The monthly Nabisco Cookies Facebook printable hit its print limit so quickly this month that I couldn’t help but wonder if the new TLC show, Extreme Couponing, has resulted in more people using coupons.

That in itself would be a great thing – while it might eventually cause prices to rise because stores can’t afford to lose too much money on loss leaders, I think everyone should have a price book and pay rock bottom prices whenever possible. It would do wonders for our collective financial consciousness if everyone paid more attention to how much money they spend. Maybe it would even get people thinking about living within their means!

I’ve only watched one segment of Extreme Couponing, and I have to admit that it made me uncomfortable to see carts full of the same item. If the store is okay with a customer buying 100 of the same item for free after coupon, I guess it’s fine. I personally would be uncomfortable and reluctant to do that, especially in one transaction.

I’ve read some things that indicate some of the couponers portrayed are actually committing coupon fraud by using coupons for items other than those stated on the coupon. That is obviously detrimental to all coupon users, especially those of us who follow the rules stringently. I hope that rather than glorify coupon fraud, the show will actually condemn it and maybe even help to stop it.

I’m also hoping that the show will result in less animosity toward coupon users. There are so many stories in the coupon forums about cashiers and other shoppers getting annoyed or even rude when the coupons come out. I’ve experienced this a couple of times myself, always at Target, and I now shop there a lot less than I used to. Maybe Extreme Couponing can make cashiers and other customers supportive or at least curious when someone uses a bunch of coupons. I’ve gotten “wow”s on occasion and that’s always fun.

One thing about couponing that I’m not sure is accurately portrayed on the show is how much time and effort “extreme” couponing takes. I don’t consider myself “extreme” and yet I’m maxed out on time and effort. It takes time to plan my shopping trips and transactions, clip my coupons, go to the different stores, make adjustments depending on the store’s stock, and pay for my purchases. It’s a part-time job in and of itself – which is fine for me, because I consider it fun. But I certainly couldn’t do more.

What do you think about Extreme Couponing?

I mentioned earlier today that my friend K. broke her ankle a couple of weeks ago, and of course, this being a time of transition – especially financial transition – for us means that I’m feeling a little anxious about making sure our money situation is working out the way we expect it will. So I’m especially grateful for coupons and The Drugstore Game, which have allowed me to be generous without much of a financial toll.

I’ve bought a couple of lunches and made a couple of dinners for K. and her family, and that’s probably cost about $50 total. Everything else that I’ve taken over has been free or very cheap thanks to coupons and The Drugstore Game, including cans of soup (25 cents a piece after sale and coupon at Vons this past week), paper goods, and toiletries. I plan to drop off more similar items just so that her husband doesn’t have to stress about running out of the basics and making a mad dash to a drugstore or supermarket in the middle of the night.

I think I’ve also mentioned before that my friend B.’s husband lost his job a few months back, and here, too, coupons have allowed me to be generous without taxing our friendship. B. knows I actively coupon and that I didn’t spend a lot on the bags of food, household items and toiletries that I’ve given to her, which I think makes it easier for her to accept the items. It’s not charity, it’s just a friend passing on extras. And that’s a wonderful thing to be able to do