Now this pisses me off

[Laund-o-rama Mama]

Haha was going to post about the the time factor but RealUnimportant beat me to it. I'm no hoity-toity bigwig but my time is WAY too valuable to spend doing that shit. Holy crap!!

[blas]

I don't want to sound like an ass, but I find it hard to keep back rude comments while watching Extreme Couponing. Those women need JOBS, not to stay at home all day and cut/collect/organize coupons or dumpster/trash dive for coupons. Who is watching the kids while they do that?

And even though their homes are a lot more sanity and organized than Hoarders....yee gads, WHO NEEDS THAT MUCH SHAMPOO????

[emax4]

Was that the one with the preview of them sitting inside of a recycle bin trying to find coupons? I was watching South Park instead (the couponers would make great ammunition for SP), but I saw that preview.

I didn't know the store made the cashier stay late. I would have just told them to leave their stuff there and return when the doors open so they could finish it. If the manager wanted me to stay, I would have said, "these are extreme couponers, so we're not gonna make a profit off of anything tonight anyway. Do you want to pay me overtime knowing they aren't putting any money into the store?", at which point the manager probably would have agreed with me. Perhaps the cashier wanted to be on TV so she didn't mind staying late. I wonder how they can get all that stuff in their SUVs or cars as well, at least without making multiple trips.

I also am in an area that never sees any coupons in my mail or Sunday paper that has items for 100% off after combined coupons.

Something to think about is that those episodes are probably taped weeks in advance (although how far back?) and by the time it airs, there's a policy for the store being aired that says they can only take a limit of coupons. Part of me can't wait until Sears & K Mart go out of business, and the extreme couponers will have to start... wait for it... actually PAYING for their groceries elsewhere.

[BrenDAnn]

I did see one guy on there who I think was giving to charity, but that's about it. The show made me literally never want to touch a coupon again. *shudders* Insanity. It's pure insanity is what it is!

[sweetj82]

The show producers would have to make some kind of arrangement with the SM to even bring their cameras, let alone stay for 2 hours past closing. If I stayed a half-hour after closing time at my mega-tax chain, the TM would be on the phone asking what's going on.If they were donating some of their loot to area food pantries that wouldn't be so bad....I can't recall seeing anyone on that show doing that.My best guess is that these couponers never worked outside the home; thus, they never put a price on their time.

There is one guy who donates stuff. I think he said he donates everything he gets for free. The 1st time he was on the show he gave over 500 boxes of cereal to his church. The 2nd time he was on he made ober 1000 care packages for the troops.


I have heard some of them quit thier jobs to coupon.

[sweetj82]

Damn, it's messed up that they made the poor worker stay until midnight because of these selfish gits.You know I look for sales, I cut out coupons, but it would never occur to me to do half the stuff that the "extreme" people do. I've seen these people talking about clearing off shelves, and it seems so greedy to me.

I saw this lady buy all the tide that was on sale. I am talking over 100 bottles. This old lady asked the lady just for one and the couponer refused. Talking about how she needs it for her pile. The old lady said how how she wanted one just to use now not sit around and collect dust.



I dont get buying all this food that goes to waste b/c no way can you eat it before it goes bad.

[Pixilated]

In this case, it was likely done for the free TV publicity.

Ah, right ... I'd forgotten about that part.

[wagegoth]

The couponer in the OP already had issues. She was an unemployed single teen mom (twice over). Now she was planning to start college on a scholarship, but she's obviously got some life issues that need to be addressed.

In this case, it was likely done for the free TV publicity.

The show arranges the shopping trip and filming ahead of time with the store, so the store looks on it as publicity, which is probably why the stores all look perfect, faced and fronted, gleaming registers, and friendly checkers who seem just a tad too happy to be handling all that crap.

If they were donating some of their loot to area food pantries that wouldn't be so bad....I can't recall seeing anyone on that show doing that.

There have been shows where people donated to packages going to the troops and to local charities, so there is that. However, the woman who was saving up money for a tattoo just pissed me off.


