MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Coupons.com today announced Real World Savings, an educational campaign geared at helping real people attain significant savings on purchases, with a modest amount of planning and preparation. The campaign includes an experiment to evaluate how 45 minutes of planning can save consumers thousands of dollars per year on groceries, and a video series that shows how real people can save a lot of money with tips and suggestions from Coupons.com Household Savings Expert, Jeanette Pavini.
“These days, we’ve been hearing a lot about extreme couponers, people who commit a large amount of time to use as many coupons as possible to save massive amounts,” said Pavini. “However, that kind of approach is just not typical or realistic for the vast majority of families, and this campaign is a means to provide everyday people with more ways to save—from videos, to tips and more. Coupons offer incredible saving opportunities and Real World Savings shows ‘regular’ people what they can do to take advantage of them.”
The Experiment
Pavini and Coupons.com offer shoppers how-to videos and tips on how to be a real world couponer, including an experiment that showed that with just 45 minutes, a computer and a weekly circular, $146 can buy an average shopper $260 worth of groceries. Over the course of one year, that shopper can save more than $5,000.
The Real Plan
To conduct the test, Pavini timed how long it would take an everyday shopper like herself to sit down, plan a week-long menu and gather and organize coupons. Her shopping list was based on a meal plan for a family of four, which she compiled by looking through a weekly circular. Using Coupons.com and manufacturer’s websites and social media pages, she created a meal plan around those savings.
Real Results
The seven day menu afforded food items for three meals per day, along with snacks, desserts, and personal care and pet items. An example menu for one day includes items such as: bacon, eggs and toast for breakfast; tuna salad and carrots for lunch; fresh ham, mashed potatoes and corn for dinner; and a treat for Fido. Personal care items included name-brand soap, shampoo, conditioner and a battery-operated toothbrush.
Real Savings
All 66 items totaled $261.97 at full price. After sales and coupons, the final bill came to $146.42, a 49 percent savings.
Do It Yourself
Real World Savings offers shoppers the chance to duplicate these results with strategies for maximizing their savings with how-to videos, hosted by Pavini, and tips for how to be a real world couponer.
Videos include:
- Real World Couponing: The first video in the series features Pavini teaching two sisters how to save more than 40 percent on their high grocery bills with just a few simple strategies.
- Household Budget Makeover: A new stay-at-home mom learns how big savings on household expenses can help adjust her budget to match her new income.
- Dating on a Dime: Saturday date night doesn’t have to wreak havoc on your bank account. See strategies for pinching pennies while still enjoying a night on the town.
- Savings Outside of the Grocery Store: Coupons and savings go far beyond the supermarket as Pavini shows a working dad how to save on medications, personal care items and more.
For more information on ways to save and a look at Pavini’s how-to videos, visit: www.realworldsavings.com.
About Coupons.com Incorporated
Coupons.com Incorporated is the recognized leader in digital coupons, including online printable, save to loyalty card and mobile promotions. For consumers, the company’s products include Coupons.com, the 39th largest website in the U.S.†, as well as Grocery iQ and Coupons.com mobile applications. For brand marketers, the company distributes digital coupons to millions of consumers through Coupons.com and tens of thousands of websites comprising the Coupons.com digital coupon network. The company also powers digital coupon initiatives in 1-to-1 online marketing campaigns—including display advertising, email and social media programs. For publishers, the company offers solutions to monetize website traffic, including branded microsites, and Brandcaster, a self-service coupons syndication platform. Clients include hundreds of top consumer packaged goods brands (including Clorox, General Mills, Johnson & Johnson, Kellogg’s, Kimberly-Clark, and Kraft Foods), leading restaurant, toy and entertainment companies, as well as top retailers (such as A&P, CVS, Duane Reade, H-E-B, Kmart, Kroger, Safeway and Walgreens). Founded in 1998, the company is based in Mountain View, CA. To start printing coupons, visit www.coupons.com. To learn more about the company visit www.couponsinc.com. Visit Coupons.com on Facebook at www.facebook.com/couponscom.
† Nielsen, July 2011