- Money Wise expo at the Poughkeepsie Grand March 5
FISHKILL —At the kitchen table in the corner of her Fishkill home, Michelle Abbott is on the hunt.
Scrolling through websites and searching through fliers, Abbott, 49, tracks down one specific quarry: savings.
Abbott is a coupon clipper — a self-proclaimed “coupon queen” — and for her, saving 50 percent or more on her weekly trip to the supermarketis the norm.
Rather than settle for the prices on display, Abbott makes her own deals using a combination of manufacturer coupons, store coupons and sales to get the best price possible on her groceries. Shespends about eight hours a week clipping and shopping, butsavesmore than $3,000 annually.
With the increased prevalence of digital coupons and online grocery shopping andaheightened usage among enthusiasts, coupon clipping can help customerswilling to make the time commitmentandsettle for less healthy optionscut a large portionof their grocery bill.
There's also a growing interest in coupon clippingamong younger shoppers, many of whom download deals to store cards.
"Millennials are, in general, interested in a deal," said Elizabeth Purinton-Johnson, associate professor of marketing at Marist College."They love to shop, to shop onlineand to use coupons when they shop."
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Living in an apartment with her husband, 36-year-old Justin Abbott, Michelle Abbott said she started clipping coupons two years ago after she was inspired by the TLC reality television show "Extreme Couponing."
“Like most people, I clip coupons to save money,” Abbott said. “It is very expensive to live in Dutchess County and anywhere I can save, I do it.”
Prior to clipping coupons, Abbott said she struggled with grocery bills, and triedto cut costs by purchasingunhealthy foods.
"We got the stuff we needed, but none of what we wanted," Abbott said.
As a method of cutting costs, coupon clipping is readily available for the shopper willing to take the time to find the best deals.
Inmar, a site that tracks shopping and retail data,reportedin its 2014 Coupon Trends that 329 billion coupons were distributed and 2.9 billion coupons were redeemed in 2013. In a survey, Inmar reported 93 percent of people said they used the same amount of coupons as they did the prior year or increased coupon usage in 2013.
Coupon clipping is steadily rising, especially among those already clipping, according to Purinton-Johnson.
"Coupon usage is more common among 'heavy users' of coupons known as 'enthusiasts,'" Purinton-Johnson said. "That is, people who have used coupons frequently are using them now, more than ever."
Every Sunday, coupons and sales fliers are included in the Journal, sometimes totaling several hundred dollars, and a link to www.findnsave.com, featuring deals in the Poughkeepsie area, is available on the Journal's website.
Unraveling the receipt from her latest shopping trip, the thin strip of paper falls to the floor, stretching a few inches short of Abbott's 5-foot-7-inch body.
Abbott spent $176.73 on this trip, but she saved just shy of $200. While sales contributed to a large portion of these savings, store and manufacturer coupons made up the majority, cutting $125.48 from the total.
Abbott sighs at the numbers; she says she's used to saving much more.
With a year-to-date savings of thousands at ShopRite, her go-to store, Abbott said it's possible to regularly save about 50 to 60 percent per shopping trip.
Occasionally, with the right coupons, it's possible to save even more.
"Once, I paid 82 cents for 11 items at CVS," Abbott said.
To find the best savings, Abbott spends up to five hours per week searching fliers, newspapers and online for coupons. By reviewing the store's coupon policy, Abbott can calculate which coupons and sales produce the best savings.
Using coupon websites, as well as grocerystores'websites, Abbott can print coupons or send them directly to her store card. While the site requires users make an account, the coupons are free for the user.
Coupon clipping has evolved from simply scanning fliers. About 1.27 billion digital coupons were printed in 2013, with 145 million redemptions, Inmar reports.
Shopping digitally surged as well, with customers purchasing food online from stores likeAmazonandWalmart, using coupons available directly through the website. In 2013, online grocery sales in the U.S. amounted to $6.5 billion,according to Statista, an online statistics database.
The audience for coupon clipping has also changed.According to a 2015 survey byValassis, a media company which reports coupon and shopping trends, 51 percent of millennials reported using more coupons than the prior year.
In the survey, 73 percent of millennials saidthey find coupons in print sources,70 percent searchedin retailer circulars and printed online couponsand67 percentdownloaded coupons to their store cards.
Coupon clipping does have a cost.
An average shopping trip for Abbott takes up to three hours.
"It's so bad that my husband refuses to shop with me anymore," Abbott said.
Beyond the time commitment,Abbott said many of the better coupons, which offer the best deals, tend to target junk food.
However, Abbott said she is able to useher savings from coupons and salesto afford healthful, organic food.
"With the amount of money we save every week, we can put the money toward more healthy options," Abbott said.
But for most people, especially young families, Abbott said coupon clipping is an easy way to cut down costs at the grocery store.
"You'll find all the cereal and junk food kids love with huge discounts," Abbott said.
Geoffrey Wilson: gwilson@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4882, Twitter: @PoJoGeoffWilson
Tips to start clipping coupons
- Search for digital coupons on websites such as findnsave.com
- Find physical coupons through store fliers and newspapers
- Combine coupons with store sales to maximize savings
- Research the grocery store’s coupon policies to find out the best combinations to save
- File and organize coupons using a binder and plastic card sleeves to save time while shopping
About the series
This report is part of aPoughkeepsie Journal special series, "Money Wise."Through the spring, it will examine how families are changing their lives to stretch their money in a still-difficult economy. There's a growing gap between the "haves" and the "have nots" in the mid-Hudson Valley -- and many families that had been getting by are finding, with years of higher costs, lower raises and more turnover in jobs, that they simply have to tighten their belts. Stories will profile how real people are and making these tough decisions.
A special expo with free attendance will be held at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel on March 5. This program will offer readers immediate access to experts in a variety of money-management areas. Numerous local businesses will be on hand to offer information regarding advice, services and more. The event is designed to arm residents with strategies that help them make the most of their money.
Sponsors for the event are Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp., Morgan Stanley, Maximus DiSesa, AAMS®, Edward Jones,Financial Advisor,Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union, Riverside Bank, a division of Salisbury Bank and Trust Company,Valley Investment Planning and Mid-Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union.
Read past stories athttp://pojonews.co/moneywise. Learn how to sign up as a sponsor or an exhibitorhere.
