- 5/28/2025
Extreme Couponing
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:01Think you've seen some super-sized savings?
00:04Free. Free. Free. All of it for free.
00:07Well, you haven't seen anything yet.
00:10We've been shopping about six hours total, but we're still going strong.
00:14Because in the next half hour, you'll meet two couponers going for record-breaking hauls.
00:19Just ask them if they have, like, about 400 more.
00:22A gymnastics coach who won't sleep until she's landed every last deal.
00:26I was up all night worrying about this.
00:29And the mom who coupons for more than her family of nine could ever consume.
00:33Stop pushing the toilet paper on me.
00:35They think moms went off the defense.
00:37See what happens when a couponer literally shops until she drops.
00:41My feet are hurting so bad.
00:44And the checkout that will have everybody talking.
00:47I didn't think I could do it.
00:48A new standard is about to be set right now on Extreme Couponing.
00:52Holla! Thank you, Jesus!
00:59Is this the cheapest shopping trip you've ever had?
01:05Yeah, it's free, so...
01:07American food prices are rising faster than the general inflation rate, making milk more expensive than gas.
01:14But for the families of extreme couponers like Ohio's Joni Meyer Crothers, grocery shopping at their mother's stockpile is always affordable.
01:21I need a shopping cart, actually.
01:22We're gonna have to get some of those.
01:24My name is Joni, and I'm so OCD with my coupons that normally I won't even pay 20 cents for something because I know I can get it for free.
01:32Pasta free, rice free, and our favorite, candy totally free.
01:37When I go shopping, the girls at the register already know there's the crazy lady.
01:41Holla!
01:42But it's exciting because you walked out with three cartloads of stuff and you got it totally free.
01:49Going coupon crazy is at its perks for Joni as it's allowed her to amass a $20,000 multi-room stockpile that feeds her family of nine and their friends.
01:57My oldest daughter and my oldest son just moved out, so I always have food ready for them and their boyfriends and girlfriends when they come over.
02:04So even though they think moms went off the deep end, they're pretty excited because it saved them a lot of money.
02:09How about some more toilet paper clips?
02:11Stop pushing the toilet paper on me.
02:13I probably am here once a week just getting things as I need them.
02:15If I'm out of shampoo, she has it.
02:17If I need toilet paper, she has it for me.
02:19While Joni's kids are undoubtedly excited about her home stockpile, it's Joni who loves it the most and takes meticulous care of its own.
02:26Because I am such a perfectionist, it has to be organized, lined up perfectly.
02:31It's very annoying to me if I walk in the pantry and somebody smooth something.
02:36My soap is my big thing.
02:38I probably have five pairs of shoes, but let me tell you, I get so excited about my hand soap.
02:43Because you never can be clean enough.
02:45Over the last three years, Joni's home stockpile has evolved into a community food bank because she's donated over $100,000 worth of food since her couponing began.
02:56It feels good to be able to give back to people.
02:59And at one point in my life, I was in the same boat where I needed help.
03:02And so I understand what it's like to be in that position.
03:05When my oldest daughter was five, I was going through a divorce and we went through a really hard time financially where we didn't have a lot of money to eat.
03:15And it was a very scary moment because as a parent, you're supposed to provide for your kids.
03:20And I don't want to talk about it.
03:22Just wait a minute.
03:24Going through the struggle made me stronger because I realized that I do need to be there.
03:34And if somebody needs help, I have to step up.
03:37Today, Joni is planning to make her largest donation yet.
03:41She is prepping a huge haul to pick up some items for her usual charities.
03:44So she gathers her entire family to clip the necessary 2,250 coupons.
03:49Let's get ready for our shopping trip today.
03:52Who wants to count coupons?
03:54What I do with my coupons is I always buy one newspaper.
03:57And then when I look and see the good coupons, I order an enormous amount from Clipping Services.
04:02How many rice should we get?
04:04Four.
04:05How about 320?
04:08Couponing is a way of life around here.
04:11Obviously have a lot to do with the kids, but couponing is definitely ranked right up there.
04:15Do we like free, Jaden?
04:17Yes!
04:18We've learned not to be product loyal anymore.
04:21Because if I can get a product for free, it's going to taste just as good because it's free and free tastes good.
04:26How much money are we saving?
04:2799.
04:28Right here.
04:29What do you guys think?
04:30Can we do it?
04:31Yeah!
04:32Once Joni and her family have clipped all of their coupons, Joni heads to the store with her husband and daughter Lara for support.
04:39She plans to buy about $3,100 worth of groceries, but can't spend more than $100 for everything.
04:45It's very important that things go right today because we have a lot of people riding on us.
04:50First on our list is to get over 400 boxes of cat food. We have a local pet shelter that's in need of food.
