JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
Imagine filling up a grocery cart but only paying a fraction of the amount at the checkout. That's what a number of U.S. Air Force Airmen and spouses learned to do at the "Extreme Couponing" class at the Airman and Family Readiness Center at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, Nov. 6, 2015.
Couponing has become increasingly popular as more people are looking for ways to save money. During the class, participants learned the tricks and tools required to stretch grocery store dollars.
Sharon Rector, Army Community Service community readiness consultant, has taught the class at Fort Eustis for the past two years, before sharing her knowledge with Langley Airmen and spouses.
"Shoppers think because they have a coupon, they have to buy it. They don't," said Rector. "If it's something no one in the house eats, don't buy it."
Rector added that it's all about shopping smartly and staying organized.
Airman 1st Class Kianna Rivera, class participant, already "coupons" but took the class to learn how to be a "varsity player". Rector defines a "varsity player" as someone who saves 51-100 percent on a grocery bill. To become more advanced at couponing, Rector provided the class with a few organization tips:
· Use a binder, dividers, and plastic baseball card holders.
· Arrange coupons according to categories such as frozen foods, canned goods and baby products.
· Download your grocery store's layout and organize the coupons by each aisle.
Getting organized, as well as the monotony of cutting coupons, are two challenges Senior Master Sgt. Brian Hinson, class participant, said he faces.
"That's going to be the biggest hurdle to overcome," he said. "I don't really have the patience for it, to sit down and do all that couponing and cutting stuff out."
Rector offered advice to the participants to beat the coupon-clipping boredom. Suggesting shoppers stack coupon pages to cut multiple coupons at once instead of one at a time. Also, when watching television, cut coupons during commercials, or make it a family event and have kids or a spouse help.
"Tell them every penny we save, we're going to take this money and go on a trip or we're going to buy something special for the family," Rector said. "Get them involved, get them part of the team. It makes it so much easier."
While healthier foods tend to cost more, Rector suggested asking people who work in the meat or produce departments if they have any coupons or deals.
With the holidays around the corner, many people are looking to make every dollar count. Here are some money-saving tips Rector shared with the class:
· Make a grocery list.
· Plan meals ahead of time and try to match up coupons accordingly.
· Look for hidden coupons, including inside boxes or ones that can be combined when purchasing another item.
· Out of state newspapers often have coupons that are better values - ask friends and family to send coupon inserts.
· Download coupons from a number of websites like couponmom.com or afrugalchick.com.
· Check out the "Coupon Corner" inside the ACS building at Fort Eustis for pre-cut coupons.
Rector also recommends stocking up on items frequently used during certain times of the year.
"Everything that's associated with Thanksgiving, you're going to see a lot of sales on that. In the summertime, it's like hot dogs, drinks, and all that."
In addition to gaining new knowledge, class participants were also given coupon organizers to help get them started.
The next couponing class will be at Fort Eustis on Nov. 17, from 5-7 p.m. in the ACS conference room, call 878-3638 to reserve your seat. Contact the A&FRC at 764-3990 for future couponing classes at Langley.