Several months ago, TLC did a show called Extreme Couponing. Now they are making it into a regular series and the season premiere is this Wednesday. And once again, all the various couponing forums and deal blogs are all abuzz about it. In many cases, they are on the same coupon boards with some of us, or we follow their blogs or are even Facebook friends with some of them. And once again, since friends & family know that couponing is an interest of mine, they’re asking me if I’ve seen it or plan to see it, followed by a “What do you think?”

First, yes I watched the first one and plan to watch future episodes if I find it in reruns. It airs at the same time as Modern Family and I really like that show. However, I wasn’t that impressed with the first episode because there was much they didn’t show. For example, the one grocery store has a policy of only accepting 4-like coupons per customer. Well, 4-like coupons doesn’t make for interesting or extreme tv, so they broke their own policy and allowed….hundreds of the same coupon. Like anything else on reality tv, this show must be taken with a grain of salt, because much of it is staged. Other than Joyce from Philly, the others certainly did look extreme and that is the goal of the show.

Regarding this particular cluster of episodes, I’m not sure what to think. For one, I’ve read in several places that one of the women being profiled regularly commits coupon fraud then makes videos bragging about it on YouTube. I hope that the show’s producers choose to portray her in a negative light, because coupon fraud hurts everyone, even those of us following the rules. But that they would even give someone like that the limelight makes me have less respect for the show overall. Many of those profiled are turning this into a cash-cow for themselves and using it as a platform for self-promotion. Can’t say I blame them, clicks=money. But I will have little sympathy for their whining when the shows portray them in a less than favorable (read-crazy) light.

Some couponers are all abuzz about how these shows will make everyone want to coupon and then deals will be harder to find. I disagree, mostly. Watching the Duggars does not make me feel the need to go and turn my uterus into a clown car; in fact it has quite the opposite effect. I don’t think this show is going to motivate that many people to race down to their local dumpster to find coupon inserts. I believe that supercouponing has been dying a slow death for quite some time and I blogged about it last year. The reason that couponing is getting harder is because of coupon boards, deal sites, social media and frankly, blogs like this one. Deals are spoon fed to readers. All one has to do now is read, click, print and head out to the store, there is no thinking involved. Add all that up with a tough economy and of course more people want things for free.

You have my word that any deal posted here is legit. If I make a mistake and the coupon doesn’t match the item or something like that, it is merely an innocent oversight. If you do go to other deal sites, make sure they are making the same promise. It’s one of the reasons I am so loyal to Hotcouponworld; I know I won’t be fooled or duped or led astray. Some sites actually encourage fraud and sketchy practices. Others, while they may not necessarily encourage it, they do not admit to mistakes or correct them if they post a bad deal. Sure, the prosecution rate for coupon fraud is very low, but it’s still wrong.

For what it’s worth, no I don’t spend 80+ hours a week couponing, nor do I know anyone that does. I shop once or twice a week and spend 60-90 minutes clipping my inserts and filing them. I only purchase what my family will use. If you click that image, it will take you to the hcw editorial on the show. Bottom line is, as with anything, you have to have balance. With any hobby, activity or sport, if it’s causing marital and family problems and taking over your life, it’s too much.