Coupon maven draws bargain-hunting crowd
GROCERY GAME | Students, media flock after Sun-Times article
Jill Cataldo's coupon savvy is making her a mini celebrity.
Since she was featured in the Sun-Times June 12, she has fielded questions from readers at suntimes.com, interviewed by Jonathon Brandmeier on WLUP-FM (97.9) three times and by two other radio stations and been filmed by a TV crew.
(Sun-Times)
"I cannot believe this many people are interested," said Cataldo, who has been using the online Grocery Game for two years. "It must be a sign of the economy."
Cataldo explained how, using the online coupon site, which charges a fee, she was able to buy 58 boxes of cereal and 40 boxes of granola bars for $5.15, total. She even shared her receipts.
Cataldo is teaching a library coupon class with a super-couponer friend, she said. The class was booked for a room that held 30, but so many people inquired at the Huntley Area Public Library, the class is going to be held in a nearby classroom that holds some 200.
"Since the Sun-Times article, things have just gone crazy for me," she said.
Cataldo shared her latest favorite coupon offer: Using an in-store coupon at Jewel for Kraft's "buy three products from Kraft, Oscar Mayer or Nabisco and getting one item free." She combined that coupon with Jewel's offer of $3 off the purchase of three bags of Kraft marshmallows; and chose as the free item Oscar Mayer hot dogs, which she said are on sale as two for the price of one.
What are you doing to make ends meet? Write to psmith@suntimes.com
Sun-Times staff