Extreme Couponing

Extreme Couponing (renamed Extreme Couponing: All-Stars for its third season) is an American reality television entertainment series produced by Sharp Entertainment and aired on cable network TLC in the United States and Canada.

Extreme Couponing
Genre	Reality
Created by	Gomez Eli
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	5
No. of episodes	41 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer	Matt Sharp
Producer	Sharp Entertainment
Running time	approx. 22 minutes
Release
Original network	TLC
Original release	December 29, 2010[1] – December 4, 2012
External links
Website

History

Extreme couponing is an activity that combines shopping skills with couponing in an attempt to save as much money as possible while accumulating the most groceries. The concept of "extreme couponers" was first mentioned by The Wall Street Journal on March 8, 2010 in an article entitled "Hard Times Turn Coupon Clipping Into the Newest Extreme Sport".[2] On March 25, 2010, ABC Nightline followed up with its Season 3 premiere with a segment entitled "Extreme Couponing Competition: How Far Can $50 Go?"[3]

TLC's Extreme Couponing is a show about shoppers who make extensive and focused use of coupons to save money while accumulating large quantities of goods.[4] It was previewed in December 2010; after surpassing network expectations with more than 2 million viewers, it received a series order[5][6] and began regular airings in April 2011.[7]

On June 6, 2011, TLC announced it ordered a second season of Extreme Couponing.[8] It premiered on Wednesday, September 28, 2011.[9]

The third season debuted on May 28, 2012.

On November 20, 2015, the show returned to Discovery Family, a sister network to TLC, and was renamed Greatest Givers: Extreme Couponing for its run during the Thanksgiving season. It now runs regularly on Thursday nights on Discovery Family.

Reception

New York Times columnist Virginia Heffernan described the show as "a deceptively simple look at the complex drama of American spending and the paradoxes of parsimony."[10] E! Online's critic Jennifer Arrow called it a "recessionista series" marked by "a lot of tawdry, exploitative 'reality'" and participants "just doing their crazy best to stretch dollars and provide a little more for their families."[11] Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly noted that the show "has elicited some extreme reactions", and called it "a canny example of two elements floating through the country right now," citing "a fascination with extreme behavior as it's filtered through reality TV" and "the fact that a lot of people don't have as much money as they used to."[12]

The show has come under fire by consumer bloggers and experts such as Jill Cataldo about potential coupon misuse on the show. Actions such as the use of coupons for incorrect items,[13][14][15][16] using counterfeit coupons,[17][18][19] and encouraging compulsive hoarding[18] have been cited as reasons to question the show's authenticity.

Episodes

Series overview

Season		Episodes	Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired
	1	13	December 26, 2010	June 15, 2011
	2	12	September 9, 2011	November 23, 2011
	All-Stars	6	December 27, 2011	January 17, 2012
	4	8	May 30, 2012	June 25, 2012
	5	8	November 12, 2012	December 4, 2012

