Extreme Couponing

I recently discovered that the TLC network broadcasts a reality show called "Extreme Couponing". The reality show is successful because it represents a habit that has become very fashionable among consumers these days. Couponing, or the collection of discount coupons, has almost grown into a skill or a competition of who can buy the most products with the least amount of money. Of course, we would assume that couponing is a good way for savvy buyers to save money. Also, coupons are a good way for businesses to motivate their customers to buy. However, as many other things in life, couponing can also have negative consequences. I am sure that marketers feel cheated when buyers beat them at their own game, meaning that they manage to combine coupons in such ways that they end up paying almost nothing for the product. Also, the "art" of couponing basically implies a craze for buying, because it's almost certain that the couponers (just like Black Friday buyers) don't need most of the products, but they buy them anyway since they are cheap. In the first episode of "Extreme Couponing", a woman paid $100 for groceries that would normally cost $2,000. Judging from the high cost of the groceries, I am sure that she bought many products that were unnecessary and ended up in a landfill that pollutes the environment.