I recently shared that there would be a show on TLC called Extreme Couponing. The show highlighted four couponers – Amanda, Joanie (of Krazy Coupon Lady), Joyce, and Nathan (of We Use Coupons). All used various methods of extreme couponing. If you missed the show, it airs again on January 4 & 5, 2011.

What I liked was that there were some glimmers of good coupon strategies thrown in with the crazy moments. In an effort to be diplomatic, I’ll share both the positives and negatives I observed last night.

The Good “Take Aways”

• It is a good idea to follow store sales cycles and stockpile.
• By stockpiling, you’ll avoid paying full price when the item is not on sale.
• Having a good stockpile can help you during difficult financial times (Joanie of Krazy Coupon Lady shared this).
• It is a good idea to call the store ahead of time if you intend to buy large quantities (Nathan mentioned this near the end).
• Sharing your knowledge to help others save money can have a positive impact (Joyce demonstrated this).
• Excess items you buy can be donated to food banks (but PLEASE call the store and food bank ahead of time to let them know what you have in mind to do if you’re going for extreme amounts.)
• Using coupons is one way you can reduce debt and live within your means.

OK, now that we’ve established what can be learned from the show, I will now share my concerns.

Your Couponing is probably out of control if…

• You have to take an insurance policy out on your stockpile.
• Your stockpile is encroaching into your husband’s mancave.
• You have to take a day off of work to do your shopping.
• You are in tears, recollecting how you’ve had to cancel dinner plans to go shopping instead.
• Your toilet paper brings you “absolute joy.”
• Your shopping trip takes over two hours, three cashiers, and a manager to checkout and crashes the computer in the process.
• You have enough deodorant to last you 140 years.
• You need to hook a trailer hitch up to your Prius to go to the store. 

To end this post, I thought I’d share with you pictures of my current stockpile. No, I do not have thousands of items sitting in my garage. And I do not plan to include it in my will, either.

Here is my pantry, as of today:

And here is a good example of what you’ll find in my health and beauty stockpile:

As you can see, I have a decent amount of stuff! Probably enough toothpaste to last a year or more, and same for deodorant, soap, and body wash. I also have enough food in my pantry to last me a bit. There are definitely some items I’m running lower on, but I really do not fret about it. I just wait for a sale and do my best. I also prepare meals from scratch and freeze them. I estimate I have about 10-12 meals prepped and ready to go right now in my freezer. I don’t feel that I need 40 years’ worth of toilet paper in my house (nor would I WANT to store that anywhere in my house).

Your stockpile may be bigger or smaller than mine, and that’s fine. I simply wanted to share another example of how a stockpile could look.

A Final Word

As a couponer, I strive to be respectful and kind to the cashiers, employees, and managers that help me save money at their stores. Whether or not this was staged by the show, I did not appreciate the way Amanda treated the cashier who had just spent more than a couple hours assisting her at the store. Her parting words to him were something to the effect of, “I hope I don’t see you for a long, long time.”

Now maybe she meant that she hoped she wouldn’t have to go shopping again for a long, long time.

But Amanda? If I were that cashier, the feeling would’ve been mutual, honey.

If you saw the show, what were your thoughts? And if you wrote about the show on your blog, you are welcome to link to it in the comment section. I’m also curious to hear your thoughts about how you like to stockpile and when you feel couponing crosses the line into compulsion and hoarding.

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