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August 15, 2021

Extreme couponer arrested for stealing 185 newspapers

This spring, colleague Gordon Powers wondered if extreme couponers give other shoppers a bad name.

14121429-14121429-clipping-coupons You know the ones, the perceived nutbags you see on TLC documentaries talking with terrible American accents and generally seeming as balanced as Gary Busey. (I know, I know, some are just out to save money for their families, yet let’s be real – having to build a bunker to hold toothpaste and no-name cereal might be savvy, but come on ...)

In any case, you have to concede that, at the very least, extreme couponers are very good at what they do. And, if you don’t buy that their shopping behaviours give other, smart-in-a-sane-way shoppers a bad name …

… maybe this does.

According to CNN, an Arkansas extreme couponer was arrested last week for stealing nearly 200 newspapers to “feed her coupon habit.”

Local police say the woman would attack newspaper boxes, filling up bags of unsold local papers. The woman, who was caught on a surveillance camera, took as many as 62 papers in one night.

In the couponer’s defence, she told cops she didn’t know taking the unsold copies was a crime, but the newspaper wasn’t so willing to shrug it off.

When employees of the unnamed newspaper found empty boxes each day, they assumed all copies had been sold.

“Because they were getting no returns, the newspaper was actually putting more newspapers in those boxes to try to sell more newspapers,” a Springfield, Ark., police lieutenant said.

By the time cops arrested the woman, she’d taken 185 newspapers for their coupons, a theft of about $231.

By Jason Buckland, MSN Money

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Gordon PowersGordon Powers

A long-time fund company executive, Gordon Powers now heads up the Affinity Group, a financial services consulting firm. Gordon was a personal finance columnist for the Globe & Mail for many years, has taught retirement planning...

Jason BucklandJason Buckland

The modern-day MC Hammer of money, Jason can often be seen spending cash that isn’t his with the efficiency of a Wilt Chamberlain first date. After cutting his teeth as a reporter for the Toronto Sun, he joined the MSN Money team with...