A Professional Coupon Coach Shared 9 Tips For Quebecers Looking To Get More For Their $$$
You're more likely to know Katheryne Aubert by the moniker "Miss Coupon." The 23-year-old Quebecer is a self-proclaimed "couponing addict" who works as a professional coupon coach to "help Quebec families get more for their money."
She said she once paid $1.72 for a Pharmaprix bill that would have cost her $955.68. On top of that, she made $313.10 in PC Optimum points so she basically got paid to take home four full baskets of goods. Now, she's sharing her tips with you!
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How did you get into couponing?
Aubert told MTL Blog she started couponing when she got pregnant unexpectedly at 18 years old while in a "precarious financial situation."
"I was able to save a lot of money for my baby's arrival and for our own needs. The money we saved went towards our other bills and baby furniture. Since then, I have never stopped," she said.
What advice can you share with Quebecers who want to start couponing?
1. Know that couponing is really 'a thing' in Quebec.
"Before I started couponing, I wish I had known that couponing is real here. Had I known, I would have started long before. I thought couponing only worked in the U.S.," Aubert said.
2. Understand the terms and conditions.
"When we want to start couponing, we often tend to get discouraged when we read our coupons because we don't always understand what the terms written on them mean," said Aubert.
She explained one phrase that is commonly misunderstood: "one coupon per purchase." When that phrase is written on the coupon, Aubert said it does not mean that you have to make a purchase in order to use the coupon. Rather, it means you get one product per coupon.
3. Get a PC Optimum card.
Aubert said PC Optimum cards are "extremely profitable, especially when used at Pharmaprix during promotions, such as the 20x points."
4. Take a training course or hire a coach.
"Take the time to understand before getting started and possibly getting discouraged," she said.
5. Don't invest in a printer.
Aubert does not recommend buying a printer in order to print coupons because "ink is expensive and we don't need to print coupons."
She said you can order coupons by mail on websites, such as Save.ca, as well as on numerous food company and product websites.
6. Do your grocery shopping and plan your menu according to the discounts of the week.
"There too you can [save] several dollars," she said.
7. Take advantage of price matching.
When stores offer price matching, it means you can show them a lower price in another flyer and they have to match it. This means you don't actually have to go to a further store to get a better deal.
"Make unbeatable deals to match the lowest prices elsewhere [...] without having to travel," said Aubert.
8. Be on the lookout for point offers.
If you have a points reward card, such as PC Optimum, look out for days when certain purchases have extra point values.
9. Summer is all about Chapman's Ice Cream coupons.
Aubert said you can request a $4 coupon by mail for free on Chapman's website. This means free ice cream, since some Chapman's products cost less than $4.
"A great way to cool off and enjoy a great treat... for free," she said.