May 24th, 2011
Who doesn’t love a good deal?
Most people love a good deal. Many of us feel a veritable high when we save money and prove we’re savvy shoppers. It’s no wonder the TLC show Extreme Couponing has become so popular, who wouldn’t want to learn how to save 90-100% off the grocery bill? Hot damn, sign me up!
I get it. Saving money is smart. Family finances have been squeezed and hung out to dry. It’s a viable solution for many families, but is it really good for our families? Or for our communities? Or for us?
The Intrigue
I have watched a handful of episodes of Extreme Couponing, and I was impressed. Truly. The organization, the dedication, the preparedness. It almost made my anal retentive little heart want to rush out to buy a zippered folder with clear plastic pages for displaying coupons. (Ohhh… the clipping, and the arranging, and the LISTS. Have mercy). For someone like me (who adores a well organized sock drawer) it seems like the perfect way to spend an afternoon.
But then I watched the shopping trips . . .
The Health Issue
Sugared sports drinks, potato chips, sugared cereals, cake and cookie mixes, frozen pizzas, and let us not forget the 52 bags of CANDY. (You know who you are)
Oh dear God, did I see a pallet of soda pop being wheeled to the check-out?
It’s a fact breastfeeding mothers will sometimes achieve milk letdown from merely hearing a baby cry, I think my body experienced a new physiological phenomenon in the form of an insulin rush to try to counter all the refined sugar and carbohydrates my eyes saw on the screen.
And the processed foods. Canned soups and vegetables, instant noodle lunches, hot dogs, crackers, processed cheese food, packets of preserved lunch meats.
At that point my ankles started to swell.
I watched eight different shoppers play their couponing sport with organized finesse. Thousands of dollars worth of groceries traveled down the conveyor belts. I counted one bag of salad, and one bunch of bananas. (Between all eight shoppers…insert exclamation points). Was TLC just being strategic about which items to feature on the show, or is this the reality of extreme couponing?
One woman, a mother who spends sixty hours a week on couponing duties, purchased over $1,000 of groceries for under $50. She spends $2,000 a year on newspapers for coupon inserts, and I can only make an educated guess about the amount of printer ink and paper she uses to print internet coupons from her five computers.
Is it worth it? Hey, time is valuable, and sixty hours a week certainly seems obsessive. Her stock pile of groceries appeared to be mostly processed foods and junk. Couponing seems to be her career. It begs the question, would working outside the home and earning money to purchase real and healthier foods be a better option for her health, and for the health of her family? (My definition of real and healthy food is generally food with only one ingredient).
I’m not slamming all processed foods and junk food, I’m slamming a diet based solely (or largely) on food that is proven to have little health benefit, and even worse, is detrimental to health. Everything in moderation, and the definition of moderation is not a garage full of edible manufactured crap.
There is no way to put this delicately. Only one of the eight extreme couponers I watched appeared to be a healthy weight. Red flags, folks. Big scarlet wavy ones.
(Continued on next page)
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15 Responses to “Is It Extreme Couponing? Or Hoarding Processed Junk?”
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I’ll be honest.. if I could get things like toothpaste, toilet paper, deodorant, cleaning products, etc for free, or close to it, I would probably have a closet full. Its where my brain collides and my “saving money” bit throws down the gloves and has it out with my “anti-clutter” bit.
You know, it’s funny. Coming from the Dallas area five years ago, this whole “massive couponing” thing happened there back then. I first heard about it from a woman who did it as a part time job. Her daughter had a disability and one place they could go and she could work to make money was a grocery store. She would sign people up for a full or half order. If I remember, a full order was $500 in groceries for $150 and a half order was $200 in groceries for $80. She basically made the decisions on everything you got…but you got cereals, meats (mostly canned though), soups, packaged pastas and stuffings, juices, etc…all of them purchased with coupons. She ended up having expenses of around $100 for all her orders and she raked in the money hand over fist, making more than 10 times that with her paid orders. The stores in the south had more options for coupons. Back then, they would double and triple a $1 coupon. I remember the days when I tried to follow in her footsteps and ended up with the 5 bottles of BBQ sauce in flavors I didn’t even like because that’s all that was left. It was frustrating enough to to turn me off completely to it. People around here in the North West seem far less interested in being involved in extreme couponing. It’s not really something to brag about here. I do have a friend on FB who is doing it in order to bring the items to the homeless shelter though – and she has a giant stockpile in her basement of pads, tampons, shampoos, deoderant. I only wish I was her when I use the last of my deoderant and wish I didn’t have to drive all the stupid way to the store to buy ONE container of it. The rest of the time, I like my way of doing things. Buy what you use, switch up brands and try and eat fresher foods. Local foods too.
