Are you a broke college student looking to save money on daily purchases? Are you looking to save money in general? Well, look no further! On March 18, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., couponing queen Katie Kitterman, owner and president of Iowa Couponing, will be teaching a crash course in couponing at the Social Center at St. Francis Manor.
“Couponing,” the act of clipping and applying coupons to purchases in order to redeem discounts, is the latest post-recession craze in cutting costs, inspiring television shows like TLC’s “Extreme Couponing,” which documents couponers buying everyday items for next to nothing.
Kitterman, who has been couponing seriously for almost two years, got her start couponing once she became a stay-at-home mom.
“I had always used coupons, but when I started staying at home with my son, who is almost six, I got into it more and more,” Kitterman said.
With a new addition to the family and one less source of income, Kitterman began couponing out of necessity.
“I wanted some way to contribute to the household income,” Kitterman said. “Couponing was kind of the reverse of that, but ended up saving money.”
At present, Kitterman accumulates an average of $400 in savings a month, not to mention the occasional day of super savings.
“One of the big savings that I tell my classes about is the time I got 20 boxes of cereal for $1.87,” Kitterman said.
Although such an occasion is rare, Kitterman will be teaching couponing methods to achieve everyday savings that are just as amazing.
“There are a lot of tips and tricks that I have in the class on how to be more efficient,” she said. “If you have even 10 minutes a day, you can find a ton of deals and savings.”
Indeed, Kitterman claims that there are coupons everywhere from the Sunday newspaper to social networking websites, making couponing accessible to everyone—especially college students.
“In the class, we go over a lot of places that you might not think to find coupon,” Kitterman said. “Online, there are a ton of coupons! For example, you can like your favorite company on Facebook and they can give you coupons.”
Kitterman acknowledges that it may be difficult at first to find coupons for specific items that you normally buy (an obstacle that Kitterman addresses in her classes), but also notes that the best savings often occur with items that everyone needs.
“There are great savings on grocery items and things like toothpaste, shampoos—that are sometimes free—that everybody uses across the board,” Kitterman said.
For a registration fee of $15, you too can enroll in Kitterman’s class to uncover these great deals and ultimately learn to clip your way to big savings.
For those who are unable to attend Kitterman’s class, or for those who simply want a taste of the couponing world, Kitterman has also set up a website featuring “Couponing 101 Basics” and daily deals at www.iowacouponing.com.
