Supercouponing…until today, I never even knew there was a name for this activity. However, I’ve done it, at least accidentally, and I’m sure that you have too.  

What exactly is supercouponing? Let’s say you go to your local grocery store to buy Zing brand laundry detergent, which normally runs $5/bottle. Today, though, you happen to have a dollar off coupon for that brand. When you find the detergent, you notice that it is on sale for $4/bottle. Not only that, but the store offers rebate forms which state that, should you buy two bottles of Zing detergent, you receive a $2 rebate by mail! When you get to the checkout counter, your purchase of 2 Zing detergent bottles rings up at $6. By the time you get your rebate, your $5 bottle of Zing has cost you only $2.

In short, supercouponing is when you combine coupons, on top of other store promotions, to get the best deal on your groceries and other items. In some cases, supercouponing can even lead to you making money on the purchase. 

Supercouponing is not a haphazard activity by any stretch. There is a science behind coupons and sales, and there are people devoted to the timing of sales, exchanging coupons, and even translating coupon UPC bar codes. For example, here’s something I bet you didn’t know: most product promotions follow a 12 week cycle. So, if you find a good deal, you better stock up on 12 week’s worth of that product, because it’ll be 3 months before that product goes on sale again.

Some folks have made a career out of coupon clipping. Jill Cataldo, creator of the site Super Couponing, teaches classes on how to time sales, find coupons, and even have stores pay you to shop. Called the “Coupon Queen”, she has appeared on Oprah, ABC Morning News, WGN, and Chicago’s Loop radio. Stephanie Nelson is another “supercouponer” and the creator of the Coupon Mom blog and web site.

In the end, is super couponing the way to go when trying to save on groceries? Many folks swear by it, stating that it allows them t save at least 50% on groceries. At Your Money and Debt, I’m all for it- though sometimes I get lazy and do not feel like clipping coupons. However, I’ve seen first-hand how super couponing can save money -a friend of mine actually makes money by shopping this way.