Jill Cataldo

... and the Super-Couponing DVD is a hit! Here's an email from a new Super-Couponer:

Jill, my brother and sister -in-law, who live in your area, told me about you, and I started using your system the best I could, having not taken your class.

A couple of days ago, I ordered your new DVD, knowing I wouldn't probably get to one of your classes. It came today, a rainy day, here in Iowa.... and I couldn't think of a better way to spend my time indoors!!

After attending Super-Couponing classes, many people expressed to me that they wished there was a local coupon club that they could participate in – a place to trade coupons, spend time with other coupon lovers, and share stories of great deals! Organizations that have hosted Super-Couponing classes expressed a similar interest in an ongoing adult program that would keep people returning on a regular basis in an open, drop-in, informal setting. And the Super-Couponing Swap was born!

Each year around this time, I'm asked by my readers how we can save big on school supplies! I wrote this post last year during school supply season, and everything in it holds true for this year as well. The biggest thing to remember is to stagger the shopping over the next couple of weeks and ONLY buy the loss-leader-priced items that are on your child's list. Last year, I got my daughter's entire list done for just over $5!

Don't take your child's school supply list to the store and buy everything in one trip.

Sometimes when I'm booking new Super-Couponing classes, the organization hosting the class will ask what kind of demographic they can expect to attend. I truthfully tell them to expect... everyone! My classes have attracted people in their teens through their eighties, with an impressive number of men as well as women. Who doesn't love saving money?

This week I received a great email from a blog reader that I'd like to share with you guys. Dave in Chicago writes...

In case you somehow missed this one, Jewel has had Frosted Flakes on sale for .99 a box the past few days. Many people have had either $1 or $1.25 off the cereal on their electronic coupons... with no purchase limit.

So, what would you do? Free cereal, with overage -- as much as you care to "buy?" Anytime a good sale comes around like this, it always thrills me to receive emails from readers who are stocking up not only for themselves, but also for their local food pantries.

On July 7, 2008, I launched this blog after a series of Chicago Sun-Times articles focused on my coupon habits. Last year in June, the Sun-Times ran a story on my shopping skills, focusing on the enormous cereal stock-up I'd made for $5 and change (which so many of you have seen detailed in my classes!) After that story ran, over the next three weeks, the Sun-Times kept publishing follow-up pieces, interviews, and questions from readers interested in my story.

I read an article today that "loyal" consumers of packaged goods are no longer as loyal as they used to be... this article states that last year, the average brand lost 33% of their customers' brand loyalty:

Today's Wall Street Journal has a story on coupon fraud, particularly with regard to internet coupons, is on the rise:

In January 2008, Nestlé Purina Petcare Co. issued 250 coupons for a free bag of its adult dry dog food. As of May 5, 2,754 coupons for the product have been redeemed, the company said, but declined to comment further on coupon fraud.

The Indiana Post-Tribune has a nice article on my Super-Couponing class at Purdue University:

WESTVILLE -- Jill Cataldo was running low on diapers when she saw they were on sale at a local store. After a quick shopping trip, the 66 full-size packs of diapers she bought cost her only $7.92 -- after using coupons.

Plus, the diapers looked impressive stacked up to the ceiling, so she posed her son in front of them and snapped a picture to prove it.

Occasionally I like to blog about some of my shopping trip experiences as well as coupons. Today is one of those days...

As many of you know, I am a stay-at-home mom, and when I shop, I do shop with my two preschool-aged sons. We went to the Algonquin Meijer today to check out the free water and cheap Kool-Aid/free sugar deals (check this post if you're interested in those!) and as usual, I had my boys in tow.