Extreme Coupons.

I am a fan, a true blue fan, of Extreme Couponing on TLC. I watch the shows right when they premiere, I watch the previews online, I research their methods, it is sickening.

Today while shopping in HEB I had an epiphany that discredited the practice of extreme couponing. At least for me.

The whole practice of extreme couponing is get as many groceries as possible without paying.  The lower percentage you pay for, the better. Let's ask ourselves what are the affects of this?

A hit TV show.
Discounted groceries for the extreme couponer.
Food stocked up for their family for at least a couple of months.
Sometimes, and only sometimes, a charitable giving of their extras to the poor, or others in need.
Perhaps some more that I am missing.

Another question to be asked is, why do they extreme coupon?

They need groceries, who doesn't?
They need to pay a small amount for the groceries.
There are other deeper reasons, but those are not for me to diagnose.

Now let's ask ourselves how extreme couponing affects "us," the people who don't extreme coupon, but might occasionally coupon.

This practice causes coupon policies to get more and more confusing, to the point where there is no time for many people to even bother.

It could cause for prices to be higher because companies lose money when their product doesn't get paid for.  Many extreme couponers urge people to extreme coupon, but there is no way that everyone could, or they would do away with coupons. The companies would lose so much money, they would have to cut back labor and or production.

A true "extreme couponer," in my opinion, is someone who spends a set amount of money that they can afford on the items they need/want, and don't cause harm to others by doing so.  Getting by on what you have, and not stalking up the entire grocery store for tomorrow. Sure, use coupons, use them to your hearts content, but don't make it harder for the rest of us who don't have time to extreme coupon, or are too poor to print out coupons. Seriously.

I used to admire extreme couponers, but that admiration was amiss.
I admire people who chose the job they love over the job that makes the extra money. 
I admire people who do what they want, when they want, without going crazy.
I admire people who get by on minimum wages and less than minimum living, happily.