Season 1

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date	Production code
1	1	"Pilot"	December 29, 2010	100-60
Pilot.
2	2	"J'aime & Tiffany"	March 23, 2011	101
A Maryland woman uses coupons to get $2000 worth of groceries for about $100 in the premiere of the series, which profiles bargain shoppers who go to extremes to find great deals.
3	3	"Rebecca & Jessica"	March 30, 2011	102
A St. Louis woman shops for a huge party without going over her monthly food budget of $30. Meanwhile, a woman from Idaho attempts 18 separate transactions to get more than $600 worth of groceries.
4	4	"Tai and Tarin & Nathan"	April 13, 2011	103
Identical twins track down birthday freebies; a Kentucky couponer assembles 1000 military care packages. (Nathan, the Kentucky couponer, was also featured in the special pilot episode, purchasing items not only for himself but for a local food bank.)
5	5	"Missy & Amy"	April 20, 2011	104
A frugal Missouri woman spends less than $10 on $400 worth of groceries; a Florida woman tries to make $50 using coupons.
6	6	"Desirae & Stephanie"	April 27, 2011	105
A thrifty woman searches for coupons in public recycling bins; a mother passes down her love of couponing to her son before he leaves for college.
7	7	"Chris & Antoinette"	May 4, 2011	106
A single mom uses coupons so she can afford to support her mother and daughter; a couponer tries to collect 700 donated items without spending a dollar.
8	8	"Amber & Tammilee"	May 11, 2011	107
A Seattle couponer is forced to take her kids along to the grocery store when her babysitter is late; a Spokane woman uses the money she saves from couponing to travel.
9	9	"Chrystie & Treasure"	May 18, 2011	108
A woman who started couponing to save her family business now has a stockpile worth more than $35,000. Also: a newcomer to couponing has a growing stockpile that's taking over her entire home.
10	10	"Amber & Amanda"	May 25, 2011	109
An Arizona couponer feeds her family of six on just $50 a week.
11	11	"Kelly & Rebecca"	June 1, 2011	110
A Georgia couponer brings her best friend along on a shopping spree to show her the ropes, while a stay-at-home mom in Idaho takes her skeptical husband grocery shopping, hoping to spark some interest in couponing.
12	12	"Joni & Angelique"	June 8, 2011	112
An Ohio woman tries to get $3100 worth of groceries for less than $100; a Washington couponer pulls an all-nighter in preparation for her shopping trip.
13	13	"Scott & Jen"	June 15, 2011	111
An expectant couple from Long Island use coupons to stock up on supplies before their baby arrives; couponing allows a Las Vegas woman to home school her twin 6-year-olds.

Season 2

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date	Production code
14	1	"Judy & Faatima"	September 12, 2011	201
The Season 2 opener profiles a Detroit couponer who's trying to save money to move her family out of their dangerous neighborhood. Also: a Connecticut woman uses couponing to help her family and friends.
15	2	"April & Carla"	September 21, 2011	202
A mother of seven feeds her family and 200 fellow parishioners for less than $100 a month; another couponer shops to feed 20 guests at her lake house, and faces unexpected competition from her best friend.
16	3	"Erin & Shavon"	September 28, 2011	203
In Upstate New York, a couponer shops for her sister's wedding, planning to feed 280 guests on a $150 budget. Meanwhile, in North Carolina, a woman's grandmother left her a treasure trove of coupons with no expiration dates.
17	4	"Michelle & Kelly"	October 5, 2011	204
Michelle clears supermarket shelves when she finds a good deal; Kelly feeds her whole family on just $25,000 a year.
18	5	"Michelle & Tyler"	October 12, 2011	205
A Missouri woman uses her coupon savings to build a dream home for her family. Twenty-year-old, gay college student Tyler coupons to party more.
19	6	"Callie & Kelly"	October 19, 2011	206
A Colorado family of five live off student loans and couponing while the father attends engineering school; a Georgia couponer teaches her best friend about the art of saving during a big back-to-school shopping trip.
20	7	"Perry & Melissa"	October 26, 2011	207
A Virginia woman uses coupons to keep her family on a vegan diet; a New York woman takes her coupon-skeptic brother shopping for groceries to donate to the Ronald McDonald House.
21	8	"Katherine & Joel"	November 2, 2011	208
A 16-year-old couponer is profiled. Also: a New Hampshire woman embarks on a major haul before taking a six-month break from couponing.
22	9	"Heather & Bree"	November 9, 2011	209
A pregnant Florida woman shops for groceries and baby clothes at a discount department store; a Mississippi woman tries to break a personal record for saving on a month's groceries.
23	10	"Missy & Nicole"	November 16, 2011	210
A Florida couponer makes a list of supplies, including hundreds of toothbrushes, to donate to a center for teen mothers; another Florida couponer, who is a single mom credits couponing for being able to afford her daughter's dance lessons.
24	11	"KT & Erin"	November 23, 2011	211
A Connecticut mother depends on coupons to support her family of five; a single mom has trouble at the register while shopping at a discount department store in Kansas.
25	12	"Chris & Joni"	November 30, 2011	212
Charitable donations are featured when a pair try to get more than $1000 worth of groceries without spending a penny; and an Ohio woman who believes in strength in numbers tries to get extra food.

