So….it’s back. How does everyone feel about this? 😉 I saw there was a new episode on last night, haven’t watched it yet though. I did see a promo where the lady was laughing about being a shelf clearer – and saying other shoppers should beat her to the store. I can see that if there’s 2 or 3 products, but knowing how the show is it’s probably more like 20-30 (or 80-90!) like we saw people do last year. I’ve read and heard a lot of horror stories since the show started – people stealing all the newspapers on their street, people stealing papers from the store, people selling huge stockpiles at garage sales or online deal sites – even things like people hiding stock in the stores for sale day, trying to trick stores with multiple coupon purchases and complicated returns.
For me I find the show entertaining, laughable. A few people last season I could identify with, on a much smaller scale. (ok, maybe just 1 or 2 people). At first it was funny to see people go so crazy over free stuff you know they’ll never use – then it just got a bit scary for me. All these huge stockpiles are fire hazards – imagine having hundreds of bottles of spray air freshners in your house and there’s a leak or a fire….scary stuff!! At some point it just becomes hoarding – maybe they’ll do an update show on some people where all the food and product went bad? Or for a few of them how maybe their husbands left them over it….you know who I mean! 😉
I am a stockpiler….within reason! If I find a good deal on soup I won’t buy 1, I’ll buy a dozen. Same thing with fruit – if raspberries are on sale we will get a few containers…..but not 50! I like not having to run to the grocery store every time we need something – freezer full of cheap bread from McGavins, check! Cheap meat packs from the butchers in the freezer, check! 200 razors for a single family…uncheck! I do have fun sharing my finds with my family, if I find a good deal on coffee, shampoo I always know to pick up a few extra for my mom, grandma etc. I have no dreams of turning my house into a store though….a room full of shelves is not in our future!
What are everyone’s thoughts on the show? And on “extreme couponing” in general? It’s my new pet peeve…I can’t stand it at the store when someone calls me an extreme couponer…I’m just a lightweight, and proud of it! 🙂
I have to say when they say extreme they mean extreme!!!
But have to say it is impressive what they can do – My husband watch the new one and couldn’t believe the one couple spent 8 hours in the store and that she spent 35 hours a week planning. but i have to say when she saved over $1,000.00 which incuded fruit and meat, i was impressed – that is a great week (full time job) worth of work it’s more then i make in a week.
I haven’t watched it yet – taped it but my daughter wanted me to wait and watch it together. For sure if you’re saving $$ on meat, veggies etc. you’re doing awesome. Makes me actually want to watch it. I just got tired of seeing people dump baskets of toothpaste, deodorant etc. into their carts! Since my daughter was born with coupons and just looking for best deals we’ve saved a lot! All of our outings now are usually groupons/teambuys, we really use our entertainment book a lot – wait for big sales on meat and bread. The savings add up really fast like that.
I just thought I would throw out there that at the Island Lakes garage sale on the weekend I saw someone selling all their stuff they bought with coupons,,,,,you could totally tell too, it was the swiffers, ziploc bags , laundry soap and so on,,,,really a pet peeve for me as I use coupons to survive on a budget and for a l ong time there would be nothing on the shelves at London Drugs because people were stock piling….now selling it off to make a buck….sometimes people just take it too far
I heard of that sale, but didn’t go. I do know a few people who did go, and I dont’ think this lady will be getting such good deals at the stores in Winnipeg anymore! 😉
Me and my wife love the show and think it’s just amazing how much people can get if they work really hard at it. But yes there are lots of negatives too. The complete hoarders who don’t have space to live, or the things that end up going bad. That one lady of coarse that treated her husband like crap! That guy needs to stand up and be a man!
For us I guess we are just a bit jealous of how you could do this in the states. But we have become better at it here in Winnipeg, and it isn’t always easy as we do need to make these savings to pay the bills. It would be nice to see more of the extreme people donating to food banks and people in need. I still love the show and will continue to watch.
A little off topic, but I just had to tell someone…. I just cashed in superpoints for a $25 Amazon GC!! Woohoo!! (I should have had it earlier, but I have been a little busy and haven’t been spinning the wheel.) This brings my total to $45 Amazon GCs and $25 in Paypal deposits in just a few months. I am going to be doing some Xmas shopping on Amazon.ca this year!!
Some of you have joined, but have not filled in your basic information and/or not added an avatar. (You get more spins if you do this.) If anyone else wants an invite, you can email me at [email protected].
I watched last night’s episode….nothing very impressive. Keep waiting for people buying real food – not just pop, drinks, candy etc. One lady made me laugh, she wants to move to Hawaii and wants to bring a stockpile of food, toiletries and so on with her – guess she’s never moved, or looked at a map! Would cost 10x retail price to bring anything like that along.
In one way “couponing” is really good to know to save some money. On the other hand “extrmee couponing” is exactly that … extreme … way off the map. There are good tips to learn from each show yet the show is looking for ratings so of course, nothing is ever filmed every day’ish.
A few weeks ago, I stumbled on some sites and kept reading site from site from site (links). This is the story BEHIND THE STORY. Is very interesting. Since reading many American blogs, it would appear this “Jamie” is known as the black sheep in the couponing US world.
This link …
http://jillcataldo.com/alleged-tlc-extreme-couponing-fraud
is really an informative site in that it shows the “birth” of extreme couponing. From what I understood the entire site (and others after reading this one), is that Jill is a legit coupon teacher in the States, TLC approached her for legit ideas to save money. Thinking she was helping viewers (pre taping season initially), she offered legit info on tips, ideas, outcomes, etc. In the meantime what TLC wasn’t telling her was they were interviewing other people who are extreme and naturally to build up the ratings, they made the shows a bit bizarre, to say the least. And the stories go on and on.
Secondly, if you query google – jamie and extreme couponing, there is a wealth of info there as to the crookedness that this Jamie lady (the one with the purple top and tight black leggings with high top boots) was on last year. As even with many US couponers, she has spoiled legit couponing there too.
We have 2 types of people, those with integrity and those that don’t know what integrity means. One can have integrity and savings in one sentence. When that occurs, that’s a win-win for everyone, the couponers, the stores, and all shoppers around the couponers. Then there’s those with no integrity and full of selfish greedy traits. Those are the ones that make it bad for everyone else and why manufacturers are putting more and more restrictions onto their coupons.
At one time you could read a coupon with normal eyesight. Now you have to have a magnifying glass because they can’t get enough restrictions onto those little valuable pieces of paper.
And then now I read about the situation at Lindenwoods. It’s so frustrating to read how some people can make it so bad for other people. I so wish everyone would think of their “fellow man” and respect themselves and everyone around them when couponing and shopping.
Lastly, the most recent TV clip about the lady who has an “I don’t care attitude if I take everything off the shelves”, is an exact example of the selfish greedy couponer. And she appears mighty proud of herself. I have yet to see that show.
To all the rest of you couponers with genuine integrity, my hat’s off to you and all the best in your savings in the future.
I think for the most part those people are ridiculous with their huge stockpiles! Personally, I am not one to buy something just because it’s cheap. If I’m not going to use it, why would I need it? I do credit the show with getting me interested in using coupons more. In the past I never really took the time to even look at flyers and now I am starting to save a little here and there!
Hi everyone
I work as a Family Outreach Worker. In the North end of Winnipeg with parents of a pre-school. I set up different workshops for the parents each month. I thought It would be a great idea to have a couponing workshop. To help the low-income parents I work with save money. So if anyone of you are interested please email me at [email protected].