Community Corner

Huntley's Own Coupon Queen

Jill Cataldo helping people save big money.

Jill Cataldo can't make a quick run into her hometown Jewel-Osco these days without being recognized.

"It's Jill," a surprised Karen Raistrick said when she literally ran into Cataldo in the tissue aisle at the Huntley Jewel.

Raistrick took one of Cataldo's couponing courses a year and a half ago and began using her tips to cut grocery costs. She's saving about $200 a month thanks to Cataldo's tips.

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Nicknamed "Dear Abby" with coupons by ABC's "Nightline," Cataldo's blog  and Web site, Super-Couponing, has 30,000 followers. She writes a weekly column that reaches 20 million readers across the country. She's appeared on numerous news channels and is a frequent source on major consumer stories.

It's quite an accomplishment for the mom of three who got into couponing when she had her second baby boy three years ago and wanted to find savings on diapers.  Cataldo had a toddler in diapers at the same time. She's also mom to husband Doug's 14-year-old daughter.

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"It was really about the diapers being a budget buster," Cataldo said. "This was a way to offset being a stay-at-home mom."

She learned quickly and within a few years started teaching sessions on the ins and outs of couponing. Her first session was at the Huntley Area Public Library, where the registration list started with about 20 names and kept going up, with a final head count of 162.

"I knew I was onto something," she said.

Soon, her phone started ringing and the media requests started pouring in, leading to appearances on television and radio. Cataldo has built up a lot of influence among consumers, grocery chains and manufacturers. A former journalist, she uses that influence to draw attention to issues important to consumers, she said.

"I take it all in stride," she said of her influence. "I'm still just a mom."

The everywoman role helps her relate to the people seeking her advice. She gears her courses, DVD and blog toward those who have no idea how to do couponing, she said. There are lots of couponing sites for the experienced coupon user but few for the novice, she said.

The principles of couponing can be learned within an hour and practiced one or two hours a week, Cataldo said. A key is changing how you shop for groceries, she said.

It's not just about using coupons, it's about timing the sales, she said. Most grocery stores have 12-week pricing cycles where items have a high and low price point, Cataldo said.

"I want to buy at the lowest point in the cycle," she said. "When it cycles really low, we use our coupons."

And, you buy in multiple quantities, she said.

"We are stockpiling; we are buying enough for the next time," she said.  You then plan meals based on what's in the house, she added.

An example: cereal. She only buys cereal when it is cycling low, then uses her coupons. She buys cereal at 50 cents a box, so she buys a lot of cereal boxes. Cataldo also buys the name brand cereal because generic or store brands do not offer coupons.

 "It's a way of life, you start learning" how to do it, Cataldo said. "Anyone can do this. It takes a little time to save a lot of money."

Spending an hour gathering coupons, scanning sales and checking the Web for deals can end up saving the average family a minimum of $100 a week, she said.

"People get so angry they weren't doing it sooner—it doesn't take as much time as people think," Cataldo said.

Raistrick has learned how to save on her groceries. Her new favorite pastime is stacking up her groceries and having her husband guess how much it cost, she said.

Cataldo recently went shopping with Huntley Patch and bought about $100 worth of food_ including fresh produce_ for $40. She got numerous items, like diet soda and frozen vegetables for free. Other items cost under 50 cents, like French style green beans.

"That's why we call you super Jill," the cashier said after reading out the total.

Every week, Cataldo posts on her blog the good buys at grocery stores and directs her audience to coupons. People who follow her have been known to buy out the entire stock of a given item that she posts on her blog.

"The biggest point, from a retailer's view, is trying to keep up and knowing what they are going to buy," Jewel Manager Patti Wilson said.

Wilson took Cataldo's class, which she teaches throughout the northwest suburbs, to get a different perspective on grocery shopping. She was impressed with Cataldo's approach, particularly how she teaches people the etiquette of couponing. Yes, there is an etiquette. Grocery store managers appreciate being notified if you need huge quantities of an item and cashiers appreciate it if you sort out items and coupons, Wilson said.

Cataldo is also ethical, Wilson said. She does not try to beat or cheat the coupon system, she said.

"It's very interesting—she really brings a great service to those shoppers looking to save and feed their families on a low budget," Wilson said. "I think it's awesome."


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