San Antonio Express-News
Twenty years ago, Susan Samtur began clipping coupons as a way to cut her grocery bills. In the process, she carved out a successful couponingrefunding career that has allowed her and her husband to give up their teaching jobs and devote all their time to the business. Samtur, author of the best-selling book, "Cashing in at the Checkout" as well as a refunding newsletter, Refundle Bundle, says couponing was at its zenith in the mid ‘80s. While coupons continued to rise (in face value) after that, interest started dropping," she says. "You would have thought that slump would continue, but as people lost jobs and began looking for a way to reduce their budgets, it's brought couponing back into their minds." Salary-stretching During a telephone interview from her Scarsdale, N.Y., home, Samtur, who will be in San Antonio this weekend to conduct a televised "Supershopping" trip, says her interest in couponing began as a way to stretch her and her husband's teaching salaries when they bought their first house in Yonkers, N.Y., in 1973. "We had always been city dwellers. No one in our family had ever owned a home. We were not prepared for the expenses that occur. Even with two incomes, it was not quite enough," she says. She took a friend's suggestion that she began couponing and refunding, and says "it was like seeing, money in front of my face" every time she went to the grocery store. That interest led Samtur to start the refunding newsletter, now in its 20th year of publication. It was so successful that Samtur and her husband started devoting full time to the business. Saves 50 percent Since the average face value of coupons is 53 cents, most shoppers can easily save 10 percent to 20 percent on their grocery budget, Samtur says. She estimates she saves about 50 percent by couponing, which translates to about $3,000 saved per year. Samtur recommends new couponers start out by getting a coupon organizer anything from an envelope to a checkbook holder or store-bought organizer. Coupons should be organized in it in some manner; she recommends using about 30 alphabetized categories, such as baking goods, beverages, candy, dairy products and drugs, and so forth. Next, look at supermarket circulars (which also are divided by category) for specials and match up the sale items you want with those for which you have a coupon. "I make a list of every item I want with the sale price, the size and the quantity I want to buy. If it's a non-perishable type of item, I buy more than one," she says. As an example, she says this week she saw Quaker Oatmeal on sale for 99 cents, down from its regular $1.49. She always shops at stores that double the face value of coupons. With her 25-cents-off coupon, she bought oatmeal for 49 cents. "By matching up store sales with good coupon use and sometimes buying in quantity, I can save up to 50 percent or more on some items. Those things will make up for items I have to pay a higher amount for fruits and vegetables, meats," she says. Samtur also recommends sidering trail sizes or small sizes of products when you use coupons. "Often you can walk out with a product free or nearly free," she says. But where Samtur thinks it's possible to save the most money is through refunds. For refunding purposes, she keeps all proof-of-purchase labels (usually the UPC code) from products in envelopes by category. Those envelopes are put in boxes. It takes five boxes the width of the envelope to hold her proofs of purchase. Samtur's newsletter is primarily devoted to refund offers, including complete deals and proof-of-purchase labels that refunders swap among themselves. "Companies don't like swapping of proofs of purchase, but it's something refunders have done for years and years," she notes. Sons well-trained Having grown up with parents who have made a business from refunding and couponing, Samtur's four sons are well trained. "If they finish a box of something, they know to leave the box on the counter (so I can get the proof of purchase)," she says. Samtur also uses couponing as an excuse to forbid her children certain items on shopping trips. "I never save coupons for products I don’t want my children to have," she says. For those interested in subscribing to Samtur's bimonthly refunding newsletter, she is making a special offer to San Antonio Express-News readers. If you mention the newspaper when ordering a two-year subscription for $19.87, she will include a free copy of her book, “Cashing in at the Checkout” a $4.95 value. To order, write Refundle Bundle, P.O. Box 140, Yonkers, N.Y. 10710.
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