All-Stars

Shoppers compete in a reality series that features 12 of the best "Extreme Couponing" savers in 30-minute challenges to see who can save the most on $500 worth of merchandise, which is then donated to charity.

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date	Production code
26	1	"Carla vs. Faatima"	December 27, 2011	301
A woman from Detroit and one from North Dakota compete in the premiere of a reality series that features the best savers from "Extreme Couponing" as they go head-to-head in 30-minute challenges to see who can save the most on $500 worth of merchandise, which is then donated to charity.
27	2	"Chris vs. Michelle"	January 17, 2012	302
A deer hunter from Missouri and a math whiz from Pennsylvania compete
28	3	"Jen vs. Joni"	January 24, 2012	303
A woman with seven children competes against a couponer with 20 years of experience.
29	4	"Antoniette vs. Judy"	February 7, 2012	304
A woman from Chicago who blogs about coupons faces a Connecticut woman known as the "Couponator." Antoniette was disqualified in this episode for not reaching the $500 minimum.
30	5	"Jessica vs. Perry"	February 14, 2012	305
A vegan from Virginia and a "Super Mom" from Idaho target a local food bank with their donations.
31	6	"Callie vs. Melissa"	February 21, 2012	306
A New York mother with an MBA competes against a Louisiana-born, stay-at-home mom in Colorado who does not know what Yuengling is."

Season 4

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date	Production code
32	1	"Erin & Dominique"	May 28, 2012	401
Messy Missouri couponer Erin tries to get a haul worth over $2,000 for free, but her unorganized method may be her downfall. Kentucky college student Dominique and his frat brothers use their stockpile of gelatin for a pool at an epic college party.
33	2	"Cole & Angelique"	June 4, 2012	402
Ohio high school senior Cole clips coupons in class. He enlists his ex-girlfriend to help on a vital shopping trip, but her antics in the store imperil his haul. In Washington state, pregnant couponer Angelique must restock her shelves before going on break.
34	3	"Jeff & Kelly"	June 25, 2012	403
Jeff comes from a New Jersey dynasty of male couponers and is passing the torch to his son Sam. But first, 8 year old Sam must pull off his first solo couponing trip. Ohio basketball coach Kelly is couponing for her basketball team's post game party.
35	4	"Joyce & Aprille"	July 2, 2012	404
South Carolina waitress and mom Joyce is a coupon addict. She had an unhealthy relationship with food, but now focuses all of her energy on couponing. In Michigan, Aprille works at an auto dealership and bribes her co-workers with snacks from her stockpile
36	5	"Adrienne & Sarah"	July 9, 2012	405
Adrienne is spreading around her love of couponing & tries to convert a skeptical friend into a believer. Sarah, who is 14-years-old couponer, controls all of her family's grocery shopping.
37	6	"Lisa & April"	July 16, 2012	406
Lisa hopes to spend only $15 for a month's worth of food. April is planning to feed 300 guests for less $100.
38	7	"Jane & Judy"	July 23, 2012	407
To cover for the home repairs, Jane must save enough money to pay for it. Judy teaches a class on couponing & puts three students in the class to the test.
39	8	"Krista & Amanda"	July 30, 2012	408
In Maryland, pregnant couponer Krista dumpster dives for coupons and bags up her husband's clothes to make more room in their closet for her stockpile. Georgia shopaholic Amanda must get all of the food for her sister's baby shower for less than $60.

