| Extreme Couponing | |
|---|---|
Title card |
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| Genre | Reality |
| Country of origin | USA |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 24 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | approx. 22 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | TLC |
| Original run | December 29, 2010[1] – present |
| External links | |
| Official Website | |
Extreme Couponing is an American reality television series currently airing on cable network TLC.
Contents |
Extreme couponing is an activity that combines shopping skills with couponing in an attempt to save as much money as possible while accumulating the most groceries.[2] The concept of "extreme couponers" was first mentioned by The Wall Street Journal on March 8, 2010 in an article entitled "Hard Times Turn Coupon Clipping Into the Newest Extreme Sport".[3] On March 25, 2010, ABC Nightline followed up with its Season 31 premiere with a segment entitled "Extreme Couponing Competition: How Far Can $50 Go?"[4]
TLC's Extreme Couponing is a show about shoppers who make extensive and focused use of coupons to save money while accumulating large quantities of goods.[5] It was previewed in December 2010; after surpassing network expectations with more than 2 million viewers, it received a series order[6][7] and began regular airings in April 2011.[8]
New York Times columnist Virginia Heffernan described the show as "a deceptively simple look at the complex drama of American spending and the paradoxes of parsimony."[9] E! Online's critic Jennifer Arrow called it a "recessionista series" marked by "a lot of tawdry, exploitative 'reality'" and participants "just doing their crazy best to stretch dollars and provide a little more for their families."[10] Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly noted that the show "has elicited some extreme reactions", and called it "a canny example of two elements floating through the country right now," citing "a fascination with extreme behavior as it’s filtered through reality TV" and "the fact that a lot of people don’t have as much money as they used to."[11]
The show has come under fire by consumer bloggers and experts such as Jill Cataldo about potential coupon misuse on the show (such as the use of coupons for incorrect items).[12][13][14][15]
On June 6, 2011, TLC announced it ordered a second season of Extreme Couponing.[16] It will premiere on Wednesday, September 28, 2011.[17]
The television show and a difficult economy has led to an increase in the real-world practice of extreme couponing. Many online websites offer tutorials and services necessary to extreme couponing. The practice of extreme couponing involves stockpiling of coupons, close scrutiny of grocery store sales, and even the use of coupon clipping services. Some see extreme couponing as a positive practice, while others question its effect on average couponers, the lines at store checkouts and other concerns. With its growth in popularity, the overall effect of extreme couponing remains to be seen.
| № | # | Title | Original air date | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Pilot" | December 29, 2010 | 100-60 |
| 2 | 2 | "J'aime & Tiffany" | April 6, 2011 | 101 |
| A Maryland woman uses coupons to get $2000 worth of groceries for about $100 in the premiere of the series, which profiles bargain shoppers who go to extremes to find great deals. | ||||
| 3 | 3 | "Rebecca & Jessica" | April 6, 2011 | 102 |
| A St. Louis woman shops for a huge party without going over her monthly food budget of $30. Meanwhile, a woman from Idaho attempts 18 separate transactions to get more than $600 worth of groceries. | ||||
| 4 | 4 | "Tai and Tarin & Nathan" | April 13, 2011 | 103 |
| Identical twins track down birthday freebies; a Kentucky couponer assembles 1000 military care packages. (Nathan, the Kentucky couponer, was also featured in the special pilot episode, purchasing items not only for himself but for a local food bank.) | ||||
| 5 | 5 | "Missy & Amy" | April 20, 2011 | 104 |
| A frugal Missouri woman spends less than $10 on $400 worth of groceries; a Florida woman tries to make $50 using coupons. | ||||
| 6 | 6 | "Desirae & Stephanie" | April 27, 2011 | 105 |
| A thrifty woman searches for coupons in public recycling bins; a mother passes down her love of couponing to her son before he leaves for college. | ||||
| 7 | 7 | "Chris & Antoinette" | May 4, 2011 | 106 |
