She's crazy for coupons
By John Ewoldt
Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
(MCT)
Gunter, whose husband is unemployed, said her family would have lost their house if not for her couponing. Rocha's family recently bought a new car and paid cash, thanks to the income she gets from her couponing Web site. Weber said that when her husband first looked at the bags of groceries and the small amount she paid, he asked, "Are you shoplifting?"
All three get so many products free with coupons that they donate surpluses to food shelves, relatives and friends.
If you want to learn to save as much as the pros, check out their Web sites or attend one of the classes. Before long you'll be buying 10 or more Sunday papers a week just for the coupons, going online for additional coupons and tips, devoting an entire room to food storage, and slashing grocery costs by 75 percent.
But not everyone is a coupon hoarder, even in hard times. Most coupons are an advertisement for a product we will never buy. Coupon critics complain that most grocery coupons are for highly processed and snack foods. Out of nearly 50 coupons in last week's paper insert, five could be considered meal staples (pasta sauce, bread, vegetable oil, sour cream, and meat entrees). The rest were for fast food, snack food, pet food, vitamins and supplements, hair and makeup products and household cleaning products. Shoppers looking for healthier options have to dig deeper, said Gunter, but they're there.
Weber estimates that spending 30 minutes a week can save the average person up to 25 percent on grocery and household items. She wants to pay it forward with the ideas that she learned from a woman in line with her at Cub.
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CASUAL COUPONING TIPS
Go to local sites that pick the best weekly deals at supermarkets in your area and link to printable coupons.
Examples: Rocha's Pocket Your Dollars (www.pocketyourdollars.com), Weber's Coupons in Our Hands (www.couponsinourhands.com) and Gunter's Minnesota Coupon Adventure (minnesotacoupon adventure.blogspot.com) and Coupon Mom (www.couponmom.com). They also like www.hotcouponworld.com as a quick hit.
Start a price list with five of your most commonly purchased items at the supermarket. Keep track of sale prices, wait for the item to go on sale and/or use a coupon with it, too. Add more items if time allows. Many items in supermarket ads are featured but not on sale. This tip helps you know if it's a truly good price.
Go directly to the Web site of your favorite products and register for coupons. Examples: Pillsbury.com, BettyCrocker.com, Target.com and GeneralMills.com.
Go to Rocha's and Gunter's sites for "healthy food printables," which are coupons for natural and organic brands. For others, go to sites of your favorite brands such as www.simplyorganicfoods.com or www.muirglen.com. Also look for co-op and organics coupons in the Blue Sky Guide.
Buy an item on sale with a store coupon and a manufacturer's coupon for maximum savings.
Shop double coupon days at your local supermarket. Some grocers accept manufacturers' coupons up to 90 days past the expiration date.
Avoid spam-filled, time-wasting sites such as Coolsavings.com.
Print up to two of each coupon per coupon site per computer.
Buy items that rarely go on sale at discount grocers like Aldi, including produce and meat.
Search for coupons online using the name of the item and "printables." Example: Tide printables. You might have to register or become a Facebook fan first.
Know your sale and coupon cycles. Most are about three months apart. Buy accordingly. An exception to the rule is a seasonal item. Canned soup coupons are rare in the summer.