Monday, April 11, 2011

Thank You TLC


Sometime last year I watched the greatest show ever. It was called Extreme Couponing. It followed four or five peoples as they went on these 8 hour marathon grocery shopping trips, bought $1,000 worth of stuff and ended up spending like $10.00. It was really addictive and for once I wanted more. I remember telling everyone about it and even got my mom to sit down and watch the show. Unfortunately it never returned. Until now. Last week, TLC introduced the world to new extreme couponers and it was worth the wait. Now, I am sure I will eventually get bored with the premise much like I am already bored with My Strange Addiction, but for now I am glad to have it back. The thing is the show is kind of like hoarders because all of the people featured seem to have way too much stuff and when you already have 100 boxes of pasta, it seems kind of ridiculous to go out and buy another 100 boxes just because you can get them for free. In the original pilot, one guy bought 1000 boxes of Total and spent like $50. At least he gave all of his to his local food bank. I applaud that but he also bought 200 things of deodorant and already had 100, so that seems a bit overkill to me.

Most of the people started couponing because someone lost a job and they did it to save money. The thing is, it seems to take over their life. Some people coupon for 70 hours a week and go shopping several times each week. The newspapers probably love it because there are people out there right now who are probably all hoping to do the same things they saw on tv, but much like the buy real estate for no money down infomercials, it probably won't ever happen.

51 comments:

Sadie said...

I caught part of one of these shows last week and now I too want to see more more more! Oh and I'd love to learn how to do some of this stuff too!

Patty said...

The new joke in my house is "I'm getting 62 bottles of ______" in honor of that dumb twit with the mustard coupons. She had $1 off and the mustard was on sale for 1.39. She had 62 coupons and bought all the mustard. I don't think she left any on the shelf. Her husband/S.O. kept trying to get her to stop putting them in the cart, or at least leave a few on the shelf. I think at one point he said that he didn't even like mustard. The idiot spent $24 on mustard that will probably never get used.

The people featured on the show talk about websites where they can compare sales to coupons in the paper. I've yet to find it and didn't see it on TLC's site.

I use coupons, not to their extent, but would like to at least have access to some of the info.

califblondy said...

Everybody needs a hobby I guess.

My nest is empty so the only coupons I use are at a casino or department store.

Keeping track of coupon expiration dates and restrictions takes a lot of time and effort.

Terri said...

I"m a couponer and love it. I have a coupon group and we share coupons and ideas. I was disturbed how some claimed to give to food banks yet hoard so much.

Anonymous said...

Where is the radio show?

Anonymous said...

It's like Hoarders but neater. You can see there's definitely a compulsion/addiction at work. I have to say after watching it, I do feel like a sucker when I pay full price for things.

The whole couponing thing works differently in Canada. At least where I'm from. There's no "double coupon day," and the fine print for sales usually says "cannot be combined with other offers" so we could never pull off what they pull off.

I would be a little too embarrassed to have nine shopping carts full of stuff and take up five hours of a cash line's time. I'm shocked that the employees help them carry stuff out. I know the stores get the money back from the manufacturer but still, those people wasted a lot of their time.

I was also annoyed at the guy who bought everything off the shelf. There's not just you in life, guy.

Rose said...

I'd love an answer to the radio show to just so it can be out in the open. It seems strange just to NOT comment on it after taking donations.

califblondy said...

I think somebody kidnapped the blog; Enty paid the ransom and now we're back to our regular scheduled blog...

RocketQueen said...

Interesting....a few people I know have been talking about this show. Will have to check it out.

Anonymous said...

@califblondy

Making up cutesy excuses like just enables unaccountability. We made donations in good faith, and there is nothing wrong with wanting to know why our money is no longer going towards the intended cause. The fact that it is not being addressed seems shady.

RocketQueen said...

Then email him directly, Karrots. I'm sure he'll see one of your MANY questions on today's comment threads. Now you're just annoying the rest of us.

Rose said...

I know people have said to drop it and I'm not going to harp on it but karrots isn't alone. It comes off as very shady that his loyal readers have asked and asked and he won't he hasn't said a thing or acknowledged that people are asking.

