Everyday Cheapskate

You don't have to be very old to remember when a "coupon" was something made of paper that you found in the Sunday newspaper. These days, paper isn't the only medium for cost savers. These clever people have figured out the latest ways to make coupons work well to cut their household food costs.

COUPONING QUEEN. It's true that sometimes a product on sale without a coupon can be cheaper than it would be at the regular price with a coupon. But something on sale with a coupon is even better — and sometimes free. When combined with Catalina promotions (the promotional deals that print on the back of your grocery receipts), coupons often can be moneymakers toward the food bill. With Facebook fan sites, such as Money Saving Mom's fan site, Web pages, such as http://www.JillCataldo.com, and local newsgroups, most of the work already is done for you. Couponing requires very little effort for a lot of savings. — Jenn U., Illinois

APP WIZARD. I use an iPhone app called "Best Value" to compare pricing, regardless of size or quantity. For example, I can compare a product in ounces with another product in pounds. The careful shopper easily can compare different units measuring length, weight or volume. I can't wait to retire and follow my wife around the grocery saying, "Why did you get that? This one is $0.0014826 cheaper!" The app only cost 99 cents. What a bargain. — Royce B., California

EXPERT SOURCES. I have friends who are expert couponers. Often they post pictures on Facebook of all the groceries they bought for very little money.

They use a website called Southern Savers. The writer researches weekly ads for Southern stores — including Publix, Walgreens and Bi-Lo — plus digital and print coupons. Then she makes a categorized list of which coupons to use for the sale items in order to get the best deals. You even can print your own customized grocery list. — Elizabeth M., Alabama

PRINTING MONEY. I get permission from my employer to bring home paper that has been printed on one side. Then I use that paper in my home printer to print my online coupons. That way, all I am paying for is the ink I use, and I get three to four coupons per page, worth any amount from 50 cents to $3 per coupon. It's like free money. — Wendy T., Wyoming

ANGEL FOOD. For those who cannot shop with coupons, there are two excellent discounted food programs. Great Food for All has large packages of easily prepared food. Everything is frozen, and many of the items are in restaurant packaging. Angel Food Ministries has smaller quantities and includes some fresh and shelf-stable items, as well. Both are excellent values, and I'm saving gas because I don't need to go to the grocery very often. — Theresa H., Virginia

LOYALTY RING. I keep my store loyalty cards on a key chain, alphabetized to save time at checkout. — A.T.H., e-mail

Would you like to send a tip to Mary? You can e-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. Include your first and last name and state. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 18 books, including "Debt-Proof Living" and "Tiptionary 2." To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2010 CREATORS.COM