“Extreme” money-saving tips offered at VGCC’s Couponing class


Savvy shoppers across the country are using increasingly sophisticated coupon techniques, with numerous web sites and television programs devoted to helping consumers save money. In that spirit, a workshop being offered at two Vance-Granville Community College campuses will provide local cost-conscious residents with various couponing strategies that could reduce a family’s grocery expenses by as much as 80 percent.

The “Coupon 101” workshop will be offered Tuesday, Oct. 30 from 6-9 p.m. at VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County, and Thursday, Nov. 15 from 6-9 p.m. at the Franklin County Campus near Louisburg.

The instructor will be Melody Page, a former high school math teacher and Nash County native who publishes the “Extreme Ways to Save” web site and Facebook page. Page will share with participants several of her “secrets,” such as how to work drug store customer rewards programs to get health and beauty items for free; where to find coupons and how to organize them; how to work grocery store sales cycles; coupon policies and rules for local stores; and how to get “paid to shop.” Page said that she began her “couponing” experience about five years ago “in the midst of a personal financial crisis brought on by the downswing in the economy.” Excited about the huge savings she was experiencing, she began to share her strategies with friends and family. Soon, Page was asked to speak for area churches and civic groups, and “Extreme Ways to Save” was born. She has taught her strategies in various venues, written for various publications, and hosted a local “Extreme Ways to Save” television program.

The cost of the course is $20, and Page predicts that each participant will save that amount many times over by using her tips.

For more information and to register for the Main Campus session (Oct. 30), call Theresa Somerville at (252) 738-3427; for the Franklin Campus session (Nov. 15), call Anthony Pope at (919) 496-1567.