Coupon queen shares tips at Yuma workshop

Nikki Wilkey, armed with a notebook to jot down notes, arrived at Thursday's super-couponing workshop ready to learn the secrets of columnist Jill Cataldo.

Wilkey's sister has been trying to get her to use coupons for years, but it wasn't until more recently that she started to practice the art of super-couponing.

The 41-year-old mom and wife noted she's a loyal reader of Cataldo's weekly syndicated column, which reaches 20 million readers every week and appears Mondays in the Yuma Sun, and has already learned a lot from the coupon expert.

She pointed to several deals she's already pulled off, saving her hundreds of dollars along the line and even getting some products for free.

“Isn't it better to spend all your money on bills instead of groceries?” she asked.

Now Wilkey's on a mission: to learn as much as she can about using coupons to save as much as she can. She not only wants to benefit her own family, but she wants to be able to contribute to the Yuma Community Food Bank's depleting pantry.

Her husband, James, wants to help their children, two of whom recently left the nest, save on groceries.

“It's hard for kids when they're first on their own,” he said.

Wilkey also hopes to help other families save “so they don't have to stress so much over money.”

Dubbed the “Coupon Queen,” Cataldo shared how to make the most of weekly coupons at the show, sponsored by the Yuma Sun, at Gila Ridge High School Auditorium.

Cataldo seriously started using coupons when she was expecting “No. 3” and realized she'd have two babies in diapers at the same time.

“Diapers are very expensive,” she noted.

She explained her “old way” of shopping meant buying products only when she needed them. She soon learned she could save hundreds of dollars every week and get products for pennies by using coupons.

And she also learned that stockpiling nonperishable, freezer and drugstore items was smarter. She noted that stockpiling doesn't mean hoarding, but buying only enough to last for three months, since store prices fluctuate from high to low during 12-week cycles.

She inexpensively stockpiles by combining store sales with a variety of coupons, including store and manufacturer coupons, shelf tear pads, peel-offs, catalinas (coupons printed at the register), online and electronic card coupons. She also takes advantage of store loyalty and reward programs.

She used Cheerios as an example, noting her kids are “mad” about the cereal. To buy nine boxes on sale for $1.99 each, Cataldo used $1 off coupons, reducing the price to 99 cents each.

By “stacking” manufacturer and store coupons, sometimes those cereals are actually free. Occasionally the store ends up paying her in “overages,” which can be used toward other products.

She suggested saving all coupons, even if shoppers don't think they will buy the products. “But do I want these products if they're free? I do.” Unwanted, but free products, could be shared with food banks and people in need, she noted.

Cataldo clarified that super-couponing is not time consuming, as some might assume. She said it takes her about 10 minutes per shopping trip.

In addition, several websites (available on her website) do the hard work by matching coupons with sales.

Some might wonder if stores aren't being ripped off by this type of couponing. Cataldo pointed out that stores use coupons to draw people in and they get reimbursed for the full price of products sold with coupons, as well as an additional processing fee.

Her website has a link on how to get started, and her blog offers more tips, such as where to find coupons, how to deal with confused or unhappy cashiers and how to track sales.

She ended the workshop with a question-and-answer session. The first person asked whether she recommended buying more than one newspaper. She replied that the rule of thumb is to buy a newspaper for each person in the house.

“For me it's always been worth it, especially when the coupons are really good,” she said.

But she noted that even if she pays $2.50 for each copy of a Sunday newspaper, the average savings in coupons per insert total about $200.

“So I'm able to get it back quickly,” she said.

Cataldo confirmed it when another person noted that military commissaries take coupons up to three months after the expiration date.

For additional questions and answers and for more information, visit her blog at www.jillcataldo.com and website www.supercouponing.com.

Mara Knaub can be reached at mknaub@yumasun.com or (928) 539-6856.