[4] It was previewed in December 2010; after surpassing network expectations with more than 2 million viewers, it received a series order[5][6] and began regular airings in April 2011.

On November 20, 2015, the show returned to Discovery Family, a sister network to TLC, and was renamed Greatest Givers: Extreme Couponing for its run during the Thanksgiving season.

New York Times columnist Virginia Heffernan described the show as "a deceptively simple look at the complex drama of American spending and the paradoxes of parsimony.

Online's critic Jennifer Arrow called it a "recessionista series" marked by "a lot of tawdry, exploitative 'reality'" and participants "just doing their crazy best to stretch dollars and provide a little more for their families.

Shoppers compete in a reality series that features 12 of the best "Extreme Couponing" savers in 30-minute challenges to see who can save the most on $500 worth of merchandise, which is then donated to charity.