Using coupons is a wonderful privilege and opportunity that can allow us to stretch our incomes, build up a usable pantry, save time by eliminating trips to the grocery store, and increase security and peace of mind through having food on hand.

Keeping that in mind, remembering a few tips will further simplify and smooth your shopping trips and lead to successful couponing.

First, use coupons as intended. If a coupon says one per customer or one per transaction, make sure you use only one each trip. If a coupon has expired, don't use it. Additionally, if a coupon has a size restriction or is for a specific variety, please follow the listed guidelines.

Second, being educated about how to use coupons will help you have long-term success and successful check-out experiences. Occasionally, cashiers will confuse the wording on the coupon that states one coupon per item purchased. Each item you are buying is a purchase. For instance, if you are buying three bottles of salad dressing and have three coupons you can use one coupon per each of the salad dressing bottles you are purchasing.

Finally, remember that our area has seen a dramatic increase in the number of couponers in recent months. I love a good deal and was thrilled to see the Smith's Double Coupons promotion last week. I was conscious that many people had never participated in double coupons and were anxious to get in on the good deals. We need to try to share the wealth -- if there are limited items on the grocery store shelf, try to only purchase a few of them -- leaving product for other shoppers.

I appreciated the opportunity to participate in the double coupon promotion, and I heard firsthand that many people also took advantage of the opportunity.

"It was the biggest event we ever had at this store," said Harvey Woodyatt, store director of the Provo Smith's Food and Drug Center. "The word got out very quickly, and we were swamped. Customers were buying large quantities of items and using this as a great opportunity to stock up. Some customers told me this was all they were talking about on some of the shopping message boards on the Internet. It was great!"

The promotion also pumped up sales in American Fork.

"It was so good," said B.J. Phillips, assistant store director of the American Fork Smith's Food and Drug Center. "We saw an incredible increase in our sales and lots of new customers. It was awesome."

I appreciate our local stores for allowing and encouraging coupon use and providing double coupon opportunities. Couponing can be a win-win for both the consumer and the retailer.

For more information on my free program, to sign up for our free Weekly Deals e-mail, or for pricing information on our Coupon Subscription Package, please call 344-2923 or e-mail