I have been stewing about this for a few hours (and doing a bit of ranting on Twitter), and it all comes down to one thing....
The TLC Extreme Couponing show (which premiered as a SERIES) is not reality.
Let's look at the facts:
Tiffany from the show tonight (who is a total sweetheart and someone I have known for more than 16 months) can no longer do the deals that were shown tonight. Why? Because Kroger seems to be doing away with double and triple coupons!
Spending 5 hours at the checkout counter? Unless there was a major national film crew rolling, I can't imagine ANY store manager that would tolerate that. Brad is a retail manager and he gets "twitchy" when a transaction takes more than 10 minutes!
Aside from My Beloved Acme, I know of very few stores that don't limit the number of coupons that they will double, or the amount of like-coupons they will accept. Most stores will only double the first like-coupon, and then accept another 3-5 at face value. The stores shown in the Extreme Couponing show clearly lifted their policies for the film crew. (and then they wonder why their customers in the following weeks get upset that they can't duplicate the deals that they say on TV)
Unless you have a SERIOUS "mustard fetish", there is no reason to buy 60 mustard bottles at once. Further, she paid about $0.30 each (AFTER doubled coupon) for them and I have NEVER paid for mustard. The small bottles go on sale for about $0.80- $1 and a doubled $0.50 coupon makes them FREE. Y0u can count on these coupons and sales all summer long. With planning, you can build up a reasonable stockpile without being a shelf-clearer.
Most sales are on a 12-week cycle, as are coupons. Sure, there are the few odd high-value coupons (like when a product is first released), but I assure you...Chex Mix WILL be on sale for $1 per bag and there WILL be $0.50/2 coupons available. Unless you are hopelessly addicted to Chocolate Turtle Chex Mix (and really - who isn't?), you DON'T need to buy 30 bags one week.
What do I advocate? SANE Couponing and Using Coupons Ethically!
There is still no reason to pay for your basic toiletries when you work the Drug Store Deals or even the Grocery Deals
You don't NEED to buy 60 bottles of mustard. Most sales and coupons are on a 12 week cycle. I advocate having no more than a 6 month supply at any given time.
Couponing should be a way of life. It should never become your life.
I will likely continue to watch Extreme Couponing...it is almost like watching a train wreck! But I will NEVER advocate the shopping that you see in that show!
What are your thoughts on the show?
Donna J. Day
Thank you for that blog about the TlC show. Must admit I have been anticipating it but while watching became...irritated. I digress to add that my New years resolution this year was to start couponing, start smart shopping, save a little more, waste a little less. It was a slow start but I kept at it. Unlike the I'll lose weight, I'll quit smoking prior pledges, I have felt this one attainable beyond Jan 2. I found you about a month ago!
And your site helps me soooo much. Thank you. Tonight I visited Recyclebank, didn't get coke coupon but learned alot! And earned points! I have saved alot of money on things this family uses everyday because of my efforts and so much as a result of yours! Again, Thank you. P.S. TLC's Extreme Couponing is the shows effort, agree with all you have blogged. Know that there are amazing deals possible but pledge to stay sane in this endeavor...and not take advantage!
Sheryl George
Wonderful input !! I think more of the saving blog sites should get the word out there that this show is NOT reality couponing. I agree that people are watching the show and sitting around thinking that they can actually coupon like it is shown on TV, which is not the case. This show, like the last time, is about people saving money, unrealistically, not following the etiquette of couponing by clearing shelves, and not adhering to store policies that the normal shopper has to abide by.
Gina
One of the women said her friends call her a "hoarder" and honestly, that's my first thought with these people. Storing towels and toilet paper under your child's bed and having an open shelf of groceries in your bedroom because you have no where else to put these "deals" - it is hoarding. It is a problem. To let these deals take over your life - to have food in every room of your house - insane! And the single woman who uses these shopping trips to fulfill her desire to shop and not rack up debt - she needs therapy!! No 24-year-old single woman needs a stockpile.
