On TLC’s hit show “Extreme Couponing,” coupon gurus spend hours clipping coupons and mapping out their next grocery store visit. Many couponers spend years perfecting their craft, and many save hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a single shopping trip. Some have walked out the store owing nothing while in rare cases people actually made money.

Cleveland has a newest member to the “extreme couponer” world. Tina Peden has recently taken up the hobby and has already started seeing results.

“I decided to start couponing because I’m not working full-time anymore, and I was just trying to save as much money as I could,” she said. “Plus, I started watching “Extreme Couponing” on TLC. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to that level, but I love to watch it.”

So how does one start couponing? For Peden, all it took was a visit to a website dedicated to the art of couponing – www.thecrazycouponlady.com.

“It has a site for beginners, and it gets you started on the basics,” she said.

And the basics for her were to get as many subscriptions to Sunday papers as possible, and get up early on Sunday mornings to buy extra copies before they run out.

“Between my subscriptions, what I purchase from the newsstand, and what people give me, I collect at least 10 copies of each newspaper,” she said.

Although most of her coupons come from the papers, she also spends about 30 minutes to an hour each day combing the internet for coupons or promotions.

“I’ve recently learned that companies like Kellog’s and General Mills have Facebook pages,” Peden explained. “If you log on and like their page, they give you coupons.”

She has also discovered blogs by fellow couponers who share tips and secrets. They’ll also post what manufacturers are offering discounts that week.

Walgreens puts out a flier with featured items, and by using coupons, she is able to get a few items completely free. She recently made money on a Schick razor that offered $4.50 back in register rewards. Because she had a coupon for that item, she got the item for free plus she got $4.50 back to spend at Walgreens.

On Peden’s first trip to Kroger she saved about $80, and she has already had to purchase shelves for her stockpile.

“There is no way to do this and not have a stockpile,” she admitted. Her items include: approximately eight boxes of cereal, 20 cans of cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soup, several 12 packs of coke and diet coke, body wash, toothpaste, toothbrushes, toilet paper, and Mr. Clean.

“It’s not as time-consuming as you would think it is, but I’m probably spending an hour a day,” she said. Her recent shopping trip to Kroger took about two hours total. “You have to divide into different transactions to make it work out.”

According to Peden, the staff at Walgreens seemed to be prepared for a mass of coupons and four different transactions.

“They were knowledgeable about the coupons, and they were very helpful and friendly,” she said. “They even gave me some tips.”

Although she may not quite be at the “Extreme Couponing” level, Peden could possibly eventually reach that level.

“I think it’s addictive looking for the next sale or item you’re going to get a deal on or get for free,” she said. “I highly recommend it.”