Some might say the people on Extreme Couponing are obsessed with savings and/or organized hoarders. Others call them thrifty and organized. Regardless of how you view these dedicated coupon-clippers, the TLC series has people’s attention and it’s no surprise that the network has given the show a second season pick-up. TLC’s also set to explore another “extreme” kind of behavior with a new pilot called High Stakes Sweepers.
I will admit that I was not only intrigued enough by Extreme Couponing to seasons-pass it on my TiVo, but I’ve also begun clipping coupons. I’m not diving through dumpsters foraging for coupons or stockpiling thousands of dollars worth of food and toiletries (as shown on Extreme Couponing), but I have to say, I’m pretty pleased with the difference a little extra time and effort has made on my grocery bill.
I expect to be somewhat less inspired by High Stakes Sweepers. Here’s part of TLC’s description for the pilot, which may end up being extended into a full series if things go well:
HIGH STAKES SWEEPERS tells the stories die-hard "sweepers," who spend up to 60 hours per week searching for forms, buying products, and testing their luck in thousands of contests in the hopes of winning anything from a tube of toothpaste to a trip to Italy. They're raiding the supermarkets, taking the kids dumpster-diving for bottle caps, and relying on both strategies and superstitions to improve their chances. Viewers will enter their world to see how sweeping has affected their lives, check out the thousands of things they've won, and be there when the doorbell rings for the next big prize.
Dumpster-diving with the kids in search of bottle caps? Yikes. TLC states that the special will profile five sweepstakes enthusiasts. One man is trying to win things for his daughter’s wedding, including the honeymoon. Another woman lost her job and is trying to get by on sweepstakes winnings. And one guy has his family helping him out, taking time decorating envelopes, hoping it’ll improve his chances of winning.
Someone recently described couponing to me as like gambling, only not at all and I agree. When you get a bargain on something, it feels a bit like winning, except there’s no chance involved. You clip the coupon, bring it to the store and pay a bit less. The pay-off is there every time. Sweepstakes, on the other hand, are all up to chance, which changes the game. It’s a lot of time and effort invested for what could be little to no results. Then again, TLC says one of their featured sweepers has won over 1.2 million dollars of prizes. So, maybe we should reserve judgment before we see how she managed to work that out.
As for Extreme Couponing Season 2, production is already underway, so keep an eye out for people with overflowing carts cluttering up the check-out aisle. If they’re followed by a camera crew, you may be witnessing an extreme couponer in action. Season 2 is expected to premiere in September.
