You may begin your weekend by perusing the newspaper and savoring a cup of coffee. Sara Moothart starts her Saturday by scouring the advertising circulars for the week’s best deals and clipping coupons.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Steal These Deals |
| Row 1 - Cell 0 | PLUS: See Our Bargain Hunters |
| Row 2 - Cell 0 | PODCAST: Steal These Deals Covercast |
| Row 3 - Cell 0 | QUIZ: What Kind of Spender Are You? |
| Row 4 - Cell 0 | AND: 10 Things We Overpay For |
Moothart, 31, of Baltimore, began “couponing” as a way to stretch her graduate-student budget. She buys groceries for herself and a roommate, and the value of the coupons alone saves her almost $40 a month. She reckons that she has saved triple that amount by leveraging the coupons against store markdowns.
Each week, Moothart reviews the offerings of three local grocery stores as well as Target. She creates a list for each store, taking note of relevant coupons, and sorts her collection in an accordion organizer labeled by section of the store. She also visits CouponMom.com to find more discounts and links to other Web sites. Moothart uses coupons to buy only what she will use -- for example, she and her roommate eat fresh foods, so she skips the ubiquitous coupons for processed products. She buys items in large quantities only if she can freeze them or if they’re nonperishable and she’ll use them quickly. The savings, which Moothart records in a notebook, have fired her passion for more couponing. And she’s been thinking about putting aside the money she saves for something special -- say, airfare to visit her family on the West Coast or a weekend getaway.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Top Tips
Plan your shopping list around sale items. Look for stores that double or triple a coupon’s value. If “buy one, get one free” means you pay half price for each item, use two coupons.
-
Think You Know How to Be Happy in Retirement? These 9 Stats May Surprise YouWhen it comes to your retirement happiness, don't believe everything you hear. We've turned to solid research for the facts on finding your bliss in retirement.
-
If You're Retired or Soon to Be, Don't Miss These Tax BreaksThe OBBB offers some tax advantages that are particularly beneficial for retirees and near-retirees. But they're available for only a limited time.
-
Waiting to Retire to Give to Charity? 3 Reasons to Do It NowYou could wait until retirement, but making charitable giving part of your financial plan now could be far more beneficial for you and the causes you support.
-
21 Last-Minute Gifts for Grandparents Day 2025 to Give Right NowHoliday Tips Last-minute gifting is never easy. But here are some ideas to celebrate Grandparents Day.
-
Texas Sales Tax-Free Weekend 2025Tax Holiday Here's what you needed to know about the Texas sales tax holiday.
-
Alabama Tax-Free Weekend 2025Tax Holiday Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 back-to-school Alabama sales tax holiday.
-
Amazon Resale: Where Amazon Prime Returns Become Your Online BargainsFeature Amazon Resale products may have some imperfections, but that often leads to wildly discounted prices.
-
The Sweet 23: States Where Twix and Kit Kat Avoid the ‘Candy Tax’State Taxes There’s something spooky this Halloween, and it’s not just the ghouls. Find out if your state’s sales tax takes a bite out of sweet savings.
-
Florida Back-to-School Tax-Free Holiday 2025Sales Taxes The new tax-free holiday in Florida brought month-long savings on computers, clothing and other school supplies.
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2026Roth IRAs Roth IRAs allow you to save for retirement with after-tax dollars while you're working, and then withdraw those contributions and earnings tax-free when you retire. Here's a look at 2026 limits and income-based phaseouts.
-
Four Tips for Renting Out Your Home on Airbnbreal estate Here's what you should know before listing your home on Airbnb.
