Extreme Couponing Show

TLC's new show "Extreme Couponing" has raised a lot of concerns among couponers. This show provides false hope for many people, and it gives everyday couponers a bad name. Very few people are as crazy about coupons as the people on the show. The intention of the show is to show how much you can save. The person has to put together their biggest haul to date. Sure, you can pay nothing for $1,000 worth of toothpaste and body wash and go on the show, but why would you want to? I admit, I find the show highly entertaining, but please do not watch the show to learn the tricks of the trade. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• the store is not going to offer their employees to push your 5 shopping carts
• the store will not be okay with you taking 3 hours to check out
• nor will they allow you to do 5 huge transactions, either at one register or spread across several
• some stores on the show stopped allowing the doubling of coupons
• most stores limit the amount you buy to 10 of each item, per customer, per day
• couponers look down upon one person completely clearing the shelves, like someone buying 77 mustards without it being a special order
• many stores do not allow the doubling of a coupon past their value (ex. doubling a coupon to $1 on a $0.75 item)
• there is a very fine line between stockpiling and hoarding
• because of the show, many stores have changed their coupon policies

The stores on the show view this as press. They are knowingly and willingly breaking their own policies  to show you how much you can save by shopping with them. This is a terrible idea. Couponers and stores will spend forever re-educating people about what the real policies are.

So please don't expect that you can feed your family by buying $1,000 worth of toothpaste and body wash and paying $5 for it. If this is what you like to eat for dinner, then go for it. For the rest of us, if we can save 75% off our grocery bill, that's a good end to a great day.