A new season of Extreme Couponing on TLC started last night. Did you watch? We were not able to as we were out of the country. But after hearing the concerns and reading the forums and reader boards, I am glad I didn’t because my husband hates it when I scream and throw things at the T.V. Looking back, I pulled this picture out, it was from our TLC trip and my receipt.
It was a trip that anyone could have done, there was no special ordering, we did not use more than 10 of any coupon, and we only doubled or tripled 1 of any coupon. More important we didn’t use any counterfeit coupons, because I knew where every single coupon that I used came from.
Let me tell you what I am guessing happened….
These people were really excited to be on the show, and there is tremendous pressure to have a high total and then bring it back down again. I know, because I was sweating bullets during our entire shoot and the producers physically with us were on the phone to the “big guns” the entire trip, recounting our every move and how much they thought we would be saving and spending.
With that pressure, the people on last nights show I am sure ORDERED their coupons from places like Ebay and other online avenues where you have NO IDEA where these coupons are coming from!
Coupons that they used that were counterfeit:
- Quilted Northern
- Hefty
- Clorox Wipes
What would be a more realistic approach? WARNING: This is boring.
- Show how to make a weekly grocery list for food your family will eat.
- How to get toiletries for free and still leave some for others.
- What are grocery stores sale cycles and how does that save money.
- How to rotate your “stockpile” so all that STUFF you bought doesn’t expire!
- Etc. etc. etc….. everything that they don’t show.
Here are a few of my observations from the show: Every person on the show said, “This is my biggest trip ever!” Yes, because you were on T.V. and they pushed you to have it that big! People used catalina’s to pay down their total, that cost wasn’t added in, they used perscription transfers to pay it down, they had 100 of each coupon, the cost of buying coupons was not added in, and so on. There were so many additional costs that most “non-couponers” don’t really know about that they got an unrealistic image of how to “Extreme Coupon”.
When you have an unrealistic image, you don’t know how to properly do something. All the new couponers out there trying to copy what they saw on the show, are the people we see now clearing the shelves, and stealing coupons. They are so excited to get something free that they don’t care how to do it properly or do it legally. Then there are also the couponers who are still in the “honeymoon” phase where they are so excited they think they need to get every deal and as much as they can. At some point however you realize that you don’t need to get eveything, you don’t have room and you get tired of running all over getting every deal. They will realize that these deals come around again and again.
What can we do?
- Educate people on the right way to coupon.
- Show people our purchases that are not “extreme” but still save your family money.
- Don’t buy coupons from people who steal tear pads and coupons from stores.
- Be kind and polite to cashiers and other customers in the stores.
For all the negative, Extreme Couponing has had many positives. Many of you are here today on my site because of it and for that I thank you. It has shown people that couponing can really help your family save money and in some situations save a family from complete financial ruin. It helps you build confidence that you can provide for your children and yourself if you need to. In learning how to coupon you can teach others and change their lives. That is why Paul and I are here and why we will continue to pass along the things that we have been so fortunate to learn from other amazing people… Extreme Couponing show or NOT!
Part comedian, part Dad, part athlete. He will boss around your children while they play ball.
Just as angelic as she looks, this girl could easily raise a Village by herself, and all the children would grow up to be President.
Self proclaimed, she would be a webkinz dog. Because, "they're cute, and puppies are too. And they're sweet and they always get along with other puppies."
This mini-Martha Stewart can handle ANY craft you send her way. She isn't all bows and rainbows, she's got karate kid moves!
Not "Pick-Me-Up" like caffeine, she wants you to pick her up! AND NOW!
Anything that can be destroyed WILL be destroyed!
Practically Perfect in Every Way for now! Nicknamed "The Panda" she is rolly polly and lives by the motto, "the little one, is KING!"
The resident Labradoodle, Miller got his name because Mom won and got to name the baby! Need something chewed up? He'll take care of it. Especially if it's expensive..
I think I read somewhere that since the show started there have been 230 bad coupons used. I don’t think anyone intended to use “bad” coupons on the show, but I am surprised at the numbers since thousands and thousands of coupons have been used on the show.
Anyway, I missed that you were on the show. Is there a link to the one you were on?
Thanks
The reason that I’ve stopped enjoying the show anymore is because these people go on the show with stacks of coupons for ” one free product”. That’s not couponing, its cheating to get your biggest order with a zero total.
Right!
What I think is unrealistic about “Extreme Couponing” is how they show people getting like 60 of 1 item (that is on sale) in 1 transaction and using 60 coupons for those items. In reality stores limit the total number of sale items you can buy in 1 transaction and limit how many transactions you can make in a single trip. For example, my local ShopRite limits you to 4 of a particular sale item. Meaning if a particular toothpaste is on sale you can only get 4 toothpastes in 1 single transaction. And you can not make more than 2 transactions in a single trip. So then that limits you to using only a maximum of 8 coupons for an entire trip. I doubt that these people could go to the same store without being on TV and still get the same deals. I think the stores are allowing people to take advantage of deals that would not ordinarily be allowed under normal circumstances. Therefore, the stores are just as much to blame as is “Extreme Couponing”.