I’m a couponer but not extreme. I won’t get coupons for things that I won’t use. I do get coupons for items I hope or think I’m going to use but end up not using it. I find extreme couponing is more hording than anything else. One man bought enough toilet paper to last his whole family for over 5yrs I think or was it more?? Can’t quite remember.
You have said everything in this article I wanted to say, or haven’t thought of. You’re right, these people are mostly overweight! I’m a very overweight person so I’m not being discrimanotory! It’s all processed, junk foods! Organized hoarding and mental issues come to mind when describing these people!
I have been a couponer since college, i was taught by my mother who raised 2 kids on her and my dads tiny incomes. We never felt like we were “on a budget” mainly due to mom clipping her coupons and matching them to store ads each week. I currently get 2 papers each week and clip the coupons i know we will use. i get extremely frustrated when i go to a store during the 1st day of a sale with my list and envelope of coupons and half the items are already “out of stock” due to 1 or 2 people clearing a shelf. I agree that this new TV program :”Extreme Couponing” glamorizes a disease. Watch those people at the check out line – the 1 woman threatened to punch her husband in the face..ON CAMERA!!! yeah – that’s a legacy I want to pass on. Watch the “Extremers” closely as the bill rises – their eyes dialate, they get sweaty, red faced, hands shake….its like watching a crack-head in need of their next fix….and we are all glued to our TV sets to see how low the balance will go. i admit i have watched several episodes but like the article above stated I too noticed all the pre-packaged items. those asian noodle packs for 1 serving have more sodium in them than is recommended for 2 DAYS daily intake…. is it that there are no coupons out there for fresh produce, i dont think so…my grocery store consistently has in-store coupons for “buy item X get a free head of lettuce” (it has also been done for carrots, bananas, potatoes, apples, melons and onions) There are coupons for REAL milk – why does a household need 60 bottles of processed chocolate/strawberry milk.(my children get chocolate milk as a special treat not 6 times a day). I’m sorry but I have already gone to the TLC website and voiced my opinion that this show should not continue for another season….it does not show the average couponer in a positive light. I was at a store the other day with my coupons at the checkout and the lady behind me was just huffing and nail-tapping and hand on hip…i felt like i was doing something wrong…all because it took an extra 2 mins for the cashier to scan my dozen or so coupons…i’m not blaming TLC for that particular incident but it has made us couponers more sensitive. I encourage anyone who feels strongly about this to contact TLC either Pro or Con – our opinions could make a difference. Stores in my area are already changing their coupon policies. (ex: Rite Aid just this week, Walmart on 5/12) I have been told by store representatives when I questioned the reason for the change that it was in part (not completely) due to this program. Food for thought….
I also have watched the TLC show with some trepedition and yes, even concern. I use coupons. Ad if I can get several for items I use and can catch on sale, I will most certainly do it. I save the coupons for baby items for friends I know need them. But to have a closet, spare room or a basement with special shelves to store stuff? Really? At first I thoughit was sort of cool. But the more I watched, the more I thought, “Those folks need to find some other way to channel their energies.” Like their maybe families. I am all for saving money, but to glamorize what has to border on an obsession just seems wrong to me. Of course then they can go back in a couple of years to film “Hoarders: Buried Alive”!
