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Guest Presenter: Jill Cataldo, Super Couponing Class
 From
Jill:
Where to begin..! I became a serious coupon user in September, 2006
when we found out we were going to have another baby. I started using
the internet to track store sales and learned the best time to use
coupons from the newspaper and internet in conjunction with those sales.
This system completely changed the way I shopped. I had been a
"typical" coupon user that would look at coupons each week, cut out the
ones I thought I'd use, and then throw the rest away. It quickly became
clear why that was a bad idea.
I learned that grocery stores have a 12-week cycle in which
everything in the store is at its lowest price point. When that happens,
that's the best time to swoop in and buy that item for an even bigger
discount using the coupons and store discounts that are available.
I also learned that most stores will let you combine a store coupon
with a manufacturer's coupon -- this is called "stacking," and it's a
big component in bringing your total grocery bill down.
Fast-forward almost two years... I have saved thousands of dollars on
groceries. I am astounded at how many items you can get for free by
matching high-value coupons to low-priced sales. And I love spreading
the word about how easy and fun it is to save money with coupons. With
the economy worsening and prices rising, many people are looking for
ways to cut costs and trim budgets.
In June, the Chicago Sun-Times asked readers for tips on how to save
money on groceries. I wrote a short email explaining that I used a
couponing website to track sales and match them to the coupons in the
newspaper -- a system that is easy for anyone to follow. That turned
into a feature piece on me, which resulted in six (!) follow-up pieces
in the Sun-Times, appearances on numerous Chicago radio stations, a
recurring segment on the Jonathon Brandmeier radio show Tuesday mornings
in Chicago, and several television news features, including WGN and WLS.
Many local papers continue to share my story, as what I'm doing seems to
resonate with a lot of people looking to save money in this current
economic state.
I decided to teach a couponing class through our library in August,
2008. The library anticipated 20-30 people would attend. However, the
local buzz for the class rapidly grew... the class was moved to a
church, and ultimately 162 people registered, breaking the library's
record for the most participants for an adult program! Many more
libraries have followed, and even more are in the works. And SUPER
COUPONING was born!
It reached a point where it seemed almost everyone I spoke with
insisted I start a blog. Initially, I wasn't sure I needed a blog, but
now it's taken on a life of its own with weekly deals, a regular base of
readers, and a place for me to post my thoughts on couponing in general.
So come along with me and enjoy this crazy coupon ride..!
Visit her website link for more details:
http://www.jillcataldo.com/
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