As most of you are probably already aware, TLC will be airing a new series tonight called Extreme Couponing. I won’t be watching…
To hear the words “extreme” and “couponing” used in the same sentence just makes me cringe. I mean the very definition of of extreme is “going to the utmost or very great lengths in action.” Anything done to the extreme borders dangerously on becoming an obsession.
I don’t know about you, but that is not the way I want my actions to be viewed by my family and friends — or you, my readers.
:: Couponing As A Lifestyle
Couponing is a way of life, but taking it to the extreme isn’t necessary to trim your grocery budget. Yes, getting hundreds of dollars of groceries for under $5 is a thrilling experience. However, take a closer look at those groceries. Do you really have the ingredients necessary to put together a wholesome family meal? I’m betting the answer is no.
I prefer to support practical couponing here on Deal Seeking Mom. A typical grocery shopping trip for our family of seven averages about $100 and consists of a variety of fresh produce and meats and the sensible use of coupons on products that complement a healthy eating lifestyle. I could be wrong, but I’d imagine this is the ultimate goal for many of you — not simply getting free products for the sake of free products — and I plan to share more of these trips in the coming weeks.
:: Our Stockpile
It may surprise you to know that I pass up a good portion of the deals that I share with you each week, freebies included. If an item isn’t something my family uses, I’m probably not going to waste my valuable time and energy shopping for it. Yes, even if it would make a great donation — storage space is at a premium in our overcrowded house, and unless I know we can shuttle something off to a dropoff immediately, I’ll probably pass it by. However, I do want my readers to have every opportunity to save available, so I post all of the offers that I can without judgment.
That said, we do have a stockpile… a modest stockpile. I buy enough to last us 6-8 weeks, and that’s plenty in my book. It makes for easier management of expiration dates while still allowing me to be generous with family and friends as the need arises.
I will say that I’m thankful to TLC for inspiring more people to learn about couponing. If you came here by way of the show and are interested in learning a common sense approach to using coupons and saving money, I hope you’ll subscribe to Deal Seeking Mom and stick around!
What are your thoughts on the show? How do you approach couponing in your household?
Amy
“To hear the words “extreme” and “couponing” used in the same sentence just makes me cringe.” Ditto! It’s really scary, imho! Great post, T!
-A
Anon
Agree wholeheartedly!! Couponing is a wonderful way to save $$. HOWEVER, if doing so is taking a significant chunk of time away from your family or real life, it’s time for a reality check. I also agree with what you said about healthy foods. It’s been tough, but I’ve found a bunch of blogs and coupon sources for HEALTHY foods that I rely on. The savings aren’t as great and the coupons can be hit or miss, but it’s worth it to get food that is actually good for us : )
amy
Hey Anon, just wondering if you could share some of those blogs and coupon sources – I’m always looking for coupons for “healthy” fare. Or maybe I need to give you my email address – I don’t know if you can post the other sites or not —
Tara Kuczykowski
Amy, have you checked the Deal Seeking Mom Coupon Database? A search on organic turns up 86 coupons currently:
https://coupondatabase.dealseekingmom.com/main-database/?mode=front&adv_search=0&search=organic&search_all_words=1
Amanda
I was really excited about watching the show tonight because I thought maybe I could learn some new tips, but now Tara has me thinking in a new way. I’ve noticed that a lot of the food coupons are geared toward unhealthy or not as healthy food choices. Sure, it’s easy to stockpile a bunch of junk you don’t need or will never use, but I don’t want to waste even a few of my hard-earned pennies on that stuff! I’d like to save my family money on the things we actually use. If anyone can pass along some coupon links or sites for healthier choices, I’m all in! Thanks, Tara, for all you do. I’m hooked!!
Gilda
I love getting coupons online and using them for things I need. For example I would never go in to a Craft store without one of the 40 or 50% off coupons. The issue I had with Extreme Couponing is as you said, how many tubes of toothpaste do you really need. Sometimes I feel like they just buy things for the sake of the rush of using the coupon to get it for close to free. Once I had a situation like that though with Baby Food when my daughter was little. I clearly needed baby food and there was a coupon that basically gave me jars for 5 cents each. I was always too embarrassed to use too many at the same time so I would go back multiple times to use the coupon. I some how felt I was cheating them even though I wasn’t.