It comes down to your health. Eating highly processed food will eventually pay a toll on your body. I guess with all the money the couponers are saving, they can spend it at the doctors. Since eating healthier, my family is rarely sick. I would rather have a show about growing your own garden, canning, & how to make meals with the harvest. I could see spending the time in a garden, knowing I am going to feed my family extreamly healthy food, then spending the same amount of time clipping coupons for unheathly food. That is time that the family can do together while learning valuable lessons. Do these couponers visit their local Farmers Market? I doubt is because there are no coupons and they don’t see the whole picture of supporting local farmers. Do their kids know what a tomato plant looks like? That chicken isn’t always breaded and shaped like a dinosaur? We need to go back to the way our ancestors ate, from the ground up.
Its hoarding of processed junk, and its scamming companies. If you are disgusted by people scamming the federal government for welfare, you should be equally disgusted with people scamming companies. They are nothing but grifting hoarders.
I have been couponing for years. I stockpile but have NEVER bought 50 of 1 item at a time (well with the exception of the 40 boxes of poptarts for my 3 kids because that is the ONLY thing they would eat for breakfast for three months and I was tired of paying $3 a box- but that was over a weeks worth of trips and never again because now they hate poptarts and want the strawberries and bananas I had been trying to get them to eat!!) but I digress!
My “extreme” shopping yesterday consisted of 6 gallons of low fat milk and TONS of yogurt! My freezer is full of meat that I used coupons and rebates to purchase. We pick our own fruit at farms (strawberries, peaches, pears, apples)
I never pay for deodorant, shampoo, hair care products, body wash or soap. THOSE are the biggest money savers for us! Great article!
Hoarder
I had the same thoughts as well. I have been using coupons for over 25 years.I knew once this show aired the stores was going to change their coupon polices. Just when I found out my store take target coupons & you can use two coupons for the same item!No more! Consumers that never use coupons before,are now doing so. I use a coupon for only the items I like and use. I do not like frozen food, I seldom drink soda,eat potato chips,candy,etc…So extreme coupons is not for me. Now I would not mind stocking up on some health & beauty items,toilet tissue,& paper towels. From watching the show,I only seen 1 person donate food,the others had items all over their home!
40 years of toilet paper?
extra insurance to cover the hoard?
This is organized hoarding. These people have 1-2 years worth of stockpiles? Why spend time hoarding this stuff. Spend the time using it and spending time WITH YOUR LOVED ONES.
In the long run, I agree with the other posters, this is likely NOT saving them money.
With anything you will have some people who will go overboard. One thing that I teach is having a sensible stockpile suitable for your family and lifestyle. Learn to keep a list of items that you frequently need. My family don’t eat Mustard alot so a good stockpile would be 4 bottles that will last for 2 years.
As a coupon blogger its important to guide your followers and to teach them that you can have a nice stockpile and not go crazy over items that may expire or you may never use.
With the way people are so “use by date scared” most of the foods in their “hoarding” inventories will be tossed in the garbage at some point. Don’t say they won’t because YOU KNOW….most people will put food in the garbage the day of the use by date!!!! Selfish hoarders…just because it is free does not mean you need it or will use it! You are giving to a false economy for the companies, filling the landfill and getting morbidly OBESE in the mix!!!
No one needs to have more than 3-4 months of supplies….for god’s sake there is a grocery store on nearly every corner.
If you shop with coupons and get mostly everything free, why not donate half of your purchases to the food shelves!!! You won’t be losing money, you will be giving away some thing you got free or very very cheap! Think of the children who maybe get one meal a day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have a feeling that if it hasn’t already happened, it will! Companies put the coupon out and reimburse you for a portion of what you spend. They also pay the grocery/store an amount for handling. Where do you think those companies get back their money? They raise the price of the products. I have a feeling that this couponing crazy will end up costing everyone a LOT more to make up for the difference. I don’t look forward to paying 2,3,5 times more for my purchase because you HOARDERS are stockpiling stuff that will eventually end up in the landfill!!!!!!
NO ONE needs more than a few months worth of supplies! Who will feel sorry for you if your house burns, tornado does it job or your toilet leaks into your storage room??????/