by Athena Voulgaropoulos
Want to learn how to save hundreds of dollars on your monthly grocery bill? Look no further than – yep, you guessed it – your tv! And, no, we’re not talking about those late-night paid ads, encouraging pyramid schemes or touting gold sales. Starting April 6 at 9p ET, you can tune into TLC’s newest reality series, Extreme Couponing, for some terrific – and occasionally terrifying – tips on how to turn that $250 grocery bill into $5.
Based on the overwhelming popularity of a similar special TLC aired in late December, Couponing follows seriously savvy shoppers as they plan and plot their way to unbelievable savings. Watch as Jessica from Caldwell, ID spends just $7 for $680 worth of goods, or paralegal J’aime scores $1900 worth of merchandise for $103.
These extreme couponers pore over newspaper inserts, scan ads, compare prices and spend countless hours clipping in search of extraordinary deals. For them, shopping has transformed into a thrilling game, and the ultimate rush comes at the checkout line when the total savings is revealed.
However, as is evident with some of the featured bargain-hunters, just because you can buy something cheap, doesn’t always mean you should. The deep discounts are seldom on health-conscious items, such as fresh produce or organic foods. And when storage for goods threatens to displace family members, perhaps it’s time for a hoarding intervention.
Still, the savings are impressive, and for anyone looking to recession-proof their grocery budget, Extreme Couponing is a surprisingly motivating guilty pleasure.
Some websites to help you get started couponing:
thegrocerygame.com
hip2save.com
jillcataldo.com
passionatepennypincher.com/blog
savingjacksonmoney.blogspot.com
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Credit: TLC/Hugh Kretschmer