This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Couponing with a Purpose: A Mother-Daughter Team Cleans Up, Then Helps Others

Kidding Around interviews two thrifty moms about their tips on "couponing with a purpose."

Lisa Bauer, an Administrative Assistant at Kennesaw State, learned something new from her daughter, Sarah Kozloff. “My daughter taught me to really coupon. I always used coupons, but never understood how to use them for maximum savings,” Lisa said.

With a busy family of a husband, three grown children, including one that still lives at home, and a foreign exchange student from Germany, Lisa is always looking for ways to save money. “We also have two cats and a German Shepherd, and are currently fostering a dog for someone in the military.”

Sarah became motivated to save money on her household budget.  “My husband and I have been married for almost 4 years and we have a 3 month old little girl. We also have a dog and 3 cats. We moved to Georgia in 2009, due to job loss and a bad economy in Michigan. Since my husband was in the construction field he was always being laid off due to lack of work.”

Find out what's happening in Kennesawwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Kidding Around Interviews These Two Thrifty Moms:

KA: How did you get started couponing and why?

Sarah: I started to coupon when I heard a few co-workers talking about it. I looked on the websites that they were using and saw the savings that were possible. I decided to see how well I could do for a whole month. If I saw an incredible amount of savings I was willing to stick with it, but if there were no savings then I would just go back to my normal shopping. I love the fact that I save an average of at least 50 percent on all of my shopping trips.  Although I get extremely happy when I save over 75 percent.

Find out what's happening in Kennesawwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

KA: What does couponing mean to your family?

Lisa: Obviously, couponing saves us money. There are many things that we buy or do that we might not have ordinarily done because of the cost. If I can save $50 a week on groceries, I feel much more comfortable going out one night and spending $50 at a restaurant. Of course, we never pay full price at a restaurant either. Too many opportunities to save there too!

KA: How much time do you spend clipping coupons, researching the best deals and stopping at the various stores each week?

Lisa: I spend approximately an hour and a half a week clipping and filing coupons, browsing the paper and sale fliers and following my favorite blog, Southern Savers.

KA: What is your "reward" for couponing? Getting good deals or spending less on groceries?

Sarah: I think that the reward that I get for couponing is saving my family money. Since I had to return to work we are spending a lot of money on day care. With my coupon adventures I am saving on my grocery budget to help pay for day care.

Lisa: Another bonus is it has given us a great opportunity for mother-daughter time. We often clip and file coupons together on Sunday afternoon and we enjoy shopping together. We share coupons, tell each other about the good deals that we find, and praise each other for the great savings. I love this time we spend together.

KA: What about the stockpiling and hoarding that’s featured on “Extreme Couponing?” What’s your philosophy on using coupons?

Lisa: It frustrates me to see couponers featured this way. What you see on this show is not at all what I do. I never purchase in such large quantities. I purchase what I and my family can use. Yes, I stockpile, but not like on this show. I only buy what I might use in the next couple months because it will be on sale again and I don’t have extra rooms in my house to fill with stuff. You might find six tubes of toothpaste in my stockpile or six bottles of laundry detergent or maybe six boxes of pasta, but you won’t find 30 years’ worth of toilet paper. 

KA: How does your system work?

Lisa: I get the coupons from my Sunday paper and my magazines. I also have co-workers who bring me the coupons from their papers. This is a great way to get more coupons and I reward them during the holiday season with a generously filled basket of the bargains they have helped purchase. It’s a WIN-WIN!

Sarah and I shop at local grocery stores but find also amazing deals at the drug stores. The major drug stores reward you with bonus dollars at the register for certain purchases and allow you to use store coupons and manufacturers’ coupons. Combine all those savings and you can often enjoy freebies!

I clip all the coupons I get and file the ones for items I know I might purchase in a binder with baseball card collector sleeves. The others are placed in an envelope with the date they were distributed. This is so that if a deal shows up for a brand I don’t normally buy, I can find the coupon readily. Coupon bloggers will tell you when a coupon was distributed in their match ups.

KA: What's your best advice for a newbie couponer?

Sarah: STICK WITH IT!!!!  While it may be time consuming and you may feel that you are not saving a lot in the beginning. Once you get the hang of it and start a stockpile, the saving will start to show. Then when you see the savings that you get you will never want to go shopping without your coupons.

Lisa: My best advice is:

  • Find a blog that provides you with coupon match-ups. This will show you what is on sale at what store, also what coupons are available, and what bonus rewards or rebates are available. A good blogger will also teach you the basics. Take advantage of the great information they provide online.
  • Adjust your purchasing to what is on sale. Buy a couple extra when it is a great deal and stockpile them. It will be tempting to over purchase at first but keep in mind that in a couple of months, it will probably be a good deal again.
  • Use a coupon database. If you need an item that you don’t find on sale or listed on your favorite blog, a coupon database can tell you the current coupons available for any item.


KA: Where does compassion fit in?

Lisa: I feel that I am able to contribute much more than I used to because of the deals that I get. It is a good feeling to be able to go to my stockpile when someone is asking for donations and select what is needed. I would not be able to help as much if I had to go out and purchase at regular price. I also send for free samples whenever I see the opportunity. They are often travel sizes but make great donations and also a great little basket of necessities in the guest bathroom! (Note: Lisa recently made a HUGE donation to the Kennesaw State Athletics’ Ringgold Tornado Victims effort of beauty supplies. And, a recent donation of travel sized items just benefited children in a brothel orphanage in India.)

KA: Anything else you’d like to share?

Sarah: I enjoy couponing and loving helping others save money too. I also enjoy coupon days with mom, and now they are even more special when we take Elanor. 3 generations of couponers is a sight to see. 

Recommended Couponing Websites:

Want to learn how to Coupon with a Purpose?

Want to learn more about couponing? Come sit and clip with us and find out ways to save money while helping others. The group will be led by Coupon Carol--the instructor at our recent Shop Smart Coupon class. Come join the fun! Kennesaw campus (Hwy. 41 & Bluespring Road, near North Cobb High School). Childcare is not available. Check out our evening get together on May 25 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.! R.S.V.P. at www.northstarchurch.org/community.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?