THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 26, 1995 TAG: 9501250089
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Mary Flachsenhaar
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
If you've ever been in a supermarket line behind a seasoned couponer like Carrie Bloomquist or Sherry Campbell, you might have been awed at the few dollars they paid for a megaload of groceries.
Saving the money they do requires hours of searching, sharing, clipping, filing and filling out forms - hours that many of us simply don't have.
But getting in the coupon habit on a much more modest level could save you $1,000 a year or more, according to Martin Sloane, nationally syndicated columnist. Sloane's ``Supermarket Shopper'' is published in Flavor.
``A half-hour's work can reduce a weekly grocery bill by $25,'' Sloane said.
So what are we waiting for? Here's a list of tips from the experts:
Know where to find coupons. They're in the inserts in Sunday newspapers, in junk mail, in magazines, on the backs and insides of products, in supermarket displays with the red blinking lights. Sometimes a manufacturer will send coupons back with refunds. And some products have an 800 number a consumer can call for recipes and coupons.
Decide whether you want to clip just the coupons you use, all coupons you find or an amount somewhere between the two. If you clip coupons you won't use, plan to exchange with a friend or to drop in one of those coupon exchange barrels in the supermarket. Don't save more coupons than you can handle. You'll get disorganized and discouraged.
Don't be afraid to let a coupon expire. That's wiser than using it to buy something you don't want.
Clip as many coupons as you can on products you use. (This is where a neighbor's unused coupon insert comes in handy.) You will be armed and ready to stockpile when a store has a special price on a favorite nonperishable item.
Take a calculator to the supermarket. When a coupon doesn't specify a certain size, you'll be able to compare unit prices to see which size offers the best price after the value of the coupon is deducted.
Don't be brand-loyal or store-loyal. Being flexible may pay off in greater savings.
Look in the back of the supermarket shelf for bonus items. These include an attached coupon, more product for the same money or a BOGO - couponers jargon for buy-one-get-one-free. A freebie is a home run.
Let the children help with clipping and filing coupons and pitching out coupons that have expired. The children will learn to be organized and thrifty. And they will have a chance to put math and reading skills to practical use. by CNB