Extreme couponer arrested for stealing bags of unsold newspapers for the coupons

Is it a crime to be thrifty?  It is when you steal 185 newspapers just for the coupons.

A Springdale, Ark., woman took "extreme couponing" to the next level when she began swiping bags and bags of unsold newspapers.

"Her defense was that she didn't know it was a crime," Lt. Kevin Lewis of the Springdale Police Department told KSDK.com.

Newspaper employees were confused as to why their papers kept disappearing.  They thought that the issues were just selling out. 

Then they got a look at the surveillance tapes of coupon-craving Jamie VanSicker taking as many as 62 newspapers in a single night.

The newspaper pressed charges for the $231 theft.

VanSicker's lawyer said that his client "shocked and embarrassed" and disappointed in the newspaper for going public and pressing charges.

Extreme couponing became a pop culture phenomenon when TLC debuted a reality show of the same name, following families who spend hours clipping in order to save thousands of dollars.

"If you aren't willing to clip, search online for coupons, dive in Dumpsters and recycling bins for extra newspapers and circulars which contain those coupons, then extreme couponing may not be for you," advised consumer savings expert Andrea Woroch.

Local police seemed baffled by the idea of extreme couponing, which proponents swear by for extreme savings at chain stores.

"I'm not sure why she was doing that, or whatever. I can tell you right now if you go about it the correct way and just talk to people and ask you can get so many coupons that you don't know what to do with them all," said extreme couponer Jeff Bryan.