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12/27/2011

99.4% Savings

While on vacation this week, I caught a couple of episodes of "Extreme Couponing." These people are whack. Some spend between 16-35 hours per week collecting, cutting, and categorizing hundreds of coupons.


They spend hours in the grocery store, often overloading checkout systems and forcing cashiers to manually input hundreds of coupons. They all express fear or anxiety during the checkout process, saying things like " I need a drink" or "I'm going to throw up." They purchase items by the dozens or hundreds even: 48 packs of hot dogs, 100 boxes of pasta, 100 protein bars, 60 bags of dog treats, 100 toothbrushes, 70 bottles of sports drinks...


They commit whole rooms to stacking their massive supplies: 2 years worth of laundry detergent, 160 candy bars, 80 bottles of body wash, 100 razors, 160 boxes of pasta, 100 boxes of tampons... One lady has a whole room ( locked) filled with candy, cookies, and chips. In the shows I've seen, I have witnessed the purchase of only one type of fruit or vegetable, and it was for 60 bags of iceberg lettuce- for a church event.


These couponers seem to get a real thrill out of "beating the system" and saving money, but they're really shortchanging their families by feeding them massive amounts of sugary fruit drinks, pasta, rice, and junk foods. Needless to say, a lot of these people have overweight kids. So, instead of hoarding stacks of goods worth up to $30,000(!) and spending 35 hours per week coupling, try taking a walk with your kids. Or how about planting a garden? It might not be as much fun as saving 99.4% on an $850.00 tab, but it might help your kid eat a bit healthier.



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