Tales from the           Coupon Slayer

By: Mega Mom

This is the first of many conversations regarding what drives a professionally degreed, six-figured wage earner to spend time with coupons and coupon applications.  Is it the sense of getting over on corporate giants who overprice everyday necessities, the financial drive to save nickels and dimes to pay for necessary utilities and living expenses, or is it simply a game of math to come out a winner.  Over the past thirty years, I have witnessed the transformation of clipping coupons from the Sunday paper, usually a housewife, in the hopes that they would have a savings on something that my family actually used, and perhaps find a merchant that doubled and/or tripled coupons for the added savings.  The next generation was slow with many rebates requiring you to fill out extensive forms, mail in proof of purchase and UPC codes, and wait sometimes six to eight weeks for a rebate check to come in the mail.  Oftentimes, the receipt was mislaid and the boxes thrown out, and heavens forbid, lost in the mail. Then came the advent of the internet and applications with our smart phones which ushered in a new era of downloading and printing coupons, cash back or money rewards to spend in the store again, or downloading to a shopping card that gives you your savings at the register.  In addition, many shopping applications allow your savings to download to tools such as PayPal, Amazon, Merchant gift cards, and some directly into your checking account. There is an application that gives you points that convert into money just for visiting their product and scanning it in the store.  We all know that savvy, usually female, customer that holds the line up for her savings, often requiring the manager to educate the cashier that the customer is right.  They seem to have a game plan, and to know the rules and regulations of the game, and with a game face hold out for the extra savings.  Lately, I have noticed that they are usually very sharp in math, and seem to not fit in the stereotypical housewife category.  Have you ever wondered what that customer is driving, what they do with all the extra shampoos and body washes, and what drives them to save, save, save. One woman I know supports a homeless pregnant woman’s shelter with her “haul” as it is affectionately called when she leaves the store with a basket full after paying  a few cents on the dollar. Another such woman showed me a receipt where she saved over $2,000 in one quarter at a local pharmacy, and she gives the items away in gift baskets for special occasions.  Lastly, another woman working a nonprofessional job, and being a single parent uses coupons to stretch her dollar, and to add income to her family by way of savings.  Couponing in my experience is part of the new wealth, SMART MONEY, and in the next issue we will explore some basics.  Until then, lets slay some retail.