| A single mom uses coupons so she can afford to support her mother and daughter; a couponer tries to collect 700 donated items without spending a dollar. | ||||
| 8 | 8 | "Amber & Tammilee" | May 11, 2011 | 107 |
| A Seattle couponer is forced to take her kids along to the grocery store when her babysitter is late; a Spokane woman uses the money she saves from couponing to travel. | ||||
| 9 | 9 | "Chrystie & Treasure" | May 18, 2011 | 108 |
| A woman who started couponing to save her family business now has a stockpile worth more than $35,000. Also: a newcomer to couponing has a growing stockpile that's taking over her entire home. | ||||
| 10 | 10 | "Amber & Amanda" | May 25, 2011 | 109 |
| An Arizona couponer feeds her family of six on just $50 a week. | ||||
| 11 | 11 | "Kelly & Rebecca" | June 1, 2011 | 110 |
| A Georgia couponer brings her best friend along on a shopping spree to show her the ropes, while a stay-at-home mom in Idaho takes her skeptical husband grocery shopping, hoping to spark some interest in couponing. | ||||
| 12 | 12 | "Joni & Angelique" | June 8, 2011 | 112 |
| An Ohio woman tries to get $3100 worth of groceries for less than $100; a Washington couponer pulls an all-nighter in preparation for her shopping trip. | ||||
| 13 | 13 | "Scott & Jen" | June 15, 2011 | 111 |
| An expectant couple from Long Island use coupons to stock up on supplies before their baby arrives; couponing allows a Las Vegas woman to home school her twin 6-year-olds. | ||||
| № | # | Title | Original air date | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | "Judy & Faatima" | September 12, 2011 | 201 |
| The Season 2 opener profiles a Detroit couponer who's trying to save money to move her family out of their dangerous neighborhood. Also: a Connecticut woman uses couponing to help her family and friends. | ||||
| 2 | 15 | "April & Carla" | September 28, 2011 | 202 |
| A mother of seven feeds her family and 200 fellow parishioners for less than $100 a month; another couponer shops to feed 20 guests at her lake house, and faces unexpected competition from her best friend. | ||||
| 3 | 16 | "Erin & Shavon" | September 28, 2011 | 203 |
| In Upstate New York, a couponer shops for her sister's wedding, planning to feed 280 guests on a $150 budget. Meanwhile, in North Carolina, a woman's grandmother left her a treasure trove of coupons with no expiration dates. | ||||
| 4 | 17 | "Michelle & Kelly" | October 5, 2011 | 204 |
| Michelle clears supermarket shelves when she finds a good deal; Kelly feeds her whole family on just $25,000 a year. | ||||
| 5 | 18 | "Michelle & Tyler" | October 5, 2011 | 205 |
| A Missouri woman uses her coupon savings to build a dream home for her family. Also: a 20-year-old extreme couponer is profiled. | ||||
| 6 | 19 | "Callie & Kelly" | October 12, 2011 | 206 |
| A Colorado family of five live off student loans and couponing while the father attends engineering school; a Georgia couponer teaches her best friend about the art of saving during a big back-to-school shopping trip. | ||||
| 7 | 20 | "Perry & Melissa" | October 19, 2011 | 207 |
| A Virginia woman uses coupons to keep her family on a vegan diet; a New York woman takes her coupon-skeptic brother shopping for groceries to donate to the Ronald McDonald House. | ||||
| 8 | 21 | "Katherine & Joel" | October 26, 2011 | 208 |
| A 16-year-old couponer is profiled. Also: a New Hampshire woman embarks on a major haul before taking a six-month break from couponing. | ||||
| 9 | 22 | "Heather & Bree" | November 2, 2011 | 209 |
| A pregnant Florida woman shops for groceries and baby clothes at a discount department store; a Mississippi woman tries to break a personal record for saving on a month's groceries. | ||||
| 10 | 23 | "Missy & Nicole" | November 9, 2011 | 210 |
| A Florida couponer makes a list of supplies, including hundreds of toothbrushes, to donate to a center for teen mothers; a single mom credits couponing for being able to afford her daughter's dance lessons. | ||||
| 11 | 24 | "KT & Erin" | November 16, 2011 | 211 |
| A Connecticut mother depends on coupons to support her family of five; a single mom has trouble at the register while shopping at a discount department store in Kansas. | ||||
| 12 | 25 | "Chris & Joni" | November 23, 2011 | 212 |
| Charitable donations are featured when a pair try to get more than $1000 worth of groceries without spending a penny; and an Ohio woman who believes in strength in numbers tries to get extra food. | ||||