I think it’s pretty safe to assume that most – if not all – of us have at least heard of the TLC show Extreme Couponing. If not, here’s a basic synopsis: The show follows families, usually couples, sometimes with small children, of which one member is an “extreme” couponer. These people spend the amount of time equivalent to a full-time job clipping coupons from circulars, browsing the Internet for deals and printable coupons, and organizing said coupons in order to make a massive haul at the grocery store while paying little or no money.
In most cases, these people have devoted a room in their homes to the “stockpiles” they create from the products they purchase. And these truly are piles: Piles of beauty products, potato chips, pasta, and the list goes on. Let’s be honest and call this practice what it truly is:
Organized hoarding.
I’ve seen only a handful of episodes of Extreme Couponing, but those few were more than enough to set my teeth on edge. Of the episodes I have seen, only one couple – ONE! – used their couponing abilities for the betterment of others. In this particular episode, the couple was seen planning and executing a shopping trip that would exclusively benefit the food and clothing bank sponsored by their church. As I recall, their “stockpile” was modest, filled with items they would actually use.
In the most recent episode I deigned to view, a woman bought 600 packages of candy and over 100 bottles of hot sauce. What in God’s name is a person supposed to do with 100 bottles of hot sauce? Unless you are addicted to the substance, you cannot possibly hope to use that many bottles of hot sauce in a lifetime. Can you? Truly?
What makes it worse is that the majority of these couponers return to the store week after week after week, adding incessantly to their stockpiles. And none of them can give a better reason than that it is a “rush” to be able to purchase hundreds of dollars of products for practically nothing. They are not fanatics preparing for the apocalypse. They are not feeding hoards of hungry or needy people. They don’t even have a clan of kids clamoring for food. It’s just a rush.
I’m not discounting (no pun intended) their talent. It is beyond impressive to rack up $1,000 of groceries and not have to pay for it. That takes skill and dedication. But is it necessary? Unlikely. I’ve watched these couponers clear store shelves of items that other shoppers might want or – God forbid – need, without any concern as to those that come after. Then, they are literally applauded by staff and other shoppers at the checkout line.
Why do we let this behavior perpetuate? I’m a big fan of coupons; I like saving money. And, I think that if you have the ability to really work the coupons and in-store deals, then you should be able to save as much money as possible. But there has to be a limit.
Not only are these people taking from store shelves, they are stealing from their neighbors, as well. In my city, the local paper has had to stop allowing the sale of Sunday papers outside of brick and mortar businesses because these extreme couponers have sunk to stealing the newspaper or just the circulars contained within. In fact, some of them even go so far as to steal the circulars from a paper left sitting in a driveway for too long on Sunday morning.
Our society is a bastion of individualism, caring only for one’s self. I’m guilty of it, too, but this practice takes it to a level of selfishness I can’t find the words to describe. Actually, I can find one word:
Pathetic.