I also have to say, clearing out the shelves of an item is greedy. That one couple left ONE bottle of mustard on the shelf. Why? Because they NEED the 62 bottles they bought right away????!!!! And while mustard may have a long shelf life - a lot of the other products these people are buying do not. What a waste.
celia
We canceled our cable months ago and haven't looked back. Shows like this are part of the reason why.
Cheryl
I do have to say that I was very annoyed with how all but two of the people shown from 8:00 on were using their couponing skills. I can’t understand why these people did not DONATE. If they are smart enough to be able to do what we do, fine. But help others buy doing it. I did love the woman from Philadelphia who was trying to help all the other shoppers. I do that ALL THE TIME and I feel great when they save more. Plus she did not clear the shelves. Coupon etiquette should be important to all of us. But please everyone…DONATE if you can!
Cindymari
Cheryl,
I totally agree...My girlfriend and I were texting while watching the show...We couldn’t get over that 1 person shopped so much and had no where to put it. It was just for the sport of it. I do get it a little bit...who doesn’t get a high by getting a great deal or even better for free. But come on they couldn’t even sit on their couch they were using it as storage. It made me mad that the thought of donating these items to the local food bank didn’t even cross their minds. Personally it was disgusting to me. I like the show, was hoping to get a couple of tips myself…but am afraid that this show will actually hurt us average shoppers. I work for a local food store and have notice management talking and looking at this more…I sure hope the stores don’t go back to face value coupons to try and prevent these sales in their stores. Spread the love..and donate what you can to the local food bank…it will make your and someone in need day and little brighter.
Pam
I watched the show with my husband and my girl friend. My friend and I commented, as well on the whole "mustard" stock up. Who uses more than a bottle/bottle and a half of mustard a year? Seriously. Then when she cleaned the shelf......I got so en sensed. Two times this week I have gone to a retailer with in 24 hours of a sale's beginning and they have been out of the advertised product. WASTED TIME, WASTED GAS $. I mean really, isn't that going to be on sale again in a few weeks? Why do we need to ruin it for others?
Kelly
I used this show as a tool to show my husband that my one set of shelves is not CRAZY. He saw the stockpiles on this show and was appalled. Now when I buy the 3rd brick of paper towels he may not be so irritated.
Everyone keeps talking about shelf cleaners. While I heartily agree with NOT cleaning the shelves, it is so hard to not do around here. Many times I will go into a store (rite aid) on a Sunday first thing and they will very few if any of the object on sale. Many times my coupon will expire before they get the item in. (Ie: the J&J baby wash deal from the beginning of February they are still out of.) And while the store manager may put in an order for extra- They do not get it. Ahh the frustrations of couponing. But like you said, Mindi, I will still probably watch the train wreck of a show to laugh at it- Because those people are nuts!
Liz
I actually got my husband to watch with me and the whole time I kept saying, "I can't wait to see what the blog lady (you)
Liz
Oops...sorry. I was saying that I kept telling him that I can't wait to see what you were going to say about that person or that person or only leaving one bottle of mustard. We were so annoyed at the end. Like you said, complete train wreck!!!!
Angie Johnson
My favoirte part was that hoarders came on right after that.. I laughed so hard me and a few friends were watching it and talking on fb and just thinking now Im not that bad. I was thinking the same thing about the mustard who needs that many and why for that price that is one of the items on my free list . and I still would not buy 60 of them being free... I really hope more of them donated.. I think they should have applied that more on the show.. My stock pile stays in the kitchen and the linen closest I refuse to have to walk around and put stuff where I dont need it. Today is cleaning out day and donating day I try to do this once a month even if its just a few items...
Ryan P
A different viewpoint: When this show aired in December 2010, it was my starting date of SANE and ETHICALLY using coupons. I didn't use coupons before the show-- I bought 'generic brand', thinking it was cheaper than any 'name brand with coupon'.
No, I rarely buy more than 1 of anything. I like to leave the shelves filled for others that come after me. In the past 4 months, I have saved an enormous amount, and I'm reasonably 'stocked up' for 2 months. I've already donated 50+ items to charity/family.