So far only 1 store has let people coupon differently then what their policy says. It can be hard to see people buy 100 of an item and use 100 coupons, BUT many stores do allow this in their coupon policy. When your stores DONT it is frustrating because we dont understand why we can’t 🙁
I totally agree with what you are saying. These people are buying pallets of the same items and within one transaction. There is no way you can use that many like coupons in the same tranaction.
This show is wack!!
I agree with this whole heartly!
I agree! This is why I have a hard time watching the show. I know full well that money went into those free products either through buying coupons, buying other products to get cats, or by some other means to get the coupons (i.e. prescriptions.) It’s frustrating to watch. I wish this show was more realistic of what couponers really were like.
By the way….saw your commercial!!! NICE!!!
The new show was really disappointing. I couldn’t believe the greed, the sloppy shopping methods, the unbelievable candor of some of the people. I felt bad for the teenager trying to get his family stuff because of them struggling. The girls he took with need a beating. He held it together pretty good. I would have lost it. I can see a big family like Tiffanys going to the store and doing stock up like some of the shoppers, but these people were doing it just for greed. When ever we have a free item or something that is really cheap that we don’t use we send it to the food shelf. I don’t get these people. I don’t want to.
I hope you dont mind. I lifted some of your words 😉 I LOVE your take on this show. It’s authentic bc you have been there!
http://beadandelion.blogspot.com/2012/05/extreme-couponing-real-or-fake.html
(If re-posting a small part was not OK… just lmk <3)
I am very thankful for your site & I must confess I did learn about it from the TLC website.. You live nearby so I thought it was realistic. I have been couponing for 1 yr now & experienced all the emotions you mentioned here lol. I will soon teach a group of women at my place of worship how to coupon in an attempt to benefit our local food bank. Over time I learned to call in bulk food orders, arrange coupons in small increments so the cashier can just scan the front multiple times, call ahead to let them know I’m coming so I don’t hold up lines, plus a few more tips to keep other customers, the store, & me all happy. I even made the cashier a button that says “my patience w/couponers benefited the local food bank. In 1 yr, I’ve made 3 bulk purchases otherwise it’s the normal shopping & replenishment of stockpile.
I just watched the first show. I was pretty disappointed to see the lady running all over the store to “spend her $1.58” when she grabbed 2 of the .79 cans of chili. The sign clearly indicated they were that price ONLY if you did the “save $5.00 on 10 items” deal, taking them down .50 a can. From what I saw she only got 2. The show is very misleading…I’m lucky to save 45% feeding my family of 7!
Was this a Kroger affiliate store? I missed the show. If it was the 10 items were mix and match and you didn’t have to get 10 of the same items so likely she had 8 more items of other things to get to the 10. The other problem is that we don’t see their entire shopping trip. only bits and pieces which makes it hard to see what they are doing!
This show is so unrealistic. Now it’s worse because the first “extreme” couponer on that show is having a coupon class, where she will teach people at $15 a pop, her methods on couponing. She also drove to a store that is 50 miles from her hometown and I know she purchased coupons on eBay. So, not a free transaction at all. Even our local Kroger that she shops at breaks the coupon policy for her.
The comments above already said it, it only takes one word to describe most episodes of Extreme Couponing (not including Tiffany’s shopping trip): UNREALISTIC!
Im wondering how they get so many free product coupons? When I get free product coupons its no more then 2 free products! Do they email them and say they are being on the show or what? I have always wondered this!?
Unfortunately, a lot of those “free” coupons are fraudulent past manufacturer coupons. There have been a few websites popping up online where couponers can purchase them for “50% off or less of retail value.” Just a couple of weeks ago in Arizona there was a HUGE coupon bust of three women sellings fraudulent coupons online. The “ring leader” purchased these coupons from overseas then sold them in the States on her website. Hundreds of millions of dollars was lost!
If individuals continue to commit fraud and break coupon policies, manufacturers will value their coupons for smaller and smaller amounts. Do I think they will revoke them completely? No, there is far too much publicity and coupons are a huge way manufacterers generate revenue. Being saavy and following the rules will get you plenty of coupons, trust me.
I have only been couponing for a month and already I have saved hundreds of dollars! Each time I coupon I get smart and better at it too. What started at a savings of 40%-60% on average has turned in to 75%-free on average! There are products you are just going to have to pay for. If you can save at least 50% off, and the product is one you have noticed has very few coupons or does not go on sale often, BUY IT! 🙂
I had cake mixes on sale at publix.A bogo.Soi used two manufaturers couponsA 1.89 at regular price and i got it for.39 cents.No greed.And thrilled at my deal.