cutting a deal cutting a deal.(Daily Break)

By Victoria Hecht

The Virginian-Pilot

Once upon a time, in a supermarket stocked with colorful vegetables, dairy delights and shiny soda bottles, shopped a young woman who thought nothing of filling her cart with extravagant extras, premium produce and pricey perishables.

Alas, the newlywed paid full price for every grape, gumdrop and guava.

One day the young woman compared her grocery bill and meager budget and realized she was living a financial fairy tale that, without some clever couponing, wouldn't end happily ever after.

Sixteen years and two children later, that woman - me - has honed her skills with sharp scissors and countless coupons. Along the way, websites and classes have helped, too.

Here's how I found a storybook ending - and a fatter wallet at the checkout:

getting started

Go easy on yourself Couponing can be daunting to newbies. Heck, even seasoned clippers can be overwhelmed if they watch TLC's new reality show, "Extreme Couponing." Tune in only when you've reached the experienced or expert level.

Prepare You'll need scissors, a computer and printer and weekly fliers. Plus, you'll want a system to keep it all organized, such as small accordion files, binders with dividers and baseball card protector pages or index card-sized file boxes. But you also can manage with something as simple as envelopes - just use one for each category, such as frozen foods, meat, daily needs.

Invest a little time Clipping, organizing and planning for a shopping trip takes a few minutes, so be willing to give it a try. Remember, the reward can be large savings.

finding the savings

It all starts, of course, with the coupons. But where to get them? Here's where to look:

Sunday newspaper inserts Those are the best source. The Sunday Parade section of The Virginian-Pilot also includes coupons, as do magazines and other mailers.

Monthly magazine All You Available at Walmart and by subscription, this publication is filled with savings, as well as recipes and household tips. It's worth the investment of about $20 a year.

The Internet Two good one-stop shops are www.coupons.com (naturally!) and www.ppgazette.com (Penny Pincher Gazette). The latter features coupons from SmartSource, Red Plum, Valpak and Coupons.com. Also visit manufacturers' sites for specific brands.

Coupon maven Lori Clayton's website The site of this Norfolk resident, www.thecouponconsultant.com, features weekly best buys, coupon "match-ups" with sales and links to coupons. (Clayton also offers local classes on couponing; see info at right.)

Facebook If you "like" your favorite products on the social-networking site, you'll often be rewarded with coupons.

The supermarket Coupons sometimes are attached to products (called "peelies," they peel off cleanly), on tear pads at displays, on automatic dispensers near products, on register tapes and on tags hanging from the necks of products.

Stores Be sure to sign up for supermarket loyalty cards. You'll be rewarded with mailed coupons for products you buy often, as well as savings off entire bills.

preparing to save

Clip and accumulate coupons for products you use or would like to try. Try multitasking: Cut out coupons while watching TV or waiting during kids' rehearsals or practices.

Organize your stash. It's time-consuming but gets easier with experience.

Before shopping, grab the newspaper ad or visit your store's website to compile a list. Couponing sites such as Clayton's do the hard work for you.

Pull the coupons you'll need from your organizing system. But take your organizer along when you go shopping; you might find an unadvertised special and wish you'd had the coupon.

At checkout, present your loyalty card and make sure all coupons are scanned. Also check that coupons are doubled if your store does that. A warning: Some coupons are not subject to doubling.

letting your experience add up

The greatest savings come with "stacking" - when you couple a coupon with savings gained from a store loyalty card or so-called "matched purchases" - those items already on sale or linked to a coupon. When you've mastered stacking, you've got the basics down. Then it's time to add a layer. Consider these options:

E-coupons I didn't discover e-coupons that were tied to my store loyalty cards until a few months ago, although I've aggressively couponed for years. If your favorite supermarket offers a loyalty card, go to the store's website. There, load up with additional savings on products the store selects. Print out a list of your e-coupons and stash it in your organizer. Check often for new coupons. By stacking savings in this way, you can get products free or for little money. (A bonus for surfing your stores' sites? Many offer a function that helps you make an online shopping list based on the store's sale items.)

Use more than one coupon for an item Some supermarkets and chain pharmacies allow a store coupon to be used in tandem with a manufacturer's coupon. The savings add up.

On-the-spot store coupons A recent discovery I've made: Some markets and pharmacies offer computer kiosks that issue coupons when you wave your loyalty card in front of a scanner. It only takes a second.

counting your savings

You can easily realize 20 to 35 percent savings with basic couponing.

Experienced couponers - those who "stack" coupons and savings - can lower their bills by 50, 60, even 70 percent. Some extreme shoppers realize 80 to 100 percent savings by purchasing only items for which they can stack or super-stack.

My greatest saving has been 88 percent on a routine supermarket trip. Not a bad payoff for the 30 minutes to an hour that I spend clipping, organizing and pulling coupons each week.

Last week, during a special "super doubles" promo at a local market, I saved $111.44 on a $195.40 bill - a 57 percent savings. Was that time worth $111 an hour? You bet.

Victoria Hecht, (757) 446-2614,

victoria.hecht@pilotonline.com