It Started With Coupons. Naturally.
There was a time when I could walk into a grocery store with a stack of coupons, a carefully planned shopping list, and a level of enthusiasm probably reserved for winning the lottery. I loved figuring out how to make a little money go a whole lot further.
I eventually traveled throughout Illinois teaching couponing workshops, spoke during Money Smart Week, and wrote regular columns sharing ways to stretch household budgets.
Clip & Save with Kimberly shared ways people could stretch their household budgets. I also took part in Money Smart Week, talking about practical ways to make resources go further.
Saving was only half the message. I encouraged people to keep a modest reserve of household necessities when they could, then share extra when a good deal made it possible. It wasn’t about collecting the most stuff. It was about seeing how far our resources could go.
When the Savings Started Spreading
In 2010, The Pantagraph covered couponing efforts to help stock Clare House, a former local food bank. It was a real-world example of the idea: use coupons, sales, and a little planning to make donations go further. One person finding a good deal is nice. A group helping feed their neighbors is even better.
Some deals have a very long afterlife
The Great Pudding Incident
At one point, a deal involving Hunt’s pudding, coupons, and a store promotion caught my attention. I did the math twice and decided to buy more than 500 four-packs of pudding. Most of it was donated. With coupons and promotions, I spent approximately $40 out of pocket.
The promotion also generated more than $500 in purchasing value at Toys “R” Us. I used that to buy Christmas gifts for 40 children through Angel Tree.
Forty children received gifts because of a grocery store pudding promotion. Still one of the coolest things I’ve ever pulled off, and probably the most pudding I’ve ever seen in one place.
It Was Never Really About the Coupons.
Somewhere along the way, saving money became something bigger.
It became a way to stretch resources, meet needs, and turn opportunities into something good for somebody else.
And that’s the part I’ve carried with me.
You don’t always need a huge budget to make a difference. Sometimes you just need to look at what you already have and ask what else it could do.