Announcement of a New Series on the Blog. Let's Explore the Issues!

A New Series on the Blog:

Introduction to the Issues and Philosophies Facing Couponers

Lately, there has been a lot of buzz in the coupon community.  It seems that TLC's Extreme Couponing has helped to open a dialogue about couponing and saving money.  It has been interesting to see the perspectives non-couponers and couponers alike have about these topics.  AND, it seems that not even the couponers agree about the issues or have the same POV.

My personal mission, as a blogger and as an individual couponer, is to ALWAYS coupon with integrity and rack up as many good Coupon Karma points as possible in the process.  My goal is to save my family money and help provide for them in the limited capacity that I am able to do so as a Stay at Home parent in a single-income family.  As a familay, we are living a very modest no-cable-in-the-home  debt-free life where our cars may be 12 years old, but are totally paid for.  I coupon for my family.  I blog for my friends.

So, what are the perceptions that folks are left with when watching Extreme Couponing?  A lot of folks are actually left with a bad taste in their mouth, so to speak.  A lot of folks are using words like hoarders and such.  One of my fave bloggers, Kristin over at Couponing to Disney, even declined the invitation to appear on the show, blogging that she made that decision due to how the couponers can be portrayed.  I think it is really important to explain to those that don't coupon, or coupon casually, that they call it EXTREME Couponing for a reason.  It is just that, Extreme.  Your average every day couponer is not like that.  My personal stockpile, for example, fits into one closet in my bathroom.  I have a 6 month supply of toothpaste, shampoo, etc.  When my items in the closet approach more than 6 month supply, out of the house they go.. to either a yard sale (more on that another time.. and yes, IT IS LEGAL to sell your drugstore overstock. I will tackle that issue and more in this series.), or given to a neighbor, friend, charity, etc.  Most couponers are just trying to help their finances.

*The reason my stockpile is a 6 month supply is that you never know when your job might get downsized, or you might want to take a break off from couponing...... also, the sales are usually done in a 3-6 month cycle, so it might be that long before your Olay goes on sale again.

Thus, with all the drama, misconceptions, and even in some cases scandals going on in the couponing subculture, I am going to take the time to give you my thoughts and personal POVs about the various issues facing couponers.

Get ready over the next few weeks to explore these issues... and you might be surprised along the way.. not all couponers or even bloggers share the same philosophies.  We are all in this together, though!  We have to maintain our integrity as a couponing community so that we can take our reputations back from those depicted poorly in the national media.

I have an idea for the issues I want to talk about and the philosophies I will be discussing... But what are YOUR concerns, thoughts, questions? What would YOU like to see in this series?