It can be hard for college students to pay for tuition, food and other necessities, but some find novel ways to cut costs.
Kinesiology sophomore Autumn Johnson said her lifestyle recently changed when she started using coupons.
“I started last year because I was trying to save money for books and stuff. So, I thought that would be the best way,” Johnson said.
Coupons have been a marketing strategy since the late 19th century, according to a 2010 Time magazine article, and they continue to influence spending habits.
But as technology develops, the way consumers gather their coupons changes.
According to a 2014 study conducted by Forrester Consulting for RetailMeNot — the world’s largest hub for digital coupons — mobile coupons are influencing the trend of growth in online shopping.
Though Johnson still finds coupons in newspapers, she said she relies heavily on smartphone apps, such as RetailMeNot, that allow her to find and easily organize coupons.
The RetailMeNot study showed that 70 percent of consumers used a digital coupon, offer or promotion code between one and five times in the last three months.
Coupons, whether digital or physical, can be a good deal for businesses too.
Bell’s Greek Pizza owner Habib Jarwan, whose business primarily distributes coupons through local coupon books, said he is hoping for a 10 percent return from his coupons.
Jarwan said he hopes the offers will attract new business while also rewarding existing customers, which include many students.
Human biology and prenursing junior Caitlin Berdijo said her mother has always been an avid coupon user, so she’s been taking advantage of sales and coupons for as long as she can remember.
“Through the use of coupons, I have been able to discriminate between what I need and what I want,” Berdijo said.
But Berdijo said there still seems to be a stigma connected to couponing. “People associate it with stingy old women or they think of the show ‘Extreme Couponing,’” she said.
Johnson, on the other hand, said she hasn’t received any negative feedback on her couponing habits.
After her money-saving experiences — like paying $5 for $40 worth of merchandise — Johnson plans to continue using coupons.
“I don’t buy anything full price,” she said.
