TLC's Extreme Couponing is the absolutely saddest show on TV. It's not supposed to be sad. It's supposed to be uplifting and inspirational. But, really, it's just depressing.
Extreme Couponing is about people, well mostly women, who are incredibly adept at cutting coupons and are able to turn a $600 grocery bill to $50. The show profiles one or two women who arrive at the supermarket with binders and bins of coupons and print outs of their shopping plans. Some women actually make a profit through their coupon clipping. What's depressing about that?
Well, the show begins with an explanation of how the person got into extreme couponing. Inevitably, the woman began couponing after her husband, a contractor, lost his job. They have mounting bills and she needs to take desperate meassures to keep their house, while caring for their four children. It's that lovely new economy at work.
These women are BRILLIANT. They spend sixty hours a week locating the best coupons. Some surf the web. Some dumpster dive. They learn how to rig the system to get maximum power for their buck. It's too bad that these women couldn't put those organization skills to work at an office, where they could get paid more than their savings on the supermarket shopping.
And then they go and buy all sorts of shit. Processed food. Canned food. It is piled high on shelves in the garage. You never get coupons for a fresh head of lettuce.
Extreme Couponing makes me long for the house flipping shows. Remember those?
Apt. 11d 