Local Coupon Clubs
People meet up to exchange ideas, books, gossip, networking tips, investing tips, and to exchange coupons. The latter exchange is usually facilitated by a coupon club, a group of 3 or more women or men dedicated to saving themselves and others money by clipping coupons. (Note: This is not the came as savers/coupon clubs promoted by grocery stores.)
Alina Bradford, a member of the Clip & Save coupon club in Paris, Texas, says this about being in a coupon club: "I saved a lot of money networking with the women in my area. Some benefits of having a coupon clipping club are that you can trade coupons with others so that you always have ones you need, others are on the lookout for deals, and it's fun!"
Where Clubs Meet
Coupon clubs convene in a variety of places. Jami Bova-Whitehead, organizer of the Poor Mom Coupon Club in Las Vegas, NV, holds monthly "Saturday Coupons and Coffee Exchanges." Alina Bradford's club meets at a coffee shop or someone's home. Sometimes they shop together. In her May '09 post on associatedcomment.com, she says: "... on a recent shopping trip, every single member of my coupon club saved half off their grocery bill. This isn't just a onetime fluke, either."
Not all clubs require their members to meet, though. Some just set up distribution centers, small unobtrusive locations―a box, accordion file, drawer―placed in:
• Community centers
• Shops
• Day care centers
• Churches
• Work break rooms
• Fitness clubs
• Community theaters
• Members' car trunks
Members are only required to bring coupons and/newspaper inserts and keep distribution areas free of expired coupons and trash.
Types of and Sources for Coupons
The only way a coupon club works is if coupons continually cycle to the members, and that means it has to work with good coupons and strong sources. Some clubs exchange only coupons that its members specify they need, for example, specific brands of diapers, peanut butter, paper products, dog food, as well coupons for area retail stores, restaurants, and service company providers.
Many clubs glean coupons from Sunday newspaper inserts, magazines, sales ads from grocery stores and retailers, and direct mailings. Jami Bova-Whitehead, with Poor Mom Coupon Club "finds coupons in free sales papers that the stores give out (these coupons can be combined with other coupons on the same item), Sunday papers, restaurant fliers, and survey clubs."
Alina Bradford suggests members save still more money and use online coupon sites. She says: "Online is the best place to find coupons because you don't have to pay for a newspaper subscription. Just Google ‘coupons' and you will find all the coupon sites you will ever need. Coupon.com is a great one." Bova-Whitehead goes to manufacturer's websites, like Dove.com, Bettycrocker.com, www.valpak.com, and printable.coupons.com.
How to Form a Club
What does it take to form a local coupon club? Not much more than a few people, some scissors, possibly a printer or two, newspapers and/or computers, and, of course, the desire to save yourself and club members a lot of money.
References
• The Poor Mom Coupon Club. (accessed 12-26-09).
• Bradford, Alina. "How to Start a Coupon Clipping Club." (accessed 12-26-09).