So, the Extreme Couponing may be outlandish, but it opened my eyes to ways to save even more money. I didn't immediately think "shelf clearing!" when I saw the show, but applied it practically and reasonably to the stores I already shop at. MomsNeedToKnow was one of the first sites I found in Google after watching the show 🙂
I am hoping there will be a few others that join MomsNeedToKnow for the purpose of saving money, but I fear that 'shelf clearing' may soon be more prevalent because of the show. We'll see. Thanks to MNTK, I now know what 'rainchecks' are, and shelf clearing is just a minor inconvenience now.
Thanks Mindi! Keep pushing for ethical/reasonable couponing. You have many behind you!
- Ryan P
Janice K.
I didn't watch the show because I reduced our cable to save money. But my biggest concern is that this show is going to ruin it for the rest of us. I practice coupon etiquette and I donate. But I will leave the product on the shelf for another person before I even consider taking more to donate. This way someone else who is couponing will benefit from the savings. We are a family of 6 and I consider myself a "Balanced Couponer". It's frustrating for me when we are a family that could really use these items, but they are gone before I even get a chance to get to the store. I've met our shelf clearer and have realize that Rite Aid waits until after Sunday morning to restock their shelves (after she leaves). I'm not giving up, but I also try not to get as disappointed if I miss out something. The competition is too fierce now 🙁 and sad that it is now competitive.
Jen
Well put Mindi! Not sure which ones were on last nigt night but if it was the original one well lets just say 2 out of 4 looked like Hoarders will be there next show. The way Nathan and Amandas house looked from all the stuff they bought was just gross.They d seemed to love their stock pile of papertowles and toilet paper more than their spouses. The Krazy Coupon lady's stockpile is more my style buying for about 6 months at a time. I've been "playing the game" now for 3 years and know the cycle of the sales and what's the seasons have the cheapest of certain products.
Thanks for keeping it real Mindi! And if you ever came in my Acme where I work I'd love to help you find stuff and chear you on at checkout<3!!
I hope this series doesn't make stores raise sales prices, change all coupon policies and make manufacters give us low coupon values on a regular basis.
PK
I have to admit I didn't watch the show because I figured they would do exactly as you said. It isn't reality; there are coupon rules that stores follow and they were clearly lifted for the show. I like the term "strategic shopper". I used to buy what I needed for the week instead of thinking of the bigger picture. Now I have non-perishables in stock so I don't have to buy at regular price. I buy toothpaste in quantity on sale and with coupon to get it for free. Do I have 100 tubes? No, but I do probably have 10 and we will use them before they expire. The girls I work with tease me about my "binder" but I think there is a little jeolousy going on too. They always say "you must eat unhealthy food" and "I don't have time to do that". Now that I've gotten organized and use your website, it doesn't take that long. And you can print all your coupons and clip them sitting in front of the TV.
Kelly Shugart
I thought the same thing about the mustard..I have NEVER paid for mustard and to get 60 bottles at 30 cents each was crazy to me...
Melissa
It was absolutly horrible! I was so annoyed by the whole show. The first lady (sorry if I offend anyone who knows her) made me so aggrivated. The whole bit about the makeup and high heels...really???
Teresa Smith
I also watched with amazement last night. Only one person mentioned donating!! Granted he bought 1,100 boxes of cereal (Good Lord!) That is selfish to me. Usually once a month I try and give to our food bank. When stores have FREE items I don't need/use, I always get them and give away. Plus, I don't see how you could possibly eat all of it before expiration. 90 packs of lunch meat?? And yes, I will eat things like cereal a little past the expiration date, but one woman's closet had 75 boxes! That would take years to get to.
When I "stock up" I generally get 5 or 6. I've never bought 60 of anything. Did you hear her husband say he doesn't even like mustard?? I didn't even think that the mustard was that great a deal (.39 a piece) It really irks me that she cleared the shelves, and was plannning to buy 77, but the store only had 63. Now the regular people come in and there is NOTHING for them!