Gilda
ashley
That’s how I feel. I get the cheapest/closest to free baby food and formula I can get…And with the new Similac coupons, I can create a stockpile of my son’s formula in a premixed ready to feed form. I will be getting as many bottles as I can for 9 cents apiece or less. We are 6 people on one income in a hurricane-prone area, so we can’t afford to buy a bunch of $5 bottles of ready made formula, and my child is not going to go hungry if we are without water! But you know, I will do all that in very many trips, because I don’t want to be called out on it. As if the store doesn’t get paid back!
Martie Hawkins
I agree with your “coupon shopping policy” and I tend to only purchase what I can use in a reasonable amount of time as well. However, I very well may check in on the program just to see if they are going to continue to follow those who I put in the category of hoarding or if it truly is simple couponing to the extreme. (does that make sense?)
I’m sure I’ll be packing as I watch or listen in since I will be traveling tomorrow. It will be a program I do not need to pay strict attention to. LOL
Alyssa @ KingdomFirstMom
Well said, Tara. Coupons are a valuable tool, when used responsibly. I am also one to pass up many deals and freebies. Time, storage space, and most importantly, HEALTH are huge factors in these decisions. I don’t care to stock up on hundreds of free candy bars that will not nourish my family. I appreciate your common sense approach and strive to strike the same balance on my blog.
Christen
Awesome post! I don’t really agree with the idea of extreme couponing. Besides, how free is something if you have spent 4-6 hours a DAY, as one interviewed extreme couponer reported? How many newspapers did you have to buy? How many stores did you drive to? I just think they aren’t adding up all the more “hidden” costs in order to maintain the shock value of the show. I won’t be watching it either. I love couponing, but the idea of extreme couponing kind of creeps me out.
Mary Anne
Exactly…while I enjoy going to the store and getting great deals on Easter Basket items, or groceries my family will use I do not wanted to be a “hoarder”. I will not be one. But thanks to your site, I have saved quite a bit on my family grocery budget each month! :)
Mary Anne
Oh for crying out loud, I do not “want”…geez!
Veronica
I totally agree with you….. It’s exciting getting a great deal, but extreme couponing is a little greedy in my opinion……
LINDA
I agree with you. I have noticed on that show that they buy junk food. I was watching it one day and someone used coupons to buy 85 candy bars. That isn’t healthy.
Jamie
If I were a school teacher, 85 candy bars wouldn’t last me one day of pop quiz trivia. If they’re all for me? Yikes!!
krissy rouse higgins
THANK YOU for that post – being somewhat ‘new’ to couponing, after watching Extreme Couponing on TLC I felt like somewhat of a loser – how in the world was I not able to save that much, or get my final bill down to $8.52?? But as I watched it for a SECOND time, I did begin to realize that most of that would just SIT at our house – maybe not even be used. !150 candy bars? 50 bottles of spaghetti sauce?? I don’t always ‘cook’ the healthiest, but I do try to watch what I feed my family – its nice to see someone who enjoys getting good deals on WHAT THEY USE, but not going to excess.
Thanks for all you do! It helps me tremendously to read blogs and fb post on special deals instead of trying to find them myself with my busy work schedule, and 3 kids. Some I pass on, some I get excited about and pass ON to others :)
Thanks again!
Jocelyn Dorsey
I totally agree with you. Sometimes I wonder if they haven’t combined this show with Hoarders. I watched the show once and was kind of ashamed at the amount of stuff people were purchasing just because they had a coupon for it. I have never needed to go to the store and purchase 50 containers of pudding, deodorant or anything else. I remember they showed a man on there who seriously had a problem. He actually bought 1000 boxes of cereal. He didn’t even have any kids! He had over 10,000 items in his basement. He and his wife never needed to shop again. I love a bargain, but I am not going to purchase stuff for my family (husband and 4 kids), that we will never use.
Marla Zickefoose
I agree..and also they say $500 in groceries for $6 but they don’t calculate the amount spent ordering the coupons from a coupon service. I would buy the sunday paper anyway so they are free in my mind. We all could extreme coupon but for my family its unrealistic and not worth the time.
Lori @ OurForeverHouse
absolutely agree with everything said here. I love a good deal and may go a bit crazy on an item our family truly uses and loves but seriously, when your stockpile is taking over rooms in your house and your lifestyle, yikes! Alyssa, I wouldn’t pass up a free candy bar (for my own personal “momma’s having a stress moment” stash)!!! Hee hee!
melissa
i will try to watch it just to watch something, but i dont think what theyre doing is right or appropriate i find it as a form of hoarding and greedy
Rosa Woodhams
I agree… no need to go to extremes to just get stuff that sits around going bad… going to extremes is a little too much!
