NMCCto offer ‘Extreme Couponing’ workshop
PRESQUE ISLE — How does saving well over $5,000 on groceries and household items in a year sound? What about walking out of a Rite Aid with $156 of paid merchandise that didn’t cost you anything and, with rebates factored in, actually turned you a profit?
It’s happened to Madawaska native and Portland resident Chrystie Corns, whose rock star-esque fame in the frugal world rivals that of her sister, TV’s “Bachelorette” Ashley Hebert. And now Corns, who has appeared in The Learning Channel’s docu-series “Extreme Couponing” and whose cost cutting measures have been the subject of several print and on-line articles, is sharing the “tricks of the trade” as she leads a half-day workshop open to the public at Northern Maine Community College.
“Secrets to Successful Couponing,” a course offered through the NMCC Continuing Education Division, will run Saturday, Oct. 15 from 9 a.m.-noon in the Edmunds Conference Center on the Presque Isle campus. During the session, Corns will share her tips on “extreme couponing,” the craze sweeping households across the nation looking to tighten their budgets in challenging economic times.
“Every time I go out and pay pennies on the dollar it’s like a rush,” said Corns. “I quickly got addicted and now actually use ‘extreme couponing’ as an additional source of income. I just want to help people learn how to save money.”
Corns was approached by Beth Hummel of NMCC’s Continuing Education Division about returning to her native county to share her “couponing” secrets in a session offered by the college. Hummel thought the workshop would be of great interest to residents of the region.
“We are continuously looking for new and exciting opportunities to bring to the community and are pleased to have had such a great response to this new course. Several registrants have shared their concerns about tightened household budgets and are thrilled to have the opportunity to learn firsthand money saving techniques from an experienced ‘extreme couponer’ like Corns,” said Hummel.
During the workshop, Corns will speak about how she starts her search for good deals every Sunday, when she buys several copies of the Sunday paper. She’ll also elaborate on how she keeps her coupons organized to maximize both her time and savings when it comes to going to the store.
Corns will share personal experiences on ways she was able to not only save money on items, but took advantage of opportunities using coupons and rebates that resulted in money in her pocket. The discussion will include how to capitalize on shopping “reward” programs offered by various retailers.
A self-employed, single mother of two young children, Corns, who started “couponing” as a way to help make ends meet, has become kind of a media mogul. Dubbed “Maine’s Extreme Couponer,” her website www.ilovetogossip.com — launched a year ago, now receives over 150,000 hits a month.
She recently resigned from her social marketing consultancy, Thirteen Thirty Marketing, to focus on her website and “extreme couponing,” as well as to write a book and develop a television show. In the past year, she has appeared on various television shows, including episodes of the most recent season’s of ABC Television’s “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette,” where Corns helped advise her sister. She has also appeared on ABC’s “Good Morning America” and was featured in People Magazine.
Registration cost for the “Secrets to Successful Couponing” workshop is $29 per person. FMI or to register for this or other offerings through the NMCC Continuing Education Division, call 768-2849.
