The Coty Commissary and TLC's Whack A Doodles

I am sure by now most of you have had the chance to watch TLC's "Extreme Couponers".  The show had it's high moments, but overall it was very sad.  If you follow along with my blog or you have attended one of my lectures, you already know what I do, how I do it, and why I do it.

• Save More
• Give More
• Enrich our lives with less.
• Improve the lives of others by Sharing.  (We will get back to this one in a minute).

THE TLC Show:
Painted an interesting picture of the high volume coupon user.  I think Jonie from The Krazy Coupon Lady did an excellent job.  She has a large stockpile in her garage, but a reasonable one considering her family recently needed to eat out of the stock pile alone for 1 year.  She was a little off for taking her pre-school aged child dumpster diving for coupons.  Picture mom wearing gloves and some PPE, kid just in the dumpster shuffling through paper to find more coupons.  She donated a ton of food during her segment.  I think very highly of her and what she has accomplished with her blog The Krazy Coupon Lady.  Through her blog and a network of churches and ladies group she has single handedly helped provide about $2 million worth of expired coupons to military families stationed around the world (They can be used on bases for 1 yr after expiration).  Bravo Jonie for all of the great work you do.

While Joanie educated us and entertained us the first lady and last man of the evening highlighted the Crazy things that Hoarding can do.  These 2 are ruining their marriages and lives by hoarding and being greedy.  They say that they donate products, but you are not donating to the best of your potential when your stockile includes 3000 toothbrushes and a 40 year supply of toilet paper for each person currently residing with you.  I may have 60 toothbrushes here. I also have 30 bottles of laundry soap.  The toothbrushes are being hoarded for next years Operation Christmas Child.  The laundry soap I will use within a year.  Buy when the price is low, but buy what you can reasonably use or share. 

I thought it was very sad that people are socially isolating themselves and being cruel on national TV to their friends and family members all in the name of being good at couponing.  I do not want my stockpile to be my legacy.  I want my legacy to be helping other's stretch their budgets.  I want my legacy to be the fact that I am able to help people out and make their days brighter.  The stockpile is just that, a stockpile.  I am not attached to the number of items I have.  I am fixated on the smiles I get when I give.  It is wonderful to hear stories about how bargain shopping can help carry a family though a struggle.  Join me in sharing your gifts and stockpile treasures with you neighbors, families and friends.  No one needs to buy out all of the Special K cereal in the name of  "winning".  Think about the ripple effect you may have in the community before you purchase all 40 Sunday papers at Rt 3 Stewart's locations.  When you act like a "Krazy Coupon" lady or lad, you are not helping improve the public image of coupon users.  Share, Share, and Share Some More (even when it looks impossible).