So, last night I sat down to watch TLC’s Extreme Couponing special. My feelings about it are decidedly mixed.
The show started with Amanda, who has enough in her stockpile to feed her and her husband for 2 years. Despite this, and despite her husband’s protests that they already have enough pasta to last a year in the stockpile, Amanda went out on a massive 6 hour shopping trip, which her husband assisted her with even though he felt they had enough, and bought another 200+ boxes of pasta. Seriously? This is for a family of 2! When they left the store, they had to carry home the loot in 2 cars–a minivan stuffed full of groceries and a sedan. Over the top!
Joyce is a retired nurse who had a child at 15 and first learned to utilize coupons to help stretch her food stamps. Now it is a way of life. Of all of the couponers featured, she seemed the most level-headed. She only bought what she knew she would use; she didn’t chase the deals just to get free stuff. I wish they would have profiled her further.
I won’t tell you about the rest of the people in case you have not yet seen the show. I think a show like this can be detrimental because it makes couponers look like shelf clearers who don’t leave any of the product for anyone else. In addition, a few of these people seemed to have genuine mental disorders such as hoarding and OCD.
As I said previously, I think it is wonderful that someone like Amanda can get so many items free. However, it is clear that many of the items in her stockpile will go to waste because two people simply can’t eat that much food before it expires. Please, donate it to those less fortunate who would love to reap the benefits of your diligence.
I wish this show would have explained a bit further how people can use coupons to lower their grocery bills. Maybe Joyce, the retired registered nurse, will get her own show explaining how to use coupons within reason, how to use coupons to benefit family without sacrificing your relationship with them.
Incidentally, my favorite Chicago super couponer, Jill Cataldo, was initially asked to be a part of this show. You can read her take on that here.
I watched this show and I have very little to say good about it. I wrote a review on my blog you can read if you want: http://budgetconfidential.blogspot.com/2010/12/tlcs-extreme-couponing-review.html
The short version of my review? TLC exploited people who have some real problems. I should not have expected anything better from TLC.
I totally agree with both of you and shared my thoughts on my blog.
I never heard about this show but now I am not even sure if I want to watch it! It sounds crazy. People on the show are crazy. TLC is crazy. LOL
I agree with all too and felt the first lady should have been on the show Hoarders. It would have been okay if she donated at least some of the food. She even sacrificed time with her husband to shop….something wrong here.
I liked the guy at the end who donated all the cereal but why not the deodorant, toothpaste, etc as well. Again, you can’t tell me that two people need that much toothpaste. Give it to the ones who really need it.
I was impressed however with how you can save with coupons, whether it was the person who spent $200 or the person who spent $5000. It was amazing!
Television shows can be sooo decieving though…please dont base your opinions of these folks on what an hour long, edited tv program looking for high ratings says about them!
The 2nd lady profiled, the one they showed “dumpster” diving has a fantastic website that has helped me for many months and although she is called the “krazy” coupon lady, I dont find her crazy at all…she has videos on het youtube channel showing her donating large amounts of food and health items to her local food bank! http://www.thekrazycouponlady.com
Also, the 1st one featured, who by far was portrayed as the nuttiest of the group is a member of another website I just recently discovered and she is actually a bit upset with how her portion of the show turned out. All that food she bought, the hundreds of boxes of pasta etc….she actually donated….but of coarse they dont tell you that on TV, they just want you to think she is a crazy coupon hoarder of some sort because that grabs viewers and ratings! The site she is a member of as well as the last gentleman featured is http://www.weusecoupons.com
Thanks for the perspective. I will check out those websites.
I used to stockpile items a few years back. Then I realized I lost MORE money in wasting and it just overwhelmed me. So now I spend more time eating everything out of my stockpile and pantry. Then I shop in small coupon cheap sale trips and try to make them as cheap as possible. Those seem to be much cheaper to me than any stockpile. Don’t get me wrong. If I see a loss leader and see some coupons for canned goods or bread goes on sale, I do buy those and freeze them, etc. But I don’t keep shelves and shelves of food. I think its a waste.
Hello!
You and I are definitly thinking alike in regards to this show. I think the nurse was great–she also was teaching others how to coupon and to better themselves. It was sad that she’s been on her own since she was 12.
Yes, I was so impressed that she has been successful. I couldn’t imagine being a mom at 15!