Family Circle Magazine
I met Family CIRCLE reader Fran Gargano, 55, about a year ago at a Waldbaum's in Lindenhurst, New York. I was there giving a lecture on how to save money at the supermarket. After my talk, Fran introduced herself and said that she was interested in learning more about saving with coupons. It took us a while, but we recently met up at the same store for a lesson in smart shopping. I must admit, however, that I'm not sure who was teaching whom. Fran is so coupon-savvy that I just may have to share my title of Coupon Queen with her. Why? Because Fran got $45.65 worth of groceries for free! That's right, she paid nothing. Here's how she did it.
Fran shops at three or four different supermarkets a week. Armed with flyers from each store and the coupon inserts from the Sunday paper. Fran gets to work, searching each flyer for sale items and matching the coupons to those items. Next, she factors in savings from Web Bucks, her frequent-shopper cards and any double- or triple-coupon offers. Then she makes her shopping list. "I wait until Tuesday or Wednesday evening to shop," says Fran. "Evening shopping serves two purposes: Stores are less crowded so I save time, and it gives me a chance in work off dinner!"
Armed with her stash of coupons, which are arranged by product type (cereals, Canned foods, dairy, paper products, etc.), Fran and I got down to business. We began in the aisle with health and beauty aids since most of her savings were from products in this category. "I start in a different aisle in each store, depending on where I'll get the most savings," says Fran. "It's my own little system." In other words, if the majority of her Shop Rite coupons are for, say, dairy products, she'll begin in the store's dairy aisle.
Luckily for Fran, Waldbaum's had double coupons the day we shopped. Here are just a few of the ways she saved big money: An 8-ounce container of Stonyfield Farm yogurt was priced at 99˘. Fran had four 50˘ coupons (now each worth $1) for the yogurt, so she bought four of them. Her cost? Nothing. She got the same deal on Arm & Hammer Advance White toothpaste, which was on sale for $1.99. She had six $1 coupons (now each worth $2) for the toothpaste, so she bought six of them. Her cost? Nothing. "This particular toothpaste is a relatively new brand," says Fran. "New brands are almost always on sale and have high-value coupons." Fran managed the same "something-for-nothing" feat with every item she purchased, including Del Monte (fruit) snack packs, Swiffer cleaning cloths and Arm & Hammer dryer sheets. And that's not all. Fran says she increases her savings even more by sending away for refunds. She receives $200 to $300 a year in cash refunds. Add that to her in-store savings, and Fran puts her grand total at close to $5,000 saved on groceries per year!
Back al Fran's house, I saw her organize a stockpile of products. The laundry room serves as a storage space for detergent and shampoo; the entry closet holds 30 pounds of coffee, paper goods and pasta; under the staircase I found tubes of toothpaste, deodorant, bar soap, disposable razors, aluminum foil and other nonperishables; beneath the kitchen nook are maple syrup and canned goods; and her kitchen cabinets are filled with boxes of cereal, crackers and snack foods. From her cache of items, Fran gave the FAMILY CIRCLE photographers and me extra toothpaste, hand lotion, deodorant and delicious maple syrup!
On my way home from Fran's, my head was filled with the tips she and I had incorporated into her shopping and saving routine:
- Combine every coupon source available - the Sunday newspaper insert, online coupons, Web Bucks, etc.
- Use your frequent-shopper card(s) for additional savings.
- Look for new-product introductions that offer a sale price and high-value coupons.
- Shop when it's less crowded. This saves time and gives you a chance to concentrate, especially at the checkout.
- Gel to know your supermarket's promotions - e.g., double or triple coupons.
- Prepare your shopping list and gather your coupons in advance.
- Send away for cash refunds and free product coupons.
- And last but not least, have a good time!
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