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Those who know Joni Meyer-Crothers love her because she’s caring, savvy and generous to a fault. But even those who love her most probably would not want to get behind her in the grocery check-out line.
Joni, a Genoa native who now lives in Sylvania, shops big and saves even bigger, whittling her grocery bill down by 90 to 95 percent, sometimes even more using an arsenal of coupons.
In the coming weeks, Joni will be featured on TLC’s “Extreme Couponing,” which highlights the habits of everyday people in pursuit of extraordinary deals.
A crew from the show, which airs Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m., recently followed her on a shopping trip through Kroger in Sylvania, where she paid only the sales tax on thousands of dollars worth of groceries.
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| Crothers Family |
While watching the total climb and then go down, down, down is thrilling, Joni says, learning to coupon was a matter of survival for her family, which includes seven children – four of whom are adopted – ranging in age from 5 to 24.
“About two and a half years ago, my husband Jamie was laid off from his job and we were looking for a way to save money,” she said. “You can’t really cut your house payment or your electric bill – at least that much – so you look at where you can cut, and the grocery budget was one place we figured we could save money.”
Though Joni was always a frugal shopper, opting for store brands and sale items, she never really got into couponing, though she knew people who did.
On a mission to save money, she asked a friend to explain the “art of the deal” – how she maximized savings through combining “double couponing” with store sales and specials.
She also did a little Internet research where she discovered more tips and tricks, including how to order manufacturer’s coupons in bulk from clipping services and eBay.
“I started clipping coupons from the Sunday paper, and then ordering high-value coupons for items I used from the clipping services. Though they charge a small amount for their time, it’s worth it,” said, adding that she focuses on coupons that end up making items free or very inexpensive.
With coupons in hand, she scans the weekly store ads, watching for sales and double-coupon offers and plans her shopping trips accordingly.
“A key factor in racking up savings is not just getting the right coupons, but also knowing where and when to use them,” she said.
“If a coupon is in the Sunday paper that week, but the item isn’t on sale at any of the stores where I shop, I’ll still order multiples, sometimes 20 or 30, because I know that within the next six to eight weeks it will go on sale – that’s typically how it works in the stores around here.
“For example, when you see a coupon for $1 off a box of cereal, and maybe you know it will go on sale for $1.88, you wait for that sale at a store that doubles coupons up to a dollar, and then you get it for free,” she said.
Joni keeps her coupons in a notebook binder with baseball card slots. “I organize mine by categories, like produce, hair care, oral hygiene, canned goods, etc.,” she said. “I like this method because I can use in any store.”
Though the couponing process may sound daunting it takes her no more than five hours a week, including getting coupons, getting organized and going shopping. And the payoff is worth it.
“I very seldom ever pay more than five percent and usually, the only thing I pay for is meat,” she said. “Other than that, everything else we get is free – hygiene products, cleaning products, food products, snacks, breakfast items.”
Though she maintains a stockpile of groceries/supplies for her family, her couponing savvy has also allowed her to share the wealth with those in need.
“We have a lot of families in our community, in our church, in our neighborhood who can’t afford groceries, so they come to our house and get what they need,” she said.
It was members of her church who nominated Joni for the “Extreme Couponing” show.
“I was very excited when they contacted me,” she said. “I definitely wanted to do the show. I want people to learn how to do this because I know how it has blessed our family.
“We struggle financially sometimes with my husband still not being back to work, but with a little knowledge and effort, I’ve been able to help my family and also to pass the blessing on,” she said.
Joni pointed out that all the grocery items purchased the day of the show’s filming were donated to Sylvania Area Family Services, Sylvania Senior Center and Paws and Whiskers Animal Shelter.
She also hopes to share the wealth and pass the blessings on by teaching couponing classes in her church and in the community. Learn more at her Facebook page, “Saving and Sharing for Christ.”
The episode featuring Joni is tentatively set to air June 8 at 9:30 p.m. on TLC, though the date is subject to change.
If you consider yourself an extreme couponer, visit tlc.com/extremecouponing to find out how to be on the show. “We’re looking for folks who are getting the biggest haul – saving upwards of 95 to 98 percent,” according to Niki Kazakos, publicity coordinator for Discovery Communications.
Genoa native Joni Meyer-Crothers, shown with her family, typically saves 95 percent or more on her weekly grocery bill using coupons. Film crews from TLC’s “Extreme Couponing” followed Joni on a recent trip through Kroger in Sylvania, where she paid just the sales tax on thousands of dollars worth of merchandise, which was subsequently donated to charity.
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