extreme couponing

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Oh reality TV. We love you because after a crazy day at work, you make our own problems seem manageable . . . at least compared to Real Housewives drama-fests.

But when it comes to the new TLC show Extreme Couponing, we watch the participants with a mixture of interest and — dare we say it — envy.

The new show features coupon clipping professionals who pull off feats like bringing $1,900 of merchandise to the grocery store checkout and paying only $103. That’s a 95 percent discount!

And they do this normally-frumpy coupon clipping with panache. There’s the sassy and adorable “Double Saving Diva” twins, who do their grocery store shopping with matching pink and purple sweaters. There’s the “super mom,” who feeds her brood of seven on $160 a month while sporting heels and a pair of size two jeans. And there’s the 24-year-old who paid off her $10,000 credit card bill with the savings.

This isn’t just for grandmas anymore.

But, could this work for a normal person? Ask yourself whether you have:

A Lot Of Time.

Six hours clipping and sorting, five hours at the checkout counter, and midnight trips to the store . . . say goodbye to free time.

Instead: Make it a party. Six hours is a bit much, but we loved that the 24-year-old threw a party for 20 of her friends on $26. If there is one time when a few hours of preparation might be worth it, this is it. (It also helps to budget for your party.)

To see if the extreme couponing lifestyle suits you, read on.

Whether you're drawn to it because you're amazed at how obsessed people can get or if you're looking for some coupon clipping inspiration, it's clear that the public is totally digging TLC's Extreme Couponing. The show ranked as one of Wednesday night's most top rated TV program. However, not everyone is a fan. Here's what the CEO of Coupon.com, Steven Boal tells SmartMoney:

“Not only am I not a fan, think about the shopping experience. Could you imagine being stuck behind someone like that in the checkout line? . . . It’s not good for stores, manufacturers or consumers, it’s good for entertainment television . . . I’m less interested in the quirks of consumers and more interested in the background, how products are laid out and the operations of the store.”

I think Boal makes good points about how these coupon obsessed customers might make the shopping experience a little painful for other people. I can't imagine having to wait in line behind an extreme couponer! It'll also be quite inconvenient for other customers if the couponers are emptying out the shelves.

Although Extreme Couponing has more of an entertainment value, there are a couple of useful tricks consumers can pick up along the way. For example, I learned this tip on one of the shows: if you're trying to use a coupon and they don't have the item in stock, you can go to customer service and request a week extension on the coupon so you can use it even past its expiry date. How about you — are you a fan of the show?

Last night I watched the premiere of this season's Extreme Couponing (as well as a few reruns) on TLC, and boy was my mind blown. I knew there were coupon addicts around, but not to that extent.

J'aime Kirlew, a mother of three, spent $103 on $1,750 worth of groceries! It's pretty amazing how she did that just by using coupons. These couponers will bring in over a 1,000 or even 2,000 coupons, which the poor clerk will swipe, swipe, and swipe . . .  until it's down to about more than a 90 percent savings off the retail price.

The savings are incredible, but I can't help wondering if some of these people are going too far. They spend hours poring over and clipping coupons, and some of them seem to dedicate their lives to it. One woman on a previous episode spends two hours daily taking a seven-mile walk through the neighborhood to pick up coupons from friends and family. When something seems to consume so much of your life, I'm wondering if it's healthy. Read on to find out if your coupon habit has crossed the line into obsession.

We're thrilled to present this smart Learnvest story here on Savvy!

Would you rifle through a dumpster for other people’s discarded coupons? Chances are, it has never occurred to you. But on the new TLC show Extreme Couponing, obsessive coupon-collecting is the norm.

Saving Money Is A Full-Time Job.

Thank goodness for TLC, which has not only found people driven to use methods from online coupon clipping services to dumpster-diving, but dubbed them “extreme couponers.” This is no quick Google search for free shipping coupons before an online order—the people featured on this show (and there are apparently enough of them to sustain a show) collect hundreds of coupons per week and stockpile enough goods to hibernate through the winter.

ABC News spoke with some of the extreme couponers profiled on the show and gave us a peek at their valued stockpiles—an admirable storage feat when viewed from a New York City apartment. Check it out.