Published: June 22, 2010
Stephanie Nelson is The Coupon Mom™. She founded her free website www.couponmom.com in 2001 and teaches television viewers and readers how to save money in many areas, including groceries, restaurants, online shopping, gifts, and entertainment. Stephanie holds a degree in finance and has ten years of experience in sales and marketing with both Procter & Gamble and Marriott Hotels. In 1995 she retired from the corporate world to stay home with her sons.
In 2001, with the creation of her web site www.couponmom.com, Stephanie committed herself to helping consumers save money and feed the hungry by encouraging them to increase food donations to hunger organizations through her Cut Out Hunger program. Today, over 2.3 million members belong to her free grocery deals web site www.couponmom.com.
Interview Transcript
BeFrugal: Tell us what CouponMom is all about. What motivated you to start your website?
Stephanie Nelson: CouponMom.com provides grocery deals [and] information for thousands of grocery and drugstores in the US to make it easy for people to save money, and it also aggregates printable and electronic grocery coupons for shoppers. I started the website in 2001 to interest people in saving money and donating food to local charities.
BeFrugal: On a typical day, how do you balance your personal life with running an online business?
Nelson: When I'm traveling to do media, such as working with a TV show to do an amazing shopping trip, I just take my laptop and check on the site from the hotel room in the morning and evening. Most days I'm working out of my home office, supervising the website team (10 data entry workers working from their homes), talking with advertisers, and doing phone interviews. I'll work off and on all day and evening, alternating work with kids and family stuff. It works!
BeFrugal: How has the Internet affected/changed your ability to find deals and save money?
Nelson: Ten years ago shoppers were left on their own to figure out their stores' grocery deals by using weekly store ads, newspaper coupons, and hunting deals in-store. A real strategic shopper may have spent 5+ hours a week figuring out and cherry-picking the best deals at a few stores in order to stretch a limited grocery budget.
Today, any shopper can sit down at their computer and find the best grocery deals in less than 5 minutes by using free websites and blogs that have already figured out the deals. Shoppers can print coupons or load electronic coupons on their store card. Even the most time-crunched shoppers can save big if they know how to find the information.
BeFrugal: In your opinion, what is the main reason most people pay more than they need to on many products?
Nelson: Because they don't know how to shop strategically, and/or because they think it takes more time than it does to shop strategically.
BeFrugal: What is the one area most people can easily save more money in?
Nelson: On food--both food purchased at the grocery store and also purchased away from home. There's a lot of wiggle room in spending at restaurants and grocery stores. Smart shoppers and smart diners know the tricks to pay less and still get the quality products and meals they like.
BeFrugal: What advice do you have for people who have trouble managing their financial situation?
Nelson: Start by figuring out where they are spending their money. Write down every penny you spend and keep track for at least a month. Then set a budget that makes sense, and continue writing down every penny you spend each month to see how you do against the budget.
BeFrugal: Tell us a little about the "Cut Out Hunger" program you've started?
Nelson: The “Cut Out Hunger” concept was born when we realized that it is possible to buy food items that charities need at a very low cost, or in some cases at no cost, with grocery coupons. We encourage shoppers to keep an eye out for good "charity" deals and to have a box in their garage or home for charity deals. Each week, pick up a couple of bargains and in a few weeks you'll have a meaningful contribution for your local food pantry. We believe that when people donate their food personally to the local food pantry, they have a much better understanding of the real need in their local community and will most likely continue shopping for charity as a habit.
BeFrugal: You are grocery coupon savvy so we have to ask. What is your favorite meal(s)?
Nelson: Grilled salmon with rice and steamed broccoli. I've used coupons to buy long grain rice free, and frozen broccoli free. But I unfortunately have never found a fresh salmon coupon!
***End of Interview***
For more money-saving tips and advice from Stephanie, visit www.couponmom.com.