04:56The cat food is $2.99 for a 16 ounce box and we have a coupon for $3 off. So actually all 400 boxes are going to be totally free.
05:07Next, Joni has to pick up some yogurt. And because her store isn't limiting double coupons today, she's buying 540 cups.
05:14The yogurt is $0.69. The coupon's for $0.35. So you double it. So it'll double the $0.69 because you don't get overage.
05:22And for every six yogurts that you buy, there's a Catalina for $0.75.
05:26Catalina's are coupons that print at the register for use on future purchases.
05:30Because Joni is buying 540 yogurts and receiving a Catalina for every six, she will get 90 coupons, earning her $67.50 to put towards the rest of her items.
05:41Can you carry more than one box, Lara?
05:43This is not the way I stack a cart. This is wrong.
05:46You want to help us, Craig? Put some in our cart?
05:49Make sure you stack them right here.
05:52That's how you stack it.
05:54Are you guys' feet hurting too?
05:57Will the stress of a seven-hour shopping trip land Joni on the sidelines?
06:01I'm going to sit down for a couple minutes.
06:03Leaving the fate of her haul in her husband's hands?
06:05Wait a minute. Wait, wait, whoa, whoa, whoa. Can you turn the belt off?
06:13At a supermarket in Ohio, mother of seven Joni Meyer Crothers has promised to donate over $3,000 worth of groceries to local charities.
06:25But she only has $100 to spend, so she can't afford to make any mistakes.
06:29Okay, so now let's go get the deodorant.
06:32It's $1.06!
06:34Praise the Lord!
06:36All right, you guys. Good news.
06:38Our deodorant that was $1.29 is $1.06.
06:42Since health and beauty items are usually more expensive than food,
06:45this unadvertised sale will have a huge impact on Joni's final bill.
06:50We're saving $23 on a hundred of them.
06:52It's every couponer's dream.
06:58We have everything on our list, and we just have to go up front and organize.
07:02Because the store will limit the number of yogurt Catalinas that print out for each purchase,
07:06Joni and her family pre-sort their haul into eight separate transactions.
07:10All right, we're good, you guys, so we need to head on up there.
07:12I have $100 in my pocket right now, so if it goes over that,
07:18we might have to be put to work at the store.
07:22You know the noodles are right, correct?
07:23Yeah.
07:24There was 60 eggs, hon, you're sure?
07:25Because we have an extra one in the cart.
07:30The grand total is $2.70.93 in your coupons for today.
07:36For transaction number one, I'm hoping to pay no more than $5.30.
07:40We'll see.
07:41Grand total is $4.23.
07:45Joni's first transaction is a success.
07:47But with about another 2,000 items to go, the pressure is rising.
07:51I am feeling very nervous. It's crazy.
07:56Will you count these and make sure we have 30?
08:01Your total is $4.70.16 before your coupons.
08:04Okay, I need to get my calculator out.
08:07I think I actually transposed my one and my seven, so when I thought it was $4.17, it's supposed to be $4.71.
08:14Getting a little worried about my $100 in my pocket.
08:17And after coupons, you're at $7.37.
08:21Up here, sister.
08:26Your grand total before coupons is $4.15.52.
08:29We bought $1,091.90 worth of groceries for $12.17.
08:35Wow.
08:36Three down, five more to go.
08:41We've been shopping about six hours total, but we're still going strong.
08:46Can you keep up, Danielle?
08:47By the end of their sixth transaction, the Crothers have purchased $2,361.82 in groceries for about $40.
08:59But after six hours of shopping, Joni is ready to drop.
09:02Are your guys' feet hurting, too?
09:04Are your feet hurting, Jamie?
09:05My back's going out.
09:06I'm losing my energy.
09:08I'm going to sit down for a couple of minutes, so if you can finish transaction number seven.
09:12Okay.
09:13And we're about on the home stretch.
09:14All right.
09:15My wife got a little bit tired, so I had to take over.
09:19Wait a minute.
09:20Wait a minute.
09:21Whoa, whoa, whoa.
09:22Can you turn the belt off?
09:26Just yogurt and cat food's all we've put through?
09:30Did we mess up with coupons or we're good?
09:32I'm loading the last card on right now.
09:34Our total so far, we've spent $2,670.74 retail, but we've actually paid $45.60.
09:42So the only thing that could go wrong now is that this last order doesn't go right.
09:48Fingers crossed.
09:50Your grand total will be four coupons.
09:52That's going to be $4.8406.
09:53Okay.
09:54Okay.
10:01This is it.
10:05You owe 13 cents for your total.
10:08Holla!
10:10Thank you, Jesus!
10:11Woo!
10:14Joni's haul of over 2,300 items, including 540 yogurts, 400 boxes of cat food, and 310 boxes of noodles, totaled $3,159.30.
