TLC premiered a new series called Extreme Couponing last night. Not sure how many people dedicated an hour to this season premiere, but I do know that 2.1 million viewers tuned into the hour long special that aired last December, a special that spawned this new series.

I have been interested in the entire frugality movement since my college days, after being introduced to the highly successful blog Get Rich Slowly. I’ve spent hours reading articles about saving money, managing money, and getting the most for every penny spent. I’ve switched my main banking over to ING Direct, where I currently maintain an interest bearing checking account, two savings accounts (each working towards different goals), a ShareBuilder account, and a Roth IRA. I follow the Frugal Subreddit religiously.

One world I’ve never even attempted to visit is the world of couponing, a cult-like subgroup of the frugality movement. I’ve heard stories, legends, of people who are able to use coupons to bring their $200 grocery bill down to pocket change. I’ve attempted to read articles explaining the fine art of cutting coupons to maximize savings, but my eyes always start to blur as soon as compounded manufacturer’s coupons start coupling with store coupons, which use points from individual store rewards cards that are active differently on different days of the week.

But now TLC is bringing us into that mathematically intensive world where couponing is a sport and the savings are palpable. But will I be tuning in? Most likely not.

I’m sure I may give the show a try. I’ll start the first episode and see how long I can watch before turning off the television in disgust. My problem is not the money savings tactics, the cult-like coupon cutting, or the excited savers. No, my issue is with pronunciation.

Call me what you will, but there is only so many times that I can hear someone incorrectly pronounce the word coupon as “que-pon” before my ears start bleeding. The mispronunciation of the word coupon (/ˈk(y)o͞oˌpän/) hurts me on a near physical level, despite the fact that I am not usually an extremist when it comes to grammar or pronunciation (I admit I have been known to pronounce words incorrectly myself). However, for me, the word “que”-pon vividly stands out of any sentence, much as I imagine those with a distaste for onions becoming overwhelmed when consuming a dish full of that specific vegetable.

The narrator’s correct pronunciation juxtaposed against other’s mispronunciations only serves to elevate irritation levels. The stark contrast seeks almost mocking.

So for now, I’ll just continue to fantasize about a world where one can get a cart full of groceries for under $10. I’ll certainly never witness it in its entirety.

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