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By Robin L. Gardner
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The Cabarrus County Public Library in Kannapolis is trying to help the community wade through the bad economic times by offering programs designed to help stretch our dollars.

The library started all this with a coupon box. Branch Manager Terry Prather wanted a coupon club, but settled with boxes on a red cart for the public to exchange and donate coupons with each other. It quickly took off.

“We have folks mailing in coupons for the boxes,” Prather said. “We would like to do more, but it depends on the public approval. 

“We are seeing, because of the economic downturn, an increase in book circulation, or checking out books, and more usage of computers, and the Internet. What they are looking for is how to search or find jobs, how to file for unemployment and they are trying to keep in touch with their families, asking us how to get on computers, and how to make a resume.” 

The library has become the place the community is turning to for help. 

“I have talked to recently unemployed people who come to read our newspaper and online papers,” Prather said, “I think these simple things that people may not be aware of are the things a public library should be doing.” 

About 40 people, mostly women, attended a program last week on using coupons to lower grocery bills. 

Gwyn Probst explained the ins and outs of saving money with coupons. While many in the audience seemed like experts, most were learning information for the first time. Using terms like “dnb” (do not double) and “bogo” (buy one get one free), Probst took the audience deep into the world of the coupon saver.

“I am not an expert. I have just done it. I’ve talked to people who have done it better, and that is how you learn,” Probst said.

She keeps her coupons organized by categories in a trading card notebook. She explained it’s easier to see what you have, and easier to keep it organized.

“But whatever works for you is great,” Probst said. 

You can use coupons for anything from food and diapers to restaurants and clothes. 

Probst ran down the who, what and wheres to coupon saving:

• Who – everyone wants to save money.
• What – diapers, food, restaurants, clothes, household items, car washes, cat and dog food.
• Why – to save money.
• When – the best time to use a coupon is during a sale or when they are doubled or tripled by various stores.
• Where – you can find coupons in the Sunday papers, coupon exchanges, doctors’ offices, drug stores and online sites (free and pay). 

Probst shared her tools of the trade with stories of experiences with Catalina coupons (the coupons grocery stores stuff into your hands with the receipt), blinkie coupons and bogos. 

“We eat a lot of cereal. I didn’t have any Kellogg’s coupons, but they were on ‘bogo.’ There was shredded wheat cereal, on ‘bogo’ at Harris Teeter for $3.42 for two boxes. Which makes it $1.71 per box. That is still a good price. You can spend four or five bucks for a box of cereal,” Probst said, “While perusing the aisle, I noticed those blinkie things (coupon dispensers on the shelves). There was a blinkie right in front of the cereal. So I took one. The coupon was for one box of Kellogg’s cereal at one dollar off. That makes the cereal 71 cents.”

Probst explained you can use one coupon per box that you purchase. She bought 10. 

Julie Smith, 38, and Sonya Allman, 41, are Kannapolis teachers who had a lot of information to share with the group. They added much to the discussion. Allman also works part time with Food Lion. 

“I spend two or three hours a week at most cutting coupons. If you ask my husband, it’s a lot,” said Smith. 

“I leave coupons hanging around Food Lion. I leave them in the stores. I’m the coupon fairy,” Allman said. 

“I know coupon addicts who will buy things to save the money because they have a coupon. I’m like, ‘Are you gonna use it?’ and they’re like, ‘No.’ I have spent five dollars and saved $40,” Smith said.

Jennifer Pagan, 36 and single, is a bit skeptical of the time and energy it takes to coupon shop. 

Smith’s advice to Pagan is to “go simple.” Check the Sunday paper for coupons to start. 

“The overall concept of what I learned today is that I need to spend the time. I have to make the time to save money. It’s not that I don’t have the time,” Pagan said, “I don’t want to have to go to five different stores, though. I just want to go to like two stores and be done with it.”

“This is a process you. You learn it over time,” Probst said.

• Contact reporter Robin L. Gardner: 704-789-9140