Thursday, December 30, 2010
* image credit Discovery Press Web.
As a deals-blogger, I was definitely interested when I heard about the new show on TLC called "Extreme Couponing". The show debuted on December 29, 2010 and is set in the US, where couponing is much more common and perhaps more "extreme". This show is about people who aim to get the most as possible for the littlest price. These people stop at nothing, like for example dumpster-diving to get coupons that others may have thrown away (pictured in image above). I personally love a deal like the next person, but having been at it for some time now, the "thrill" of a deal has worn off and I find myself skipping over things because I simple do not need them. Even though an item may be very inexpensive or even free, there is so much that a person needs. The one person on this show had 3,000 rolls of toilet paper! Now personally I don't own more than 2-3 packs at one time.
The show explains you how addictive "smart shopping" can be, the thrill of getting something for really cheap, it makes you feel like you accomplished something great. However having 300 toothbrushes? How many toothbrushes does the average person go through in a year? a month? 1 every month? 1 every 3 months (recommended)? so it would take you over 30 years to go through those! I know if you stock up (or hoard as others would put it) on non-perishable items and have the space for it all, why not right? You aren't hurting anyone. Personally my boyfriend got annoyed when I used to "obsess" over getting something because it was on sale. Nowadays, I do not let sales dictate what I buy or how much, but more so where I buy it is what is important. It does not take long to discover where something is a good price vs over-priced and to me, that is smart shopping. I think couponing and having fun with it is all good, but when it starts letting it rule your life you know you have a problem, some of the people on this show definitely seemed OCD to me.
What is your opinion? Did you watch the show?
holy geez, this I gotta watch!! :O
ReplyDeleteAwesome, awesome post! I couldn't agree with you more. I've been guilty of hoarding freebies in the past (Satin Care shave gel, tons of body wash, etc) but I've learned that it's no longer worth my time to seek out free stuff that I won't use (or will use over 30 years).
ReplyDeleteI didn't watch it but I can definitely imagine what it was like. I use coupons some of the time and I will acknowledge that it does save you money in the long run. But I find many people cannot identify the difference between 'want' and 'need'. I see it ALL the time in the deal forums. If an avid couponer said they saved $1500, how much of that did they really, truly need? You don't need 50 free Glade candles - that's total bullshit and everyone knows it.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand hoarding either. Why have 40 bottles of shampoo at one time? It's not like it will never go on sale again.
In the end I think some people need to practice a little restraint. Just because it's free or almost free doesn't mean you should buy it. Or 20 of it.
However, I do support donating to the food bank and shelters with the items you can get with coupons. I applaud the people who make the effort to do so. But I don't agree with re-selling items after you get it for free and I think dumpster diving is just ridiculous and a total health hazard. And it disgusts me when people abuse printed coupons or tries to scam an store.
I'd rather pay the extra dollar for milk and bread every now and then and go out and have a social life with my extra time. Using coupons is great, but if it affects even a tiny bit of my day to day life, it's too much of a sacrifice.
Just my two cents.
Great deal site Justine, keep up the good work!
;)
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