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4B Daily News – Tuesday, August 16, 2011 Savvy shoppers use coupons to cut grocery bills by 75 percent DETROIT (MCT) — Halfway through 2011, the expected rise in food prices — 3 percent to 4 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service — is on target. Prices are up 3.5 percent from May 2010. Experts like Jim Hilk- er, a professor in Michi- gan State University's Department of Agricul- tural, Food and Resource Economics, don't see that changing in consumers' favor anytime soon. "The volatility in food commodities is huge, and that's unlikely to change for at least the next couple of years," says Hilker. "There are so many factors, with the biggest being tight sup- plies and strong demand." But savvy shoppers know one way to fight back: coupons. And why not? There are billions of them worth billions in savings. Beating prices has even spawned extreme couponing — the aggres- sive practice of piling on coupons and rebates to pay next to nothing for items. The second season of TLC's "Extreme Couponing" is scheduled to premiere in Septem- ber. For Meg Koenemann of Fowlerville, Mich., coupons are simply a way to save on the week- ly grocery bill so she can stay at home with her daughter Mia, 4, and son Logan, 22 months. "Since I am home full- time now, we need to stretch our grocery bud- gets as much as possi- ble," says Koenemann, 32. "We do a big weekly run and then the occa- sional odds and ends." Avid coupon clippers and the ones who blog about it say it's about being able to get the best deals, knowing how to use coupons and stock- ing up. "You save where you can and whenever you can," says blogger Jolyn Felten, 35, of Sterling Heights, Mich. Felten's Web site is www.bargainstobounty.c om. To find the best deals or savings, coupon blog- gers scour what's on sale each week, looking for all the match up deals they can find. They tell you if coupons are avail- able, where to get them and whether any other savings are available. Couponers like Dian Wilkins of Beverly Hills, Mich., aren't fanatic about couponing. "I do it very modestly and don't spend a lot of time clipping them," says Wilkins, 68. "I take about 10 or so with me when I shop." Wilkins is able to knock a few dollars off the grocery bill, which makes her happy. But then there are folks like Theresa Schultz, 32, of Grand Blanc, Mich., another of the contest winners. Schultz, the mother of 16-month-old Lucas, got into couponing just a few months ago and is sur- prised that she didn't start sooner. On a recent shopping trip, she whit- tled a $90 grocery bill to just $15 — more than an 80 percent savings. "But I had $15 in bot- tle returns, so I actually paid nothing out-of- pocket," says Schultz. The coupon hunting is worth it, Schultz says, especially because she is not working full time. TEHAMA ESTATES PROVIDES: Active Senior Citizens A Retirement Community for the ◆ Independent Living ◆ Private Apartments ◆ Three Nutritious Meals Daily ◆ 24 Hour Secure Environment ◆ House Keeping Services ◆ Warm & Friendly Staff ◆ Recreational Programs ◆ Scheduled Transportation ◆ Private & Formal Dining Rooms EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY 750 David Avenue, Red Bluff • 527-9193 OPEN DURING CONSTRUCTION COME TO US FOR ALL YOUR PET SUPPLIES! 345 So. Main Street • Red Bluff • 527-4588 OPEN EVERYDAY 9:00am to 6:00pm • AUTO • HOME • HEALTH • LIFE • COMMERCIAL • FOREMOST RENTERS • BOATS • MOTORCYCLES• BONDS (530) 529-2369 805 Walnut St. Red Bluff • CA Lic.