Tonight at 8 pm, TLC will be airing a show on Extreme Couponers and the various coupon chat boards are all buzzing about it, especially since some of the couponers on the show are on the chat boards too. And to promote the show, it was profiled yesterday on Good Morning America. Here is a short clip preview. Since the show is getting publicity, I’ve also had friends & family ask me about it, as they know I consider myself an Extreme Couponer.

I think it’s important to note that bizarre behavior is what sells. The highest number of cereal I’ve ever gotten for free in one trip is 52 boxes and while some may think that’s extreme….the show has a guy who gets 1100 boxes at once. Who knew 52 boxes would seem small? It would be downright boring to watch someone go through their normal shopping trip and then hand over some coupons. It’s much more interesting to see hoarders who have thousands of items which they’ll never be able to use in one lifetime. But the normal extreme couponer does not spend 70 hours a week doing this.

And, as some couponers have pointed out, the scenarios they portray aren’t necessarily realistic. They show a woman getting tons of stuff for free or even making money on the deals. It’s not realistic because knowing where this woman shops, the store would have to violate it’s own policy of two like coupons per transaction. And they would have to have adequate stock on hand to allow her to purchase in the quantities she does. So it’s obvious that TLC made prior arrangements with the retailer to make for good tv.

Nevertheless, I’m intrigued enough that I will tune in. Especially since my favorite Wednesday night show, The Middle, is not a new episode until next week.