Now, I have to admit that I have gotten into couponing because of this show; I even get a daily email from one of the couponers who was on the show that points out specials and available coupons. I do have a stockpile of personal care items so far, which weren't quite free but were 60% to 80% off, so that's cool. It's nice to be able to go over to the linen cabinet and grab what I need whenever I need it, and I've been able to try out new products pretty cheaply (new items are often discounted pretty heavily when they first come out, and there are often coupons available to get you try them). But I and most of the people who use the site I use agree that people who clear the shelves are rude and unnecessary. A lot of them are hoarders who justify getting their fix by how little they spend and how organized they are. One woman the first season was practically orgasming over all the crap she bought, most of which she already had piles and piles of (really, how many toothbrushes do you need?), and when she had a problem at the register you would have thought they were holding a gun to her puppy's head. And her codependent husband would not put his foot down, even though every spare spot in the house was taken up with her hoard.

Also, we agree that stockpiling food has its limits. One woman on the show had a seven year supply of vitamin water. Uh, that stuff goes bad way before seven years is up. She was on twice and the first time she showed this full size closet that was filled with Squirt, which will go flat. Most boxed food has a three to six month shelf life. Meat can only be frozen for so long before going bad.

I do work full-time, and I'm now a single mom, so taking a few hours a week to do this has paid off. I do have some respect for the SAHM's on the show who coupon to keep expenses down, but I don't understand how you can really spend time with your children if you're spending 30 to 40 hours a week couponing.

[notlovinit]

Coupons are such a sore spot for me since this show came on, because I use coupons and I can get a lot of stuff for free and around 40 to 60% off my bill with it. I love coupons, but watching this show makes me sick. I would never take it to the extent these people do. I only ever buy stuff I use and I never clean shelves. I might buy two of something if it's a really good deal and save the other one, but that's it. My "stockpile" is literally one shelf in my closet, not an entire room. And I still donate a ton of stuff - pet food is something I can regularly get free so I donate ALOT of it. I think the amount I donate is probably bigger than my stockpile. So these shows make me hate people, because it makes all couponers look bad and makes cashiers groan inwardly when they see them, because people want to copy what they see on TV, but must people don't have the patience or intelligence to do that. It IS possible to get your entire order for free, but it is not a fun process and not worth it and it will involved you being a sucky customer.

[emax4]

The show arranges the shopping trip and filming ahead of time with the store, so the store looks on it as publicity, which is probably why the stores all look perfect, faced and fronted, gleaming registers, and friendly checkers who seem just a tad too happy to be handling all that crap.

I'm wondering if the faces are really sad, and the smiling faces are just some nifty tricks of Industrial Light and Magic.

Anyone remember that commercial for Pop Tarts where the person stocks up, loads their car, and it's so heavy that the bumper is scraping the ground on the way home? I'm wondering if any of these extreme couponers thought of that and had off-road 4x4 truck shocks installed on their rear axle.

I haven't watched the show regularly, just a few episodes here and there. Has there ever been an episode where the cashier can't take all their stuff or coupons, then the customer freaks out over being denied?

[fma_fanatic]

I did see one guy on there who I think was giving to charity, but that's about it. The show made me literally never want to touch a coupon again. *shudders* Insanity. It's pure insanity is what it is!

Insanity is buying stuff that you will never use in your life. Ever. What about the kid who was in high school, buying things with coupons. Like feminine products and saying "I don't know what that is". Or baby formula and diapers.

Kid, you are 16! You don't need to be thinking about baby formula or diapers!!

[violiavampyr]

I just watched the clips on the TLC website. Man, those people are nuts. That lady that converted a spare room to hold crap! Wow.

[Kristev]

Now I'll buy up to 30 2 liters at a time, and I'll use a coupon to reduce the price. But that's as far as I go and thirty usually lasts for a 2-week period.

I just don't have the desire to buy that much of anything else in a single time. Or go hunting out coupons for everything.

[CalyCoRose]

I do have a coupon notebook. (3 ring binder and all sparkly ).

Using my coupons and using the store circular, I can save roughly 45% off of my total shopping order. BIL the Middle One has always insinuated "stupid people" use coupons. And my MIL just started to use them (and she's in her 60s as compared to my mother who uses them all the time and she's roughly the same age).

However, I never ever buy multiples (unless the item is Buy 1 get one free or 2 for $X or the coupon says Save $1 on two and the item itself is on sale for 2 for $X).

I do not have a stockpile. But from the usually $10-$15 extra I save from using the paper coupons, on top of the store savings, it does help.

[fma_fanatic]

I will admit I do coupon. I look for those coupons for items that we may buy and especially at this time of year for things I know I want (like flavored creamer and cocoas). But I'm not obsessive like the people on the show are.