To act like it's there is ridiculous. He advertised his new show, asked for money & people gave for the second or third time and it's understandable they would like a little explanation. For him as a lawyer to not get that is pretty thick.

Susan said...

I need to check this show out. I clip coupons here and there each week, but I have to say it's exhausting. This show does sound like a cray cray hoarders type of program. I mean, why would you need 65 containers of mustard.

It reminds my of when I first got married and joined that BJ's club or Sam's or whatever. I bought two huge boxes of Cheerios and 2 industrial sized bottles of ketchup. That shit went straight in the trash a year later after I was cleaning out the cabinets and the items hit their expiration date. Cheap massive quantities of things do not make my world a better place. Plus, I'd rather do about a million other things than clip coupons. But to each his own...

Rose said...

Back to the thread as far as I know, don't most grocery stores NOT except double/triple coupons? The grocery store near always has certain things on sale and you don't need coupons and there are the types that have the savings cards but the type where you end up paying $.20 for something isn't local to me.

Of course gas is @ $4.20/gallon too. I understand donating the food to food banks, that's great, but I don't know anyone who needs 100 deodorant bars.

I could pass along a couple to this guy in my class though.

califblondy said...

Not to be cutesy, but I've never given money here.

Just my own personal choice.

Rose said...

How long does mustard even last? That's just spoiling food if you don't donate or give away. If you think you are going to use it all up in two years you are kidding yourself or you're The Duggars.

Lioness70 said...

I can't coupon. I have hardly any attention span and don't like to waste time sorting them out. I just shop the sales. Saves just as much money as coupons.

Rose said...

I've not given money either but it bothers me.

Liz said...

Definitely sounds like Hoarders should be combined with the coupon show. "Extreme Couponing Hoarders... next on TLC."

bluebonnetmom said...

I might have to watch this.

Anonymous said...

I didn't realize that RocketQueen spoke for everyone here.

I have emailed him directly and never received a response.

I know there have been posters in direct contact with him in past, strange that they disappear when someone starts asking questions.

Melody the First said...

If someone loses a job in the family, who will be laughing then?

I'm a reformed couponer. I run my own business now and don't have time or interest, but was once I took great joy in buying $165 worth of groceries for $17 (which I did once).
It never gets old.

califblondy said...

Melody, I have a friend who was the coupon queen and she threw a hissy fit when Von's stopped double coupon days, but hey, she had a good run. I wonder if she still has a closet full of deodorant?

Melody the First said...

Oh, I know! Vons is dead to me now. Ralphs, too. I understand one can still net big savings by matching coupons to loss leader sales, though.

RocketQueen said...

@Karrots - when you post the exact same thing on multiple posts, it stops being a question and becomes SPAM. Do you like spam?

canopener said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

@RocketQueen -

In the past when I have asked the question only once I never got any kind of response.

Are you in charge of what is acceptable to post in the comments section? You seem to be the first responder to all things not pro-enty.Last time I checked the name of the site was not CrazyDaysandRocketQueenisincharge.net..

canopener said...

When you ask for and take $ under false pretenses, it is STEALING. Do you like criminals, Rocketqueen?

Melanie said...

I just think Karrots wants to know where their donation went to, and if Enty isn't answering their emails, it's understandable for them to post the question here. They deserve an answer. I think it's very shady that this radio show just disappeared without any explanation.

RocketQueen said...

@Karrots - sure, make me the bad guy. Whatever. /eyeroll Spam away.

canopener said...

If everyone who donated $ to 'the cause' asked the same question only once, this site would probably crash from the 'spam'.

Anonymous said...

I am not trying to make you the bad guy RocketQueen but you don't need to jump down my throat for trying to get an answer here.

I just know I am not the only one who feels this way and maybe if enough people voiced this he would give an explanation. If the show fell through so be it, I don't think it is to much to ask for a quick post explaining where the show went. He posted about it plenty when he wanted the money.

RocketQueen said...

I'm not, I'm really not, Karrots. IF you donated money, I'd want answers, too. I didn't donate money, and never will to someone I don't know. I hope he gives us ALL an update on the show soon.

canopener said...