Season 5

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date	Production code
40	1	"Rudy & Gia"	October 16, 2012	501
In the fifth-season premiere, a Georgia woman hopes to spend as little as $20 on a reception for her vow-renewal ceremony with her husband. Meanwhile, a New York woman tries to make dinner for 16 people in her family for less than $100.
41	2	"Julie & Faatima"	October 23, 2012	502
A Colorado woman hopes her saving skills will land her a job at a home for teens with substance-abuse issues, but first has to prove her abilities to the program's founder; a Detroit couponer commits to a more healthful lifestyle and wants to lose weight with help from a personal trainer.
42	3	"April & Chastity"	October 30, 2012	503
Two best friends take their husbands with them shopping to see who can coupon better.
43	4	"Pam & Broderick"	November 6, 2012	504
An Ohio woman shops for her daughter's graduation party with her reluctant husband in tow; a Kansas teen lords his couponing prowess over his older sisters.
44	5	"Susan & Cole"	November 13, 2012	505
Susan is the original Queen of Couponing . She even has a coupon robot. For her 40th "couponiversary", she tries to beat her savings record. Cole recently started school at The Ohio State University. His roommate Brian has some stockpile requests.
45	6	"Maryann & Haley"	November 20, 2012	506
Maryann throws her daughter a coupon-themed 12th birthday party to convince her friends and neighbors to start couponing. 15-year-old Haley is the boss of her whole family when it comes to grocery shopping. She starts to save up for her first car.
46	7	"Amanda & Jess"	December 4, 2012	507
In Georgia, Amanda tries to teach her parents to coupon so she can take some time off from shopping. Jess is a shopaholic and coupon addict.
47	Special	"Zadia & Briana"	December 11, 2012	508
Zadia takes her friends couponing to prove that she can still get super savings. Briana and her boyfriend Jose are ready to get engaged but, like any good couponer, Briana refuses to go into debt to pay for the ring. Jose has a different plan.

References

1. Shows A-Z - extreme couping
2. TIMOTHY W. MARTIN, ", March 8, 2010.
3. JOHN DONVAN and MAGGIE BURBANK, ", March 25, 2010.
4. Laura T. Coffee, "Extreme couponing! How to get $1,100 of merchandise for $40." msnbc.com, April 6, 2011.
5. James Hibbard, "'Extreme Couponing' exclusive: TLC special gets series order", Entertainment Weekly, January 6, 2011.
6. "Cable's oddball agenda", Associated Press at LaSalle (Ill.) NewsTribune, May 3, 2011.
7. Susan Salisbury, "Retailers fret over coupon craze", The Palm Beach Post, May 14, 2011.
8. TLC, "'TLC ORDERS SECOND SEASON OF EXTREME COUPONING" TLC, June 6, 2011.
9. TLC, "'TLC UNVEILS FALL 2011 SCHEDULE" TLC, August 2, 2011.
10. Virginia Heffernan, "O Thou Great Redeemer(s)", The New York Times, May 1, 2011.
11. Jennifer Arrow, "Extreme Couponing Sneak Peek: Awww, Coupon Baby!", E! Online, May 3, 2011.
12. Ken Tucker, "'Extreme Couponing' review: Weird, selfish people, or thrifty smarties?" Entertainment Weekly, April 6, 2011.
13. Jill Cataldo, "Was coupon fraud shown on TLC's Extreme Couponing?", April 8, 2011.
14. Jill Cataldo, "The Darker Side of Extreme Couponing", Las Vegas Review-Journal Archived 2011-06-01 at the Wayback Machine, May 25, 2011.
15. Valerie Hoff, "Bloggers take issue with 'Extreme Couponing'" Archived 2012-07-17 at Archive.today, WXIA-TV, May 25, 2011.
16. Quentin Fottrell, "Extreme Couponing Star: I Was a Scapegoat" , SmartMoney, May 11, 2011.
17. "Clash of the Coupon-Clipping Titans". Archived from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
18. "Are the Money-Saving Strategies on 'Extreme Couponing' Bogus?". Time. February 20, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
19. "Confirmed: 200 more counterfeit coupons used on Extreme Couponing". Retrieved September 20, 2012.

External links

• Official website
• TVGuide.com
• ExtremeCouponing.com
• Extreme Couponing 2010 special at IMDb
• Extreme Couponing 2011 series at IMDb