#0C05427 for mPerks and have dig- itally clipped more than 12 million coupons, says Meijer spokesman Frank Guglielmi. Clip-and- Save tips Want to become an expert at clipping coupons? Blogger Jolyn Felten says that one of the most important things to know is your store's coupon policy. And, she adds, "You can't be brand loyal. Clip the coupons that work for you." If you use the comput- er to print coupons, be sure you know the restrictions. Some stores don't accept printable coupons or may limit the number you can use. Be organized. Set out the coupons you are going to use before going to the store. Organize your coupons by the store's layout. MCT photo Krista Poole and her kids, Demari Tramble, left, and Kamaria Tramble, show their coupons before heding in to shop in Southfield, Mich. She figures she wouldn't do as much if she had less time to devote to it. When couponing was all the rage in the 1980s, grocery stores in the Detroit area waged fierce double coupon wars. Even some drugstore chains joined the battle, offering double and sometimes triple coupons (with restric- tions) to woo customers. The doubling pro- grams were expensive to run but appealed to con- sumers. "It was retention of customers, to build cus- Linda M. Fourby, LUTCF Your Red Bluff Agent tomer traffic and loyal- ty," said Angie Bournias, a public relations consul- tant to the grocery and retail industry. "The con- sumer really benefits from all these promo- tions." Paul Coleman, a con- sultant with Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Spartan Stores, agrees. "Doubling up to 50 cents is standard operating procedure," he says. "And why not use them, especially if it's a prod- uct you use?" About 87 percent of all coupons distributed in Auto Recycling Inc. *WILL PAY CASH FOR JUNK CARS* Quality Used Parts for Less 824-2880 10 ACRES OF INVENTORY Highway 99W & Capay Road (Halfway between Corning & Orland) 22521 Capay Road, Corning CA. 96021 Mon-Fri 8am-5pm • Sat. 9am-2pm Herb Shop • VITAMINS • MINERALS • HERBS Compass Scanning by appointment Dr. Andrew PomazalD.O. 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Main St. Red Bluff www.rollinghillscasino.com MATTRESS 527-5837 632 Main St. Red Bluff MON.-FRI. 9:00-5:30 • SAT. 9:00 -5:00 • CLOSED SUNDAYS Grief Support Group 3:00pm-5:00pm Every Thursday Coyne Center 528-4207 Weekend Childbirth 5:00pm-10:00pm 7:30am-3:30pm Friday, 8/19 Saturday, 8/20 Columba • 529-8026 St. Elizabeth Community Hospital A member of CHW www.redbluff.mercy.org/sports redbluff.mercy.org Open: Tuesday-Friday 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Suite #E, Red Bluff, CA 96080 (530) 528-2930 333 So. Main St. All Star • DOMESTIC • FOREIGN • PICK-UPS the United States in 2010 were delivered via free- standing inserts such as the ones delivered with Sunday newspapers, according to NCH Mar- keting Services, a Valas- sis company. But the Internet, digital coupons, coupon clipping services and even grocery stores that offer in-store pro- grams are now in the game. Last October, the Grand Rapids-based Meijer grocery chain began offering mPerks, an online digital coupon program that lets shop- pers select Meijer and brand-name coupons and redeem them at checkout with their mobile phone number. In less than a year, more than 330,000 people have signed up Use coupons when the item goes on sale for additional savings. Watch for double coupon offers. Many stores double up to 50 cents; some double up to $1. But check for restric- tions. Keep an eye out for Catalina coupons. These are the ones that print out at the checkout reg- ister and are good toward your next pur- chase. Find current Catalina coupon offer- ings at www.couponnet- work.com. Blogger Sarah Jehnzen explains that you find the current Catalina coupons on the Web site "so you know what to buy to receive the Catalina offer." There are also printable coupons on that site that are redeemable like manufacturer coupons. Stack if you can. Some stores allow coupon stacking — com- bining digital and store coupons with manufac- turer coupons. At www.kroger.com, you can download coupons directly onto your Kroger shopping card. Coupons are redeemed at checkout but are not doubled and can't be stacked with manufacturer coupons. M-F 6am-2pm* Rosser’s Bakery & Specialty Foods Now on Facebook Buy 1 Loaf of Bread Get 2nd 50% OFF Made with Organic & Local Ingredients 529-1687 gibbsautobodydsl@chiconet.com Anniversary Special Loaf (of equal or lesser value) Expires 8/19/11 446 Antelope Blvd. #38 Left side of Antelope Holiday Mkt Chris’