SALEM, Ohio (WKBN) – A class was held at the Salem Public Library on Wednesday teaching people how to save money through couponing.
Joe Daugirdas, also known as Joe the Coupon Guy, taught the free class Wednesday evening.
He explained how he saves thousands of dollars by using coupons, ads, sales and online websites to buy everyday items.
“Especially in today’s world with inflation sky high, you know everybody needs to save money and maybe find different ways to save money,” he said.
Daugirdas says there’s many ways to use coupons to save, and he gave some specific examples.
He says it’s common to find coupons in the Sunday newspapers. He says you should also look for clearance items in stores then you can apply your coupon to an already marked down item.
When it comes to cutting out coupons and sorting them, he says it can help save you time by getting your kids and grandkids involved. Have them cut the coupons out as a project and then have them match the coupons with ads. The children will also learn how to save money by doing it.
Daugirdas said one of his tips is to buy gift cards at stores like Giant Eagle. When you buy the gift cards, you will get fuel perks. Then you can use the gift cards to make purchases that you already planned on making at other stores like Walmart or Lowes, for example.
There are also digital coupons. When you pull up coupons for Giant Eagle online, you can clip them right to your rewards card so that when you go to make the purchases and use your rewards card, the coupons will apply. You can do this at other stores like Rite Aid and CVS too.
“You know, if you really stick to it, you know, every year, every store you shop at, if you’re maxing out your savings, you can save $15, $20, $25 grand a year. That’s like a full-time job for some people,” he said.
Daugirdas also said to remember, in most cases, you can use store coupons and manufacturer coupons together. So when you get coupons, make sure you know which one you have so you can save the most money.
He says it’s also good to stock up on items while you have the coupons for them, even if you don’t need them right away. This way, you’ll have them when you need them, or you can even donate them.
Daugirdas also provided several websites that offer coupons, discounts or deals on everything from food, items and trips.
- GasBuddy – Provides gas prices by location
- Neighborhood Nosh – Earn money back at restaurants
- Entertainment.com – Discounts and coupons on travel and entertainment
- Total Happy Hour – Find happy hour deals
- Northeast Ohio Family Fun – Find out where kids eat free
- RunPee.com – Tells you when a boring part of a movie is coming up so you know when to go to the bathroom
- Suppose.tv – Compares streaming services to your current cable bill
- CouponMom.com – Breaks down coupon deals for grocery stores, pharmacies, etc.
- Coupons.com – Find digital coupons
- All Natural Savings – Coupons for healthy food
- ibotta – Scan receipts and get rewards
- MissingMoney.com – Find out if you have unclaimed funds
Daugirdas has been couponing for roughly 20 years. He teaches his free classes at libraries and other venues. He said anyone who is interested in booking him can visit his website, Joethecouponguy.com.
