How Extreme Couponing Is Ruining It For Us All
By: Amy Jeanroy
Published: May 15, 2011

If you have ever watched TLC's Extreme Coupon program, you probably have watched in disbelief, as cart after cart of items were purchased for little more than a song. Literally thousands of dollars vanish, as stacks of carefully organized coupons worked their magic. It is awe inspiring to consider saving 95% of your grocery bill. But before you have visions of the money you are going to be saving, read on. 
How Coupons Work
Once you cut the coupon, it becomes an instant discount; if you bother to use it, and follow the store's coupon policy, that is. Many stores have their own particular set of rules to follow, and these rules are subject to change (which they often do). It is wise to call ahead and check the store's coupon policy if you are relying on the coupons to make your budget work. The cashier then deducts the coupon's worth from your purchase, and places the coupon into the drawer, since it now has monetary value to the store. 
At the end of their shift, the cashier's drawer has to balance with the daily sales, and those coupons are a part of his or her transactions. The store then collects all the coupons used, sorts and sends them to their corporate headquarters. This step is important  to note. There are many eyes on the coupons being sent in by every location, and when fraud occurs, it can be caught by corporate headquarters, even if the local store missed it. Corporate then sorts (or has someone else do the sorting) the coupons and sends them back to the manufacturer to be redeemed for money.
What Goes Wrong
On the surface, coupons are a great way for the consumer to save some money, for a store to bring in customers, and for manufacturers to gain brand loyalty. If  you look a little closer at what can happen with more extreme coupon use, you can see how things can go wrong for everyone involved. 
In the case of some couponers, they gather dozens (even hundreds) of coupons by any means necessary. Although many will object to that statement, saying they never do anything illegal to get their coupons, the fact remains, that many of these amazing couponers are abusing the nature of the rules by clearing an entire shelf of the product that they are getting for next to nothing. Although there are sites that sell coupons in large numbers, and  this again, is within the boundaries of legal couponing, it is certainly not following the spirit of couponing. 
Recently, a local manager of a large chain of stores (who asked to remain anonymous)  took the time to explain what can and more likely will happen to the world of couponing. His store offers a wide variety of coupons each week. 
Q. What do you think about the new interest in couponing? 
What these extreme couponers do not realize, is that the stores are using them to learn how to close loopholes in the coupon system. The so called *great deals* that are available, will soon be gone, as a result of things like online coupons and multiple numbers of coupons for the same item no longer being valid. Extreme couponing is going overboard. Everyone wants a good deal, but there is no reason to have over 100 of any product on your shelf at home. 

Q. Have you  had anyone try to use an extreme amount of coupons?
Yes, I have about 70 coupon users, who come in with stacks of coupons for that week's deals. I even had a woman come in and want us to order 900 packages of toilet paper. 

Q. Did you place the order? 
I told her that we would place the order, but I didn't think that Corporate would send it to us. That is just what happened. We do not have control of what our inventory contains. When the order comes in from the warehouse, we just place it on the shelves.  

Q. Have you ever heard of anyone going overboard locally? 
Yes, I was at a yard sale once, and the woman's garage was literally stuffed with unopened store brand products. I asked her if she used to own that store and she said that it was all stuff she had gotten free, using coupons. She was selling it as a source of income and I didn't think that was right. 

Q. What would you like coupon users to know?
We welcome coupons in our store. We want our customers to save money and of course want them to shop in our store. If a person follow the coupons carefully, she can save a lot of money each week. Please use moderation. Having a couple of coupons per item is enough. If the extreme couponers do not slow down, they will lose the ability to get any deals at all. 

Couponing is a great way to save money on one of the most expensive things in the budget. If organized, using this system of buying can help you build up a supply of food and household products to cut down on future shopping trips. It is a legitimate and worthwhile thing to do. Like anything, there is plenty of room for abuse. Consider your own couponing habit, and be sure that you are doing the right thing.

Comments:
Deb Zingg
May 15, 2011

I  used coupons to save money when I can remember to take them, and when it is something I need..or want to try for the first time.  Some of the extreme coupon people have issues..like the lady who had a garage full of diapers, but no kids, or the guy with 1500 tubes of toothpaste.  Someone always needs to find a way to scam..which is the way I see this behavior.  JMHO.
Andrea Smith

Why don't some of these expert coupon people put their skill to good use and distribute their loot to homeless shelters and such for people who really need it? That's what I would do.
Shey

A lot of them do take excess food to the shelters.
In fact, I have a feeling that many times, manufacturers and stores NEED to get these shelves cleared.
So extreme couponers are doing everyone a favor in such cases.
If stores don't like people stacking up on items, they have it in their power to prevent it, and they do.
Wendy

Everyone can save with a coupon.  However, the people on extreme couponing is going to stop the savings for the regular people that use ONE coupon for an item.  I have noticed that many stores are now stopping the use of more than two coupons for the same item.  I think clearing a shelf is being greedy and unfair to others who also may want that item.  I use coupons and "stock" up over the summer due to my husband getting laid off in the winter time.  But I do not have a "STOCK PILE" I have enough to cut back on spending in the winter.  I figure meals out for 4 months and buy what I need in the summer that can be bought.  Come on people be fair; don't hurt the little guy because you are greedy.
Alicia

One thing I noticed when watching this show was the quality of food that people are buying...processed, full of preservatives and additives, frozen...in other words, BAD for you...that's because you don't really see coupons for fresh veggies/fruits/meats all that often if ever.  I also noticed that most of the people they are profiling are overweight...maybe they should spend less time couponing and more time eating fresh food and exercising, they would save more money in the end with lower healthcare costs.  I also agree with some of the other posters that its really irritating to go to the store to pick up a product that I want to try out only to find it completely sold out the DAY the coupon is valid!!  Whatever happened to item limits?  The stores have complete control over how to validate these offers and yet they allow this to happen.
wayne

To me, the moral of the story is;  Just because you can get something for free doesn't mean you should.  Nor should you stock your basement with crap just because you can.
Ultimately these people are the housewife/husband equivalent of base jumpers.
Tina

How in the world does base jumping and extreme couponing have any poosible relation?