TLC's Extreme Couponers

Last night I finally caught a couple of episodes of TLC's Extreme Couponing.  It was very interesting to see how people in the show were able to obtain so much stuff from the grocery store and pay pennies on the dollar, one lady actually paid 2% of her entire purchase...which was over $1000. This is extreme! I use coupons on a regular basis. I am always looking for deals on the things my family uses. Sometimes, when the item is free, and all I have to pay is 6% tax, I buy as much as I can, which is always, 6 not a 100 or 200!

Because of the show, I am hearing a lot of local ladies say that they get dirty looks at the supermarket when they use the manufacturer coupons, I am guessing because these people, the starers are assuming that us couponers have warehouses chuck full of food and other merchandise that we got for free.
I speak for myself, and some of the folks I know who use couponing as a way to help with tight budgets, we see coupons as a tool that help us save money. Manufacturers send out these coupons so that their product will be sold. We are in a bad economy now,  grocery prices are going up because of fuel costs, to me it just makes 'cents' to use manufacturers coupons to save. Manufacturers reimburse groceries stores the amount on the coupon plus an added compensation for basically advertising their product. I never never never feel bad for using coupons. When I know my checking out is going to take more than normal, I always tell the people that line up behind me that my order will take a while, so far, I just get a thank you and a smile and they go to another register.
So, in conclusion I say, keep on saving.
***if you are going to buy a whole bunch of stuff, which will clear out the shelves, do as my lovely former neighbor did (she got me couponing) she would go to the manager and make a special order, so that other people would not have to suffer. How considerate is that!?

this is not mine...just a pic I found in the internet...Im not this organized unfortunately...some day, I hope!

OK. That's my shpill on couponing. If you have any couponing stories please share...any tips, any worries or concerns, just comment below.