Let's see, RQ, it's been--what--four weeks since the $ and the radio show went up in smoke? I'm sure we'll be getting an explanation ANY day now!

Meg said...

I know people that go to all those coupon sites and even coupon workshops! I don't see how anyone has time to do it but more power to them if they can save that much money.

Enty, you sure do love some reality shows. Might I also recommend: Storage Wars on A&E.

canopener said...

Guess scamming all that money is allowing ENTY to take a vacation!

Anonymous said...

MCH, I LOVE Storage Wars! I hate that guy Dave so much -- I know every show "has to have" a bad guy, but Dave is annoying as hell. I love Barry. That dude is cool.

I caught part of one of the couponing episodes. This family went to Kroger and bought $1k worth of food for something like $35. I'd be pretty jazzed about that! I use coupons if they are for something I was going to get anyway, but I don't buy things just because I have a coupon for them. And I live alone, so I don't really "stock up" on anything except maybe pet food, Coke, and some canned stuff. I think the most coupons I've ever used at one time was, like, 10.

canopener said...

Maybe all the money ENTY took from his readers is in storage somewhere.

Linnea said...

Im sorry to have to break this to you, but the type of couponing they do on that show is total BS. The stores are letting them get away with a whole bunch of stuff that is not allowed! You can't get that much food for that little money anymore.

Check out some of the coupon blogs - I was really fascinated by this too, until I read what they were saying about it. Apparently they know the people on the show, or participated themselves, and it is a scam.

canopener said...

*gasp* You mean kinda like when someone asks for money, says they are going to spend on something, and then never does? Where DID that radio show go to? Hmmmmmm.....interesting.

Anonymous said...

Kympossible, seriously, we all get that you are pissed off at Enty. But must we all suffer? Give it a rest, already. Going on and on about it in the comments sections isn't going to do anything but piss everyone off. And we, as readers, don't have any control over what Enty does and doesn't do.

canopener said...

Everyone should be pissed off...at fraud, under any circumstances.

Meg said...

@Texshan - I hate Dave too! He's such a jackass. That guy that always wears tank tops isn't much better. I like Barry too. He cracks me up.

Anonymous said...

MCH, I told my brother that if I lived in So Cal, there was NO WAY I would ever shop at Dave's store. I wouldn't give him one red cent of my money because he's such a jerk. I forgot the name of wifebeater-clad guy. He's annoying, too, but I don't think he's nearly as bad as Dave. And Jarrod's wannabe thugster wardrobe is ridiculous. But I love Barry and I enjoy seeing some of the cool things they find in the lockers.

reports said...

I love to coupon, but the people on the show are ridiculous.

The lady Jamie featured on the show is a scammer. She got in trouble last year for coupon fraud and her shopping trip on the show was fraud. She used coupons for products she didn't purchase.

A few of you asked what site shows coupon match ups- my favorite is theDealyo.com.

canopener said...

Did anyone hear anything about the radio show? The one that people gave money to fund? It just disappeared!

Unknown said...

Apparently the Extreme Coupon'ers were committing fraud:

http://www.jillcataldo.com/node/16258

canopener said...

OMG, did you say ENTY is a fraud?!? Oh,sorry, you weren't talking about the money taken for the radio show that never came to fruition.

heatherlynn said...

I love to coupon, and do as much as I can for my family, but the people on the show are ridiculous. the stores make exceptions for them because they are on TV. The one lady who did 18 transactions at Albertsons....they only let you do three transactions, so that would never happen. And the mustard lady did everything wrong...she basically stole from the store which isn't couponing at all.

canopener said...

Hey, did anyone hear anything about the radio show? It was supposed to be on four weeks ago, and I think a bunch of people invested money in it. Surely ENTY wouldn't take money from people under false pretenses!

violet said...

I was obsessed with this show...even my husband took a seat while it was on...we were in shock. I almost feel a bit better that it was part fraud and those savings are unattainable. Not that I have an extra 70 hours to cut coupons (nor the will to do so). But I like to save money when I can and this show made me feel a bit inferior in the savings dept.

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