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Brandon Coupon Clippers Stretch Their Grocery Dollars

Tribune photo by D'ANN LAWRENCE WHITE

Members of the Brandon Coupon Club meet once a month at the Bloomingdale Regional Library where they clip and trade coupons and tips.

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D'ANN LAWRENCE WHITE

Published: July 21, 2008

BRANDON - Getting something for nothing is the ultimate reward for members of the Brandon Coupon Club, who meet monthly at the Bloomingdale Regional Library to clip and trade coupons, share money-saving tips and confide where to find the best bargains in town.

They say it's has become a way of life.

"We hate to pay full price for anything," said member Sarah Whitt. "'Retail price' is a dirty word."

Brandon residents Linda Hanson and Juanita Sapp co-founded the club with a couple of money-conscious friends eight years ago at the Brandon Regional Library.

"I didn't really need to save money, but I hate wasting money," Hanson said. She volunteers for the Brandon Emergency Care Help Organization, a nonprofit organization that provides food and clothing to people facing emergency needs. There, she said, she has seen the value of a dollar to a mother who doesn't have a penny to feed her children.

For years, the club attracted 10 to 12 members, mostly women. However, recently their numbers have doubled.

"We've had a lot more people during the last couple of months due to the economy," Hanson said. "I think people are really starting to think about where their money is going and how they can save."

The coupon club meets at 2 p.m. the second Saturday of each month at the library. Meetings are free. Those attending should bring scissors and coupons they don't plan to use.

Call Hanson at (813) 689-9150 or e-mail love2save@verizon.net.

How are you saving money during these tough economic times? Participate in our readers' poll by going to Brandon.TBO.com's main page and scrolling down to "Cast Your Vote."

Reporter D'Ann Lawrence White can be reached at (813) 657-4524 or dlwhite@tampatrib.com.

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