10:25But she paid just $45.73 for it, a 99% savings.
10:31If I didn't go through the struggle in my life that I went through, I don't think I would have the compassion for people that I do.
10:38Good job!
10:40But there's no reason why people should go hungry today.
10:42We walked out of the store with over $3,100 worth of stuff for $45, and if we can do it, everyone can do it.
10:48A couponing insomniac whose late-night planning may not be enough to savor sanity.
10:58That's going to be crazy.
10:59I was up all night worrying about this.
11:09Your coupons weigh one pound, two ounces.
11:11That's the value of gold right there.
11:13Right there!
11:14That's my gold.
11:15The average coupon's redemption value is $1.46, so for extreme couponers like Seattle's Anjali Campbell, money may not grow on trees, but it does get dropped on her doorstep.
11:25That's a lot of coupons! That's awesome!
11:28I'm Anjali Campbell, and I would say that I am in love with couponing.
11:33I love the excitement that comes out of it.
11:36I was shaky before, like shaking everywhere now.
11:39Couponing is part of my life.
11:40I mean, there's never a day that I don't look at the coupons I have or hear about something that's on sale.
11:45Everybody has their hobby, and couponing is mine.
11:48Anjali's 24-hour-a-day commitment to coupons means that even though she works full-time and has a family of five,
11:54she'll do almost anything to score a deal, even sacrifice sleep to sift through the neighborhood recycling bins.
12:00I coach gymnastics.
12:01So with that, I will work a 10- to 12-hour day and get home, and I'll go out and get coupons and then hit the stores.
12:09It can be exhausting, but at the end of the week when I look at what I was able to bring home, it feels rewarding.
12:13And the rewards that Angelica's reaped in the two years since she started couponing have enabled her to amass a $15,000 home stockpile.
12:21All right, so we're in my garage now. This is my stockpile.
12:27So you want to see what all I got for free? Free, free, free, or moneymaker. Free, free, free, all of it for free.
12:35So right here, I have my cereal. It goes about three feet back, and then I have my big loaf.
12:41I have deodorant, face wash, anything a woman needs to take care of her prettiness and smelliness.
12:48If my wife stopped couponing, we probably could live off that stockpile for at least a year.
12:52And, you know, it keeps getting bigger.
12:56Before I started couponing, I hated shopping. Hated it.
13:01I grew up really poor, and I actually started working at a really young age.
13:05So I didn't like the thought of spending money.
13:07Now, shopping's fun, especially when you get everything for free.
13:13Tonight, Angelica's planning the most fun-filled trip of her life.
13:17She's trying to buy this month's groceries and also stock up on staples with longer shelf lives for the future.
13:23Okay, Naomi, come sit down and help me clip these coupons.
13:25We have to clip 180 of those, okay?
13:28I'll try.
13:30All right, so to get ready for a big shopping trip, I need to start on my computer
13:34and start looking up what deals there are this week.
13:37Because I work full-time, I really depend on the local blogs to kind of tell me what the sales are.
13:43After a long night of planning, Angelica wakes up her entire family to go to the store before work.
13:48She plans to buy over $2,000 worth of groceries for less than $50.
13:52And with kids in tow, she'll need to focus.
13:55All right, guys, we're gonna go see if they have some couscous for us.
14:00Couscous!
14:01I found this coupon, and it's for couscous of any sort.
14:04Up to $3.
14:05These are $2 a piece, so we're gonna get them completely for free.
14:08Since the couscous will last for a year, and Angelica's coupon is worth almost double the average clipping,
14:13she takes full advantage of her find.
14:15How many boxes do you think we should get, Naomi?
14:177,000!
14:18Guess what? We're gonna get 134 boxes of couscous.
14:21I'm excited to try it. I've never tried it.
14:24To make sure that you get the larger savings,
14:26usually, you have to be willing to try a new product.
14:29And I'm willing to try the new stuff.
14:31134.
14:35That's gonna be crazy.
14:38Okay, guys, can we stop now?
14:39Because Mommy likes to stack it up nicely in the cart.
14:42All right, ready? Let's go.
14:44After shopping for over an hour but not getting very far, Angelica needs to pick up the pace
14:49and decides to drop off her youngest children at the in-store daycare.
14:53We're gonna go off to Playland now, okay?
14:55Let me out!
14:58All right, guys, be good.
15:00Free to finish her mission, Angelica heads to the health and beauty aisle to get some toothpaste.
15:04So these were on sale a week ago, and they didn't have any in stock, so I went ahead and got a rain check.
15:10They were $1.25 each, and I have a dollar off coupon, so I'll be paying 25 cents a piece.
15:15Rain checks are vouchers many stores offer to extend the sale price of items after they've sold out.
