Local "couponers' share shopping tips to save big

Joyce Lewellen, of Fulton, picks out a box of crackers that she has a coupon for at C&R Market Friday. Lewellen waits for sales and then hits the stores with her coupons when the time is right to save money on her grocery bill.
Joyce Lewellen, of Fulton, picks out a box of crackers that she has a coupon for at C&R Market Friday. Lewellen waits for sales and then hits the stores with her coupons when the time is right to save money on her grocery bill.

Armed with her coupon binder, calculator and notepad, Joyce Lewellen hits the grocery store to shop for deals.

Lewellen, of Fulton, is a fairly new recruit to the couponing craze that has crept up in recent years. But she's learning fast. On Friday, she only purchased a few items from C&R Market, snacks for her three grandchildren and such, but she estimates that she cut about a third off her bill by using coupons and points on products that were already on sale.

To help other newbie "couponers," Lewellen asked long-time couponer Michelle Waggoner to give a presentation at the Fulton Manor Care Center, where Lewellen works as a cook. Waggoner, of Millersburg, will teach others how to save big on their grocery bills at the Couponing Crash Course being held from 7-8 p.m. Thursday, July 14, at the manor. Admission is $5.

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.