Class Offers Savings Tips for Savvy Shoppers

Everyone is penny-pinching lately, including shoppers in Shelby Township and Utica. While many of us scan sale circulars and listen to television commercials for the best deals, Creative Coupons and More instructor Dorrie Soborowski says there are many other ways to find great deals. 

Soborowski offered savings tips for nine savvy shoppers in August at the Shelby Township Community Center. The two-hour-long evening session started with Soborowski’s three basic rules for saving: always buy on sale, use coupons, and piggyback (or use more than one coupon). 

The shopping commandments have helped save Soborowski, of Romeo, an average of 50-70 percent off her shopping bill. For example, this week she spent $136.50 on groceries that would have cost $209.21 without coupons and other discounts. 

Soborowski has been shopping this way for more than 40 years, she said, and was prompted by relatives to teach a class on savings. She does not buy to extreme like shoppers featured on the popular TLC show “Extreme Couponing,” but rather offers sensible, common-sense tips on how to buy. 

Still, that doesn’t stop her from stocking up, especially when an item that she uses a lot of is on sale. She suggested during class that when a favorite item is on sale, buy in bulk, depending on your storage limitations. “Look at the big picture and think long-term,” she said. “When boneless skinless chicken wings are on sale, don’t just buy one pound, buy 20 or 30 pounds. (Buy) whatever you can use yourself and store.”

Soborowski explained the best places to find coupons and how to read a coupon. For example, she said, a manufacturer’s coupon featuring a store logo–locally often Target or Kroger–is valid anywhere. If you find a good coupon, consider buying more than one newspaper and stocking up on the item. 

Piggybacking coupons is another great way to save. This means using both a manufacturer’s and a store coupon. If you can buy an item that’s on sale–even better. Soborowski gave each participant an individual bag of peanut M&Ms that she purchased for only 12 cents by piggybacking coupons. 

Also, always make sure you pick up rain checks, mail in rebates, earn register rewards and get on store mailing lists. Buy products that are marked “Manager’s Special” and freeze them, she said. If a store offers a savings card or other option, make sure you sign up. 

Also, shop where the sales are, even if that means going to several stores for savings. She offered tips on the best items to buy for saving at bulk stores like Costco and Sam’s Club, where the best deals are on electronics, gas, gift cards, meat and more.

Soborowski said to swap within a group of savers and to look in unusual places for savings. For example, she found restaurant savings in theater playbooks and a $5 coupon off aspirin in a diabetes publication, which she picked up even though she’s not diabetic. 

“You just never know where you’re going to find them,” she said. 

While there are always the Sunday paper inserts, the Internet offers a plethora of savings options and Soborowski offered some of her favorite websites for savings, including couponmom.com, SmartSource.com and bargainstobounty.com. Printable coupons, store deals, free offers and more are available on these sites and others. 

In addition, Soborowski also demonstrated how to use QR codes–the coded pictures printed on ads that, after scanned with an Android or iPhone, take users to company websites for savings.

Soborowski also suggested that for some people, a great way to earn rewards is to use a credit card to buy all purchases, as most companies offer incentives for their users.  Make sure, however, that the bill is paid monthly. 

Shelby Township resident Vivian Bachi coupons often and said she sat in on Soborowski’s class to learn of new websites and for other advice. During class, Bachi offered her shopping tips, admitting that she recently bought 60 newspapers in order to save money on salad dressing (she purchased 16 bottles and planned to buy more) and other products. “We’ve got four kids, so if I can get something for free, I will,” she said. 

Soborowski's next class is set for Sept. 13 in Romeo. For information on that session and others, visit her website at sites.google.com/site/creativecouponsandmore.