Community Spotlight ~ Member Of The Month September 2008 - PHmom

MrsPinecone · 09-29-2008, 01:35:00 PM

Name in real life: Tonya W.

Age: 36

Home State: North Carolina

Marital Status: Married

Kids: one - a 6 yr old son

Pets: three dogs - Brice, Sasha, and Bugsy

In Her Own Words:

Little Known Factoid: I'm not sure this is little known but I am a big Jimmy Buffett fan, my member name stands for Parrot Head Mom!

Favorite Money Saving Tip: Don't buy generic! LOL Seriously, though, I'm not sure if this is a "money saving tip" but the thing that helps me the most is trading coupons here on HCW.

Budget: I don't have a set budget, my goal is that I reduce my grocery bill by at least 80% every trip.

Stores I shop at: Harris Teeter, Lowe's Foods, Food Lion, CVS, Walgreen's, Rite Aid, Target

Coupon Organization Method: I have a big binder for everything and then a smaller store-divided case that is easier to take into stores. The binder always stays in the car, though, in case I see a deal and need to go back out and get something I hadn't planned.

Best Advice to Newbies: Don't get discouraged and don't let yourself be bullied! Always be pleasant but stand up for yourself to cashiers and managers when you know you're using the correct coupon and doing things "by the book".

How did you get into couponing?

I saw someone from another site about 7 years ago on the Today show and they filmed her entire day and she got loads of stuff, took her daughter to the movies, ate out, etc - all for next to nothing and I thought "I want to do that!!"

How did you find HCW?

Through a co-worker of my mom's.

What does couponing do for your family? It allows me to only work part-time and be there to take my son and pick him up from school. It also allows us to splurge on other things sometimes.

Anything else we should know?

I try to donate as much as I can, I provide almost all the volunteer snacks for a friend's non-profit medical clinic as well as taking lots of HBC to our local battered women's shelter. I am also known as the "stocking lady" since a piece appeared in our local paper for Christmas 2006 about all the stockings I make for Salvation Army's program.