It's Extreme Alright...

Okay...anyone who knows me or has read the psychobabble ramblings of the voices in my head knows I am extremely cheap frugal when it comes to spending. This is not to be confused with purchasing junk. No, no, no...I am a Chanel girl who loves her Nine Wests just as much as the next girl. But if there is a deal to be had, then by gum I'm gonna find it.

I clip my coupons every week and scour my fliers and create a menu and know everything that's in my pantry, fridge and freezer. That being said, I fully concede to my amateur status after watching some of the psychopaths geniuses on TLC's Extreme Couponing.

After viewing several episodes, I think they could save quite a bit of production time and funds by simply combining this show with Hoarders. Indeed, in some instances I can't tell the difference. Don't get me wrong, the folks who round up over $1,000 worth of swag and pay virtually nada only to turn around and donate every bit to the troops or the homeless literally brings tears to my eyes. And hats off to the Mom of seven who strategically orchestrates her children to help with the coupon and shopping process (although I wish she would stop referring to them as a litter.) But to the Mom with 50 boxes of Tampax stashed under her kid's bed, all I can say is I hope you're allocating some of your savings towards the inevitable shrink your son is going to need.

Yes, there is indeed a rush seeing one's savings accumulate and getting something for next to nothing (like the dress, shoes, and tuxedo my Saturday trip yielded for forty cents.) But can someone please explain to me why any family needs 75 bottles of mustard at .39 per bottle? Especially when no one in the family eats mustard? Is it a savings when one needs to add rooms onto one's home to house all the gains of extreme couponing?

I am intrigued at the stamina it takes to pull off these shopping sprees, not to mention the ingenuity of some of these, dare I say, professionals. One lady (the mustard-hoarder) has arranged for the newspaper company to deliver all the coupon inserts to her home that are slated for recycling. Pretty smart. Some of these folks admit to investing 35-40 hours per week into this endeavor. I could do that, but my full-time job would get in the way.

There seems to be a difference in the shopping experience as well. Here in Upstate New York, there are definite limits to the number of sale purchases one is allowed to make. Also, as a Mom trying really hard to encourage healthy eating with less preservatives for my family, I regretfully find there are not many coupons for the food items we shop for. But for the paper towels, detergents, soap, shampoo, trash bags, and the like be warned...you may see me on Hoarders Extreme Couponing yet.

Just don't look under the beds.