Mindy
THANK YOU for such a great article!!!!
Marci Loehner
Tara, I’m in the exact same boat as you are. When the show first aired a few months ago, my thoughts and opinions were all over the internet. I hold my head in shame for those who are behind this show, including the shoppers. Two of the shoppers who aired originally are from my area and the exact reason I can’t special order products. I am a BIG donater and can only order up to 30 of 1 item. While that’s great that I am still able to special order, there are times that I would like to donate 100 toothbrushes, noodles and toothpaste to several pantries that I donate to.
Shame on those who give us “couponers” a bad name and for portraying the show as “the norm”. These people are far from normal!!!
Just hey that’s my $.02 for whatever it’s worth….carry on. (Thanks for the vent space!)
Cheryl @ Swap Savers
I agree with you but I am interested to watch the show. Maybe I will be able to learn something new.
Heather
I love this post, thank you so much! I am new to couponing, so I haven’t learned all the ropes and I love following your facebook feed and blog for great deals, especially since yours are more geared to moms and families.
Cristina
Hi Tara,
Thanks for sharing your “common” sense approach to coupon shopping. I appreciate your thoughts on wholesome meals and, as a mom of 2 young girls, I try to do what you do.
Also, THANK YOU so much for all the deals you bring to my household. Your website, time, and effort are a blessing to us!
Have a great day!
Vanessa
I agree, they get all of that stuff for under $5, but nothing to make a meal with. Mainly looks like stockpiling to me.
Jennifer
I totally agree. I like to watch the show, because they do seem to have a lot of fun getting a ton of free stuff. However, I quickly learned when I started couponing that there are only so many weeks you can go and get free toothpaste and razors before you simply don’t need any more of those types of product. There are weeks that I don’t go to multiple stores, but just shop sensibly with coupons at my regular grocery store. If the deals are really great a particular week, I put more effort into it and visit several stores. Learning how to leverage the value of coupons to save money has changed my life, but it hasn’t become my life…and that’s how I like it!
sue
I really appreciate your comments concerning Extreme Couponing. Using coupons sensibly can save a good deal of money. But good nutrition is SO important. I have to wonder what else is going on when people let couponing goes “wild” and things get out of hand. Thanks for being a voice of reason!
Patricia Whorton
I don’t have the space in my home to stockpile, but I try to save around $40-$50 each week in groceries and household products. (combining sales and coupons) I have been “couponing” for three weeks now, and am very happy there is a place to find all the deals. I have a friend, however, who loves the rush of getting stuff for free and who the local stores have dubbed “the coupon lady” – but she doesn’t really stockpile, she sells it on ebay!
jen
TLC, up until lately, stood for The Learning Channel. With this show it is all about SHOCK & AWE! I wish the channel would go back to their original ideas.
christi munson
I am a couponer. and i agree I think this show is going to give couponing a bad name. I dont have purchases piled to my ceiling in a hidden room! I barely have enuff time to get groceries for my family let alone use every coupon out there and give it away to shelters. I wish i did but its just not practical for me. You are 100% right in your thinking and i really appreciate that!
Samantha
Not a fan of the show. I don’t like it promoting buying hundreds of a particular item, even if it’s free. Clearing the shelves is not cool. I don’t like how it presents any of the information. It makes it look like all us couponers are crazy hoarders.
Shely
I couldnt agree more. I watched the couple of episodes that were on a while back and while it was awesome the amount of stuff they got for so little, they were buying stuff they couldnt really use. Who is going to use 1000 boxes of pasta?… Like EVER. I admire your approach of couponing. Why be greedy just because you can be?
Amy Osborn
I had the same feeling when this first aired. It sure would be great if all the checkout clerks so welcomed our coupons, as they do in this show. Makes you think it might be a bit “for the show”. Also it was pointed out earlier that those coupons must have cost something as there are so many of them. You never hear that on the show.
Denisha
I for one will not be spending an hour of my life to watch either…You are so right about the quality of thier groceries..it’s nothing but junky McJunk Junk!! I teach a couponing class at my church and I emphasize time effective couponing tailored to your lifestyle needs…no extreme nonsense or borderline hoarding behavior here.