Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Extreme Couponing on TLC, What's your opinion?

The last couple of weeks, I have been tuning in to TLC to catch Extreme Couponing.   Yes, we would all love to get thousands of dollars worth of groceries for just pennies.    It would save my family a great deal of money, if I could do that.   I pick and choose the coupons I use.   I am very picky about which products I purchase, so the likelihood of me spending only pennies is rare.  

 My biggest problem with the show, is the people with these huge stock piles of products that they will never really use in their life time. Don't get me wrong, I am not opposed to stockpiling. It is worthwhile and it can help families save money.

 BUT, you have to ask yourself:   Do you really need 1,000 tubes of toothpaste and continue to purchase more.   Do you really need over a years worth of diapers and have no children?  Do you 75 bottles of mustard, that your family doesn't really eat?

If you have so many items that you can never possibly use them, donate them!   There are so many people in need.  Donate to a shelter, send items in care packages to troops (which one of the couponers did, but he still has more then enough), donate to international relief groups.   Hati still has not recovered and it will be a long time before Japan is fully recovered.  By all means provide for your family. But, if you have the means put some good into the world.   Those thousands of toothpaste, deorderant, and body washes are really doing you no good sitting in your basement.   Share with those in need. 

My other problem with the show is the things that TLC doesn't show you.   Yes, they may have spent $5 at the store.  But, how much did they spend on coupon clipping services?   Why purchase coupons?   You can print coupons or spend a few bucks on Sunday newspapers.   You have people new to couponing that do not know about clipping services.   They charge anywhere from a few cents per coupon up to $1 per coupon.   If you are ordering 75 coupons that adds up.   Some of the couponers mention they use services, but they never disclose the total amount they spend on coupons.   If you are spending $200 on coupons, are you really saving money?

The show also has the responsibility to talk about ethical couponing.  There are rules!  Read the coupons, purchase the correct items.   Coupon fraud is a crime.   Those people ruin it for the rest of us.  There is a lot of controversy circling around a featured couponer that may have committed coupon fraud on screen.  Check out this article .   It makes you wonder what really is going on.  

Basically, I am done with Extreme Couponing.   It sets up an unrealistic picture of couponing for the average person.   And, frankly,  I don't really care for the greedy attitude of the people featured.   It is interesting that Extreme Couponing is followed by Hoarders:Buried Alive.   Is this how TLC scouts out new people to feature on Hoarders?  

3 comments:

  1. AMEN!!! I have been SOOO frustrated with the show for all the reasons you wrote about! I was beginning to think I was going crazy since everyone seems to think it's so great! I think it's rather disturbing!

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  2. I watched the show last week because of all the hype. Then I watched again last night and vowed not to watch again. It was really upsetting to see the twins (known as the double coupon divas) buying diapers when they don't even have children. I hate to see those extreme couponers clear out the shelves without regard for people who really need those items!

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  3. I didn't realize it was a show? I thought it was a one time deal?

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