Couponing for the committed
Published 9:55 pm Tuesday, June 12, 2012
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Members of the North Suffolk group Moms of Preschoolers, which will be holding a class on advanced coupon-clipping techniques at Nansemond River Baptist Church this week.
A moms’ group in North Suffolk is holding a couponing class at Nansemond River Baptist Church this Thursday that is not for the faint of heart.
Moms of Preschoolers’ Sandra Goode said the Beyond the Basics Couponing Class, led by Laura Oliver of www.afrugalchick.com, who blogs from Chesapeake, will teach advanced — some might call extreme — couponing techniques.
“It’s understanding the sale cycle,” Goode said. “It’s knowing when the product that you want is at the lowest point of the sale cycle, and having enough coupons to go in and buy a mass amount to last until the next cycle.”
The different grocery chains often mark down different products at different times, she said, and reading these tealeaves is another technique the class will teach.
A year and a half ago, the moms’ group held a beginners’ couponing class. “There was a lot of interest,” Goode said. “We actually had to turn people away at the door.
“Because there was so much interest, we thought we would take it to the next advanced class.”
Goode said she herself wasn’t too interested in couponing before taking the beginners’ class.
“I’m not one of those freaks, but last year I tracked everything, and I saved about $4,000 for the family,” she said.
Most people in the beginners’ class were stay-at-home moms wanting to contribute to the family finances by saving money, she said, adding there were also many retirees.
She said couponing is too time-consuming for a lot of people, explaining, “To be really effective, you need to devote a minimum or two to three hours per week.
“If you have the time and the organization skills, you can save a ton of money, but it takes time.”
The advanced couponing class, costing $10 person, runs from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Nansemond River Baptist Church, 2896 Bridge Road. Childcare will not be available.
Those interested can RSVP to fridaynrbcmops@gmail.com or 484-3423.
Goode also encouraged moms in the Suffolk, Portsmouth and Western Branch areas to consider joining the Moms of Preschoolers group.
“Some people have the impression it’s a play group, but it’s a continuation of education group for moms of preschoolers,” she said. “It’s a Christian organization, and it’s huge.”