Extreme Couponing

Last night I somehow got sucked into watching several episodes of extreme couponing. I have mixed feelings about what these ladies do. First, I think it is commendable that they can get the quantity of items they do for absolutely nothing. They spend hours on end planning their shopping trips and I'm sure it takes a high level of skill. That being said, I really don't understand why you need a stockpile of tens of thousands of goods. I can completely get on board with having things on hand that you use on a regular basis and know you will need, but what exactly is the purpose of having 5000 toothbrushes?

One woman did a shopping trip for her local shelter. Another made donations to a food bank. This makes perfect sense. Why not get items for free and donate them to those in need? This allows families that are in need to have access to supplies.

I certainly do not have 30 hours a week to donate to an extreme couponing effort, but I wonder if I could be more diligent about looking for coupons for things we do actually use on a regular basis - laundry detergent, paper towels, toilet paper, toothpaste, deodorant, etc. I don't need a stockpile of thousands of items, but I wouldn't mind getting my basics for free. Maybe next month instead of throwing the sale circulars in the recycling bin, I'll actually look through them. Or maybe I won't...