Are you watching this tonight? Most of you probably know about this new TLC series, but if you don’t, tonight TLC will start a new series called Extreme Couponing. I have received many emails from you all telling me I should apply to go on Extreme Couponing. But here’s the thing – I don’t consider myself extreme. Here’s why… if you watched the original episode of Extreme Couponing earlier this year, you probably saw that the “extreme couponers” were just that. Extreme. Seriously – how many candy bars do you need – even if they are free – the lady on the show got 150 candy bars for free. Do you really need or want 150 candy bars in your house? Don’t get me wrong, I love my candy but unless it’s Halloween and I’m giving the candy away to the trick or treaters I would never want that much candy in the house. Or how much of a stockpile do you really need? If your stockpile is valued at over $50,000 and you are still adding to it, when is the point when you decide that you have enough?
I have a stockpile. My stockpile seems to grow each week as I buy more items at the stores. That said, each week I’m also pruning my stockpile as I give items away. And, like I tell everyone in my Addicted to Saving 101 class, stockpiling can very easily transition into hoarding. And from what I have seen, Extreme Couponing may showcase and glamorize more of the hoarding aspect of couponingthan a saving aspect. And, I wonder how manufacturers view the growing trend of extreme couponing. Manufacturers supply us with coupons so that we will purchase their items. But I wonder if their intent is for us to use 100 of their coupons to score 100 items free? I wonder if Extreme Couponing may negatively affect all of us?
Couponing is a way of life for me. I am used to going to the store and saving at least 80 – 90% each week. I am also used to having a stocked freezer with boneless chicken breasts, lean ground beef, ground turkey and frozen fruits and veggies (many of which are organic). I also know when enough is enough. I currently have 12 boxes of brown rice. They don’t expire for the next 6 months so I am not worried about them going bad. (Brown rice is a staple in our house.) That said, unless the rice is free, I won’t buy any more of it until my stockpile has dwindled. And, if it is free, I will then give away some of my stockpile. There would be absolutely no reason for me to have a stockpile valued at over $50,000 because there is no way I could use all of the items whether they have expiration dates or not.
So, while I will probably DVR tonight’s Extreme Couponing episode, you won’t see applying to be on the show because I am not “extreme”. I am a regular person who has learned how to save big bucks every week as I have drastically stretched the value of each and every dollar that I spend. I coupon out of a necessity both to spend less money and to have a frugal mindset.
If you watch tonight’s episode, please let me know your thoughts. Do you want to be an extreme couponer? What do you think of the couponers highlighted on tonight’s episode? I know many of you have strong feelings either way so I would love to hear all of them!
If you are new to Addicted to Saving, go HERE to read “Intro to Coupons”.
Thanks for coming to Addicted to Saving! Here’s a little bit about me so you can know who’s behind all these posts!
My name is Liza and I began my money-saving journey in the Spring of 2009 as a way to stretch a limited household income. I had lost my job and my hubby was self-employed. I launched Addicted to Saving in November of 2009 and it has grown by leaps and bounds. Since then, my hubby and I have struggled with the ups and downs of two failed adoptions and are now LOVING being parents to our little man Asher who we brought home from Ethiopia in August of 2013. I feel incredibly blessed to be able to help you save money. My goal is that you will have FUN and become empowered to save more and more money each week..