I definitely combine coupons and sales and try to get the best deal, but they are WAY overboard. I don't have the storage space or the hours a day to prepare for a $2,000 shopping trip! But I'll still watch, because it is a TRAIN WRECK!
Teresa
Diane K.
For once I am glad I do not have cable and could not watch this train wreck of a show. Yet, I am intrigued by your comments. Couponing has been a way of life for me. I learned it from my mom and have continued doing it no matter my financial status. To me, it just makes sense to save cents.
I live in an area which has few stores that double coupons and even then, the maximum amount when doubled is $1.00. Yup, that means a $0.75 is not doubled, only the $0.50 and under. So I have a limited potential of savings, but I try my best to save but am not consumed by it like these people in Extreme Couponing.
Jolene
I didn't watch the show, it's a train wreck like you said. But I'm sitting here chuckling thinking 90 packs of lunch meat. My 13 yr old can prob. eat that in one sitting. lol. And not gain weight. I wanna know where he puts it all. lol.
gary
Mindi, I agree with everything youu said. I watched it as well and shook my head. The points you make about limiting coupons etc are right. I use a lot of internet coupons, sometimes they are better than newspaper ones, and print out 2-4 copies using home and work pc's. Doesnt take me much time at all while browsing the blogs and printing out the q's.
Shannon Driscoll Stout
I totally agree with everything you said. Stockpiling (meaning what YOUR family can use) for a month or two is totally acceptable. Clearing off store shelves and having food storage in all rooms of your house is not. Couponing should be about getting a good deal on the items you regularly use or are willing to try, and/or donating items to others in need. It's true it is hard to find coupons for all the ingredients in wholesome,healthy family recipes, including meat and produce. But the idea is not to get free meals, it's to be able to save and support your family in this way. This article, and the rest of the buzz about the show, helped remind me that I should be happy and proud to save any percent...be it 5% or 50% OVERALL. Sure, we could all use 20 of the same coupons and buy 20 deodorants (that aren't our favorite), toothpaste (that we'll never donate), spagehetti (that's made from the stripped grains), butter (that will only 'let' us use more than we need), and taco seasoning (that we have no meat to use with!) But for me, I want to be a responsible couponer and mom who teaches my children the right way to save money, prepare meals, and help others in need. I don't feel that show helps positively portray any of these values and etiquette and overall common sense!
Jackie R
Thank you for this! My friends and family were all asking me what I thought about this show being upcoming because I am "the couponer" and "financial advice-giver" of the group and I told them all the same thing. I told them I thought it was a bad idea because a) people will see and get discouraged that they can't get these same deals or don't have time to do this and b) people will think this is the way all couponers are (i.e. kind of nuts). My husband was shocked when I told him I thought that.
We use coupons but in a sane fashion. My husband has a disability that makes it difficult for him to pay attention to detail or follow detailed written instruction (when it's not about something mechanical, he has a knack for that), so I am the logistical coordinator, but I am also the one that works full time so I have to do it IF I HAVE TIME, which, with an 11 year old, a 9 month old, and a full-time job, I don't always.
I have a FaceBook group of me and 23 friends and friends of friends called "The Frugees" that I post the deals on and sometimes we chat about deals, and recently this show. I always advocate sane couponing on there.
wendy fairchok
Oh i totally agree with you. That was really insaine last night. It really is giving us couponers a bad name. I do save a lot of money and have a stockpile, but if I know i am not going to get to use it--it gets donated to the foodbank.....and that is what makes me feel the best.
ONETime
Can I offer all you ladies some cheese with that wine???
Stephanie
Thank you for posting this! You have inspired me to write a blog entry about this as well 🙂 I was so shocked about the whole mustard thing. And when her husband said that they didn't even like mustard! How about the familes that want in on that deal and do like it? The lunchmeat I can kind of understand, because it is freezeable but with buying 90 packages, I hope never buys it again! Haha..The thing with this show is they are really only doing a couple of deals, but doing it over and over again to look like they are getting a lot.
