TLC's "Extreme Couponing" - Here we go again

These last few days I've had a whole lot of friends, family & acquaintances contact me about "that coupon show on TLC."  I posted a blog about the pilot episode, discussing how it's unrealistic and not a good overall view of couponers.

So now it's a series and episodes 1 & 2 of the first official season aired last night.  We don't have cable so I wasn't able to watch it until this evening, but I'd heard some reactions and I figured I knew what I was going to see once I sat down to view the episodes.

My reaction, above.

Oh for....

*sigh*

The first thing that jumped out at me were FOUR obvious instances of improper coupon use.
Shelf clearing.  Blatant shelf clearing.
Store coupon policies being completely ignored.
I giggled at paying for Maalox.  Paying for Maalox is not being an "Extreme Couponer."  I don't consider myself an extreme couponer, and even I know you don't have to pay for Maalox.

So let me start with the most important issue with last night's show - proper coupon usage.
As I mentioned, there were four instances that I could immediately see where coupons were used on the wrong product - either the wrong size item, or a completely different product.  If you have a coupon for $1 off a 2lb bag of cheese, you can't use it on an 8oz bag of cheese.  If you have a coupon for $2 off a box of Cheerios, you can't use it on Golden Grahams.  On the season premiere, I spotted a wrong size misuse and three wrong product misuses.  That's inexcusable, and it was completely deliberate.  Sure, people make mistakes, but if you're at the level where you're using 50 coupons to buy 50 items while appearing on a TV show about couponing, you know damn well to make sure you're buying the correct size and, really, the correct product.
Once you get into the rhythm of couponing, you start to get a feel for which coupons are out there.  While watching the show, my brain (and I'm not the only one who noticed, either) went, "Hm, wait, there aren't any current coupons out there for *product*."    A quick glance at one of the myriad coupon databases available online confirms that there are not coupons for *Product X* but there are coupons for *More Expensive Product Y* - well, it was Product X that was purchased on the show using Product Y coupons three times that I could see in one viewing.  There may well be more examples.

See, here's the deal.  Manufacturers issue coupons for a specific amount for specific products.  They have a whole system worked out; it's a marketing thing, which I've discussed a couple times before on the blog here.  Manufacturers don't want you to use a $5 off hair color coupon on shampoo, or a $5 off anti-aging cream coupon for regular body lotion.  If a store accepts 100 coupons for $5 off hair color but they only sell 10 hair colors, that will get noticed in a periodic audit.  If and when the manufacturer notices that the store didn't sell 100 hair colors, the store won't get reimbursed for that $500 in coupons.  If you were the one who used those 100 coupons on the wrong product, you'd best believe the store manager will remember you and they likely won't be willing to allow you in the store anymore.

Furthermore, it's against the law to fraudulently use coupons to obtain goods.  That's theft.  Stealing.  People do go to jail (PDF link) for it, and face hefty fines.



Store coupon policies
This is another huge issue with the season premiere of Extreme Couponing.  If you're a new couponer wanting to learn the ropes and figure out how to save money after watching the show, my biggest piece of advice is to NOT do what was shown.
If your local store limits you to one "$10 off a $50 purchase" promotion, they will not let you stand at the register for five hours while you phone a friend (or 10) to come down to the store and stand there while you ring out the rest of your transactions.  It won't happen.  It will not happen unless you're toting a national network camera crew.  If your store only doubles 12 identical coupons per day (as mine does), you won't be able to bring a gaggle of girlfriends to pretend *wink*wink* each has their own separate transaction while you pay for everything.  You'll be asked to leave the store, and stores can ask you never to return.
I can't stress this enough.  Know your store's coupon policies and follow them. 


Stockpiling
I talked about this in the earlier post, but it's due another mention.
If it was a terrible day when you had to put shelving up in your bedroom to hold your stockpile, you're doing it wrong.  You've got too much shit.  You need to ease up if it's taking over your living space.
A decent stockpile is not only a good idea, it's essential for truly "extreme" couponers.  Sales are cyclical.  Ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, and other condiments, as an example, always go on deep discount just as summer is starting.  That's a good time to get enough free or nearly free ketchup to last you 3 or 6 months until it goes on sale again.  Sunscreen goes on sale around the same time; get as much as you'll need for the whole summer so you don't have to pay full price in September.
The most important thing, though, is to know your limits.  Know how much product you and your family use.  Know how much space you have to store items.  Know where to take your overflow before you have overflow.
Andy and I live in a fairly small, 1 bedroom apartment.  I know we have a very large linen closet, which is where all our health & beauty items go.  I know we have a large closet in the bedroom, one corner of which holds TP & paper towels.  I know we have a small pantry and decent cabinet space for food.  I also know we have an otherwise unused corner that I added a shelving unit to for more food storage, and there's room for one more shelving unit if we so decide to add more storage space.  That's our limit.  When those spaces start filling up, I start pruning items for donation.  There's a neighborhood food pantry that takes household goods as well as food.  There's a battered women's shelter that loves anything from food to cosmetics.  I have neighbors who are always happy to take an extra tube of toothpaste or bottle of Advil.  Our local grocery store has Harvest for Hunger donation bins set up in all their stores; I have several bags of excess items ready to be dropped off on our next shopping trip.

If you want to go extreme with the whole couponing thing, you also have to know when to stop.