!
I don’t see anything wrong with couponing if you do it legally and considerately. I don’t believe that a person should clear a fully stocked shelf just because they can. Leave some of that item in stock for the rest of us! If a person wants to get that many supplies, they need to call the store ahead of time and have the store set the items aside. Why can’t a person use what power they do have to help better their family income? Besides, a lot of these crazy extreme couponers take the large stock they buy and donate it to charity. I would do the same if I had the opportunity! The only thing I ask for these people is to please be considerate of others so we all have a chance for a good deal!
Hi There,
Well, look at it this way, today we have the Computerized cash register,
which says ” beep beep ” as the price is registered, (which is faster than the old way,)
so… it is not so bad after all, we do need to learn how to save ….
some of us are too careless with our dollar, Thank you for listening,
Sonny
i agree with you. It’s not going away. I do clip coupons, but only for products I use and were going to get anyway. i seldom use the ones that make you buy multiple products to use the coupons.
I am an avid couponing housewife! However, we live green, organic & natural so there aren’t as many coupons out there for my use. But I definitely use them when I can find them. I usually couple them with sales & deals online. It is the only way we can afford to go the healthy route that we do. And it takes work to coupon & deal find, so I think if you want to work at it to save your household money, go for it. It’s my contribution to making our budget work every month. It is something I am proud of myself for being able to accomplish & my husband is proud of me too. :o)
*oops, that was supposed to be a 🙂
Oh & so obviously I think it is practical but can be an obsession. Of course, we live in a small apartment so I don’t go to the extremes some do. But I am always nice to the cashier & always appreciate when they are helpful & nice back. It can really down your day when you are just working to save money, honestly, & the cashier, who is getting paid & none of the money you save is coming out of their pocket, is rude. :/
I love coupons but always forget to bring them with me. I usually buy store brands so not much help there. I just don’t see how folks can get the extremely low groceries legally. I’ve never seen anyone doing it at the store, but would like to see it in person.
I cant wait to do more! I even just the Tiny bit if tried, I cant wait to do it some more! and one of the best things that you can do is Donate a lot of it to food banks and other places.
Couponing has been around a very long time. I don’t foresee it going away anytime soon. I do, however, foresee a crack down on how they are issued and how they are legitimately redeemed. Extreme couponing in my opinion is really carrying it to the ultimate extreme (repetition intended). Because of this segment of the population of people who redeem coupons to such a high degree, I believe there will be stronger and stronger enforcement by redemption centers, grocers, and producers of products for which coupons are issued of stringent rules for redemption. I also foresee that there will be no doubling, no large denomination coupons, and more small coupons requiring the purchase of more than one item in order to redeem the coupon.
I’m going to chime in again……
I don’t want anyone to get the idea that I don’t use coupons because I do and I am so thankful for every little bit of help I can get. I even use them (and couple them with sales for best deal) to get things I don’t use which I give to those who can. I just believe that some of the very excessive use is going to be curtailed by the measures stores and product producers implement.
I think it’s a standard notion that “the house doesn’t like to lose.” just like Las Vegas! The stores are happy to let you save $4… they can adjust in other ways. but if people game the system to “beat the house,” our opinion of right and wrong and tasteful and distasteful isn’t going to matter. The House will crack down and the fun’s over for everybody!
Hello, I think the coupon is nothing wrong if someone serve as saving money is good.
my use to be favorite store in Hammond,In. Food 4 less, use to let u use coupons expired up to 6 months Thanks to the show NO MORE… i now shop at aldi.. lots of stores Have changed there policies even the manufactors look at the coupons closely now. most say NOW, only 4 coupons used at a time for same product. or something to that effect.