Did any of you watch the show on TLC about Extreme Couponers? I watched it a couple of weeks ago, and I meant to write a post about it earlier, but I'm just now getting around to it.
The show followed 4 different couponers around and showed them getting carts and carts full of groceries for very little out of pocket. I'm talking 40 cans of spaghetti sauce, 40 boxes of spaghetti, hundreds of things of deodorant (I still don't know what you call deodorant...a tube, a stick, a can? If you know please fill me in. :), hundreds of toothbrushes, and 1000 boxes of cereal. Yes...EXTREME!
The show also showed you some of the stockpiles these people had in their homes. If you've been reading this blog any amount of time, you know that I strongly advocate having a stockpile...that is the number one way that you will lower your grocery budget. If you find items FREE or at rock bottom prices then by all means stock up. I think my idea of stocking up is VERY different from the people featured on the show. When I saw the stockpiles featured on the show, I was dumbfounded...and I have to say quite disturbed.
Two of the featured couponers had an ABSURD amount of items...rooms in their houses were overrun with stuff...entire basements were dedicated to their stockpile...boxes and boxes of deodorant, toothbrushes, feminine products, and shelves and shelves of pasta, canned soups/vegetables, salad dressing, cereal, etc.
I am all about stockpiling, but I am also all about using your stockpile to bless others. Does any one family really need 150 things of deodorant, 100 toothbrushes, 100 bottles of salad dressing, 150 candy bars, etc?
As you learn more about shopping with coupons and find GREAT sales that will allow you to get items for FREE, I really encourage you to do more than just grow your own stockpile. Think outside your family and look for ways to bless others.
Okay, that's my little rant about the show. If you watched the show I'd love to hear your thoughts. Did their stockpiles shock you? Did the show motivate you to want to save more money? What are your thoughts on how big a stockpile one family needs?
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Lucrecia,
ReplyDeleteI missed that show. I have heard there will be 12 more... yikes!
I hope to see at least one of them. I also believe in stockpiling. i think we are headed for hard times and those who are prepared will make it through easier.
I also would like to be able to help others with my stockpile. Though having been sick all month last month I saw how weak my pile really was! It is all gone!
Thank you for this blog and for putting a proper focus on what our resources are for!
hugs
mel
www.prairiehomemaker.com
I watched the episode ~ and I had the same thought you had about being able to bless others with their riches. I was delighted to hear the gentleman couponer say that he was donating all 1,000 boxes of cereal to his church.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to be careful not to judge based on the 10 minute snippets we got to spend with these people ~ hoping that they do indeed share with others in need, but that the producers just didn't fit discussing it into their segment.
I also liked how the Coupon Diva (I think that's what they called her) talked to every person she ran into at the store and in places she'd collect her coupons about the value in couponing. Educating someone can often be the biggest blessing you can give someone.
I completely agree that TLC probably edited the show to get a reaction out of viewers. Hopefully each of the featured couponers donate to local food bands, churches, families in need, etc.
ReplyDeleteWhen I watched the show it was just a reminder to me that it should ALWAYS be a priority to provide for my family AND others as well.
I think we really need to stockpile within reason. I think extreme couponing can cause a "high" for some people, just like food, drugs, etc. In that case, just like an addiction. I think we need to be good stewards of God's money and just be reasonable. Check our motives and not let it get out of hand! The show really did have some good ideas though.
ReplyDeleteLucrecia ... I am with you. I have been doing so much less couponing since December. I feel like the Lord placed on my heart that couponing can get to be an extreme like computers or anything else. I felt I was saving money for my family, but really, it was robbing me of time with my family. Moderation in everything. And when you realize that coupons or what grocery store has what on sale/ what kind of good deal can I get ... is on your mind more than scripture/ talking with God ... that is the red flag to watch for. We have to be so careful to keep in check what is most important in our lives.
ReplyDeleteLucrecia, I loved the show. It was great. I am friends with one of the people on it and they told me that they were asked to do certain things specifically for the show that they don't always do. I do know for a fact that my friend donates much of the stockpile to others. I'm looking forward to more. Hopefully they won't all be portrayed as crazy. Thanks for posting so much stuff lately. Love it! Katy
ReplyDeleteKaty,
ReplyDeleteThat is so good to hear. I know that it seems like most shows now need to have a "shock value" to get good ratings. I know that on a week to week basis these people wouldn't go to the extremes that were portrayed. I'm sure the show was edited in such a way to make it seem a little more extreme than it was.
All the same, watching the show was a reminder to me that couponing/saving money should be used to benefit my family AND others. Not to have the items that I purchase overrun my home. :)
I did notice that Nathan donated his cereal, the Krazy coupon lady did donate over 300 lbs. of food that was never shown on tv, and the nurse seemed to really want to educate others on the benefits of coupons. The first lady on the show did disturb me quite a bit...made me quite sad to see her story.