15:20So we're gonna get 25 of them, but we're gonna get the smaller size.
15:23It makes our coupons go farther.
15:25Since Angelica's coupon will save her $1 off any size toothpaste,
15:29choosing the smaller tubes will score her the cheapest price.
15:32All right, can you put them all in the cart for me?
15:34Next, Angelique wants to buy some produce and meat, but since her staples don't usually generate coupons,
15:41Angelique has another plan to get them for free.
15:43If you have a prescription and you transfer it to this pharmacy, they'll give you $25 for every transferred prescription.
15:48So I always use those transferred points towards buying our fresh food.
15:52And there it is. Transfer balance, $25.
15:55Go ahead and put it in there. These carts are so heavy. Can you pull a little harder?
16:00There we go. Thank you.
16:02Satisfied that she's gotten everything off the shelves, Angelique heads towards the register.
16:07All right, baby. You can go play with your brother and sister while I get to check out.
16:14I'll have to apologize for all the coupons in advance.
16:16There's gonna be a few.
16:18They're awesome clearance fines.
16:20After consulting with the cashier, Angelique realizes that she needs to separate her haul into three separate transactions
16:26to prevent the computer from crashing.
16:28We have a memory capacity in the register, so we want to make sure that the register won't freeze.
16:34I wasn't really planning that they would have to split up the transactions, but I guess I didn't really think through.
16:41For me, that's completely unacceptable.
16:43With a last-minute curveball, the register caused Angelique to give up.
16:46I don't even know where to begin with it right now. I'm totally lost.
16:49At a supermarket near Seattle, Extreme Couponer Angelique Campbell has worked through the night to meticulously plan her largest haul ever.
17:06But at checkout, she learns that she must now separate her items into several different transactions to keep the register from crashing.
17:12I don't even know where to begin with it right now. I'm totally lost.
17:16There are some things that I'm buying that are paired with other coupons, so I need to make sure that makes it on the same transaction.
17:22So we're going to do 18 of the soy.
17:26Okay.
17:27And I actually need you to do these, because these have to be on that transaction as well.
17:31Oh my gosh, I'm so scared.
17:33It's right about $500.
17:34We should probably start doing coupons.
17:37So your total is $1,351.06.
17:41Are you ready?
17:43Oh my gosh.
17:46Can I take those?
17:49I want to count again.
17:50Oh, I haven't given you my milk coupons yet.
17:52Oh, that's just been, and my heart melted.
17:54I had them all pre-planned, but then we split it up, so I'm so sorry.
18:01Yes.
18:02$0.61.
18:03Okay, so the nervousness is still there, because I still have so much more, but half of it is gone.
18:08Alright, so let's start transaction number two.
18:10Your total is $515.50.
18:16And here is your pharmacy rebate, which is $25.
18:19Alright, are you ready for the coupons?
18:22On her second transaction, Angelique is hoping that she has enough coupons and credit to completely cover her purchase.
18:30Your total is negative $24.50.
18:33Yay! High five! This is awesome!
18:36We will give you a gift card for the amount of money that you are owed.
18:42Are you ready for a third transaction, Angelique?
18:44I'm ready!
18:45I'm ready!
18:50So your total is $398.89.
18:53Here is my coupons.
18:59There's a huge thing that we forgot.
19:00What?
19:01Ray check on the toothpaste, and I need to give you those coupons.
19:03Watching everything is so important.
19:07I could have possibly left paying $100 over what I was supposed to.
19:12And for me, that's completely unacceptable.
19:15Yet, as Angelique watches the register, she realizes that she's also missed some coupons from her first transaction.
19:21Opening the door for her to potentially pull off a rare but coveted feat.
19:26Walking out of the store with money back after all of her items had been rung up.
19:30So if you miss a coupon on a transaction, they can give you cash back for that coupon.
19:36Keep them coming down. This is looking good.
19:38Yes. This is great.
19:41Almost there.
19:42Your total is negative $33.64.
19:48Yay!
19:49That's so awesome.
19:50So your grand total of retail price was $2,123.56.
19:57Okay.
19:58You walked away with a $57.51 gift card today.
20:07Oh my God!
20:08I think I can do it!
20:12You did it!
20:14I was up all night worrying about this.
20:16I'm so happy!
20:17I feel like I'm on top of a mountain right now.
20:23Yay!
20:24Angelique's haul included 134 boxes of couscous, over 600 packages of candy, and 93 bottles of hot sauce, totaling $2,123.56.
20:34But the store paid her $57.51 to take it all home.
20:39A 103% savings.
20:44When I started couponing, I would never have thought this was something that I could do.
20:49So the sense of accomplishment that I feel is just beyond this world.
20:53It's amazing.
20:54So proud of myself.
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