Local shoppers welcome tips from Coupon Queen

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Jill Cataldo, a syndicated newspaper columnist better known as The Coupon Queen, talks to an audience about smart shopping at the Prisco Community Center. Jeff Cagle / For Sun-Times Media

Couponing tips

Find out more about Jill Cataldo and the couponing craze at her web \site: www.jillcataldo.com.

Other recommended coupon-saving sites include: www.savingsangel.com, www.couponmom.com, and www.grocerygame.com.

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Updated: January 23, 2012 3:57AM

Every Sunday morning, Jill Cataldo is the first person on her block scooping up the bundled newspapers at the end of her driveway — and it’s not because she’s eager to read about current events.

“It’s like someone threw $200 at the end of my driveway,” the self-proclaimed coupon queen told an audience of more than 250 people Thursday at Aurora’s Prisco Center. “I’m out there in my bare feet grabbing my money.”

Cataldo, who picked up couponing four years ago, has turned her success into a career, teaching others how to turn tiny pieces of paper into big savings. Bargain buyers from across the Fox Valley showed up in droves to hear Cataldo’s 70 minute presentation on shopping smart, sponsored by the Fox Valley Park District.

“There is no magic to what any of us (coupon queens) do,” said Cataldo, of Huntley in northern Kane County.

Instead it is about breaking outside the box and throwing out all old shopping ideas.

“You have to get over wanting to just buy one or two of something,” she said.

Instead of shopping for what you need on a weekly basis, it’s about shopping for what is the cheapest and then having it on hand when you need it.

This assures Cataldo that she is paying the lowest cost for any item she may need, and having enough to last her until the price drops again.

Unbelievable
bargains

This sale, for instance, was the equivalent of Cataldo finding the Holy Grail.

When cereal prices dropped, Cataldo used store deals and coupons to pick up 58 boxes, along with 40 boxes of granola bars for a just $5.15, including tax, she said.

“Before I would be happy if I saved $5. The old way of shopping is all wrong,” she said. “Coupon shopping versus need-based shopping is very different.”

It’s not like Cataldo has a major stockpile at home. She considers that over the top, she said.

Since grocery stores drop their prices on various items every 12 weeks, Cataldo just makes sure she has enough of everything on hand at home to last equally as long.

Buying cereal at $3.99 a box just wouldn’t make sense to the thrifty mother who could get the same box for pennies on the dollar at a different time.

Make sales
work for you

Using online coupons, manufacturer coupons, store coupons and register receipt deals helps Cataldo knock down prices even more. And with all of the resources out there to help her do it, the process is a cinch.

Cataldo only shops once a week, and spends about an hour getting her coupons in order for the trip.

“It’s not a lot of time for the amount of money you can save,” she said.

Cataldo once used several store coupons paired with manufacturer deals to buy nine tubes of toothpaste. She spent $9 for the supply, but got $20 in register rewards at the end of her transaction.

“They paid me $11 to take home the toothpaste,” she said.

Using $1 off coupons on store’s $1 deals is also a way to take home products for free.

“Just have fun with this, it’s really neat to see the price just go down and down,” she said.

Changing old habits

But couponing isn’t always an easy process to start.

Some habits have to be broken, she said, include buying things in economy sizes when coupons can help you save more on smaller versions of the product.

A $1 off coupon on deodorant might get you a small bargain on a big size, but it will get you a travel deodorant for free. And who doesn’t like free?

“Sometimes it’s hard to wrap your head around,” she said.

Luckily, Cataldo’s Super-Couponing class has a sequel, which the park district is in the process of booking. For those eager to get their shopping started, Cataldo’s DVDs can be purchased on her website, www.jillcataldo.com, which includes links to Cataldo’s popular blog, and other couponing sites.

“Now if I need a jar of pasta sauce, instead of paying whatever they are charging for the product (at the store) I can shop at home (in my stock pile) and know that I paid the lowest possible price for it,” she said.