With the storing situation, I can relate to the one lady to had stuff stored under her kid's beds. We had to move and had a month to find a new place, so we moved into an apartment until we could find a house, so we don't have much space at all. I do have pasta stored under my daughter's bedside table but its because we have a small amount of space. We only have about 5 months worth of food stocked up though.
Stephanie
P.s. I quoted you in my blog entry and did link back! 🙂
The Happy Housewife
Well said Mindi! I totally agree.
On another note, my dad LOVES mustard, seriously loves it and eats it on everything. My mom only buys a few containers a year, lol!
Toni
Amy Saves
This show sounds like insanity. Like you said, coupon should be a way of life, not your life!
I would never buy 60 bottles of mustard, even if I was a mustard fanatic! That's just insane.
Jan
Don't watch the TLC show, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of these folks who are clearing shelves are reselling the products--it's one way to make extra money, not that I advocate it. Donation and moderation are more my speed 😉 Although I will admit to having a stockpile of 50 boxes of cereal at any one time--I have a teenage boy, so cereal goes fast around here!
Kathryn
Although I completely understnd the "rush" of getting something free or really cheap, this goes way too far and really unrealistic! Besides, what working mom has an extra 5-6 hours a day?
Coupon Crissy
this show is so FAKE!I teach coupon classes and I am an Extreme coupon-er but I have never got deals like that. Bi Lo doubles up to .98 daily and they usually offer some of the best double deals where you actually get paid money back off your bill but even with that you can only double 10 like items. Come on you are not using theses coupons legally & you are not taking that much time to check out with out other people causing a stink! Somebody just trying to get ratings , go with me to the store & I will give you reality coupon shopping TLC!!
Linda C.
What did you think about the woman who got dressed up and put on lipstick before she went coupon shopping so she would "look rich"?? Do you get an extra discount for looking rich? If so, I'm going to have to go out and get me some lipstick (at Rite Aid during an ECB sale, with coupons of course!)
And the young woman and her husband who had "enough snacks for 800 people". HELLO! Chips have quick 'use-by' dates...they must do some serious snackin' in their house. I was cringing through the whole show. (PS: was thinking the same thing about the mustard...if you're PAYING $.39/bottle after coupon, why in the world would you hoard 77 bottles of it????)
Heather
I think it's great to get the word out about couponing, however extreme the cases were. SO many people could benefit from the knowledge that these people have.
Robyn A.
Thank you for telling it like it is....that those shopping trips were done for the camera. I am married to a grocery store manage and there is no way those shoppers would be able to that at his store, or any grocery where I live...there are coupon limits at all out stores.
And in my opinon, I think stockpiling like that is a form of hoarding (just one persons opinon)
Chris
I saw something mentioned on another site that these goods could be donated and the person might then get a receipt for the full retail price of the item to use as part of their itemized deductions. What are the odds the IRS wouldn't catch that?
in2motion
My primary concern: I hope this series doesn't make stores raise sales prices, change all coupon policies and make manufacturers give us low coupon values on a regular basis. (@Jen). The couple last night with the stockpile of chips & mustard, among other things didn't look like the picture of health. I kept cringing when they showed them next to the chips! The lady did have a very detailed menu, so I believe she was serious about using her items - did you see she had her purchase divided into 18 transactions??? Is that every trip for her? And the couple needed five friends to complete their purchase. NUTS! I'm not willing to fight for the deals like that. You're right, Mindi - this is not normal!
ONETime
The lady with the lipstick made herself out to be foolish. She wanted to appear rich what an idiot..
stephanie
My husband (who's just about as "into" coupons as I) and I watched this episode. We, too, laughed that "Hoarders" came on just after. We started joking that next TLC will come out with "Food Hoarders" or "Mustard Hoarders".
I hate that they give us saavy coupon users a bad name.
Gail Akeman
I do agree the show is way extreme. I have a stockpile, but it is more like 2-3 extra of an item when I find something on sale. Plus to have extra of various things when the power may go out which it does around here.