“Coupon Crazy” examines the phenomenon of avid coupon use

Mary Potter Kenyon has been an avid couponer for more than 30 years. Now, not only has her coupon interest saved her thousands of dollars, but it also has inspired a book.

“Coupon Crazy: The Science, the Savings, and the Stories Behind America's Extreme Obsession,”(Familius Publishing), came out Aug. 1.

The idea was her husband's in 2009. Kenyon was struggling to write another book and “he suggested I write about couponing,” says the Manchester mother of 8.

“But I didn't want to write a how-to book,” she says. “I'd always been interested in the ‘why' behind couponing. Why was I, one of 10 children raised in poverty, the only sibling who got involved in avid couponing and refunding? What was it about the hobbies of couponing and refunding that appealed to me, not only as a newlywed on a tight budget, but as a little girl who clipped the coupons for her mother? Why, at age 10, did I collect Cheerios box tops so that I could order free super balls? I decided I would delve into the brains of other avid couponers in order to answer questions like this.”

“Coupon Crazy” examines the phenomenon of avid coupon use and the sociocultural and socioeconomic factors that accompany it. In the book, Kenyon explores the history of couponing, refunding, the science of shopping and coupon fraud.

While avid couponers will enjoy the book, Kenyon says, she wrote it to help others understand couponing.

“If you have ever stood in line behind an avid couponer, or watched one on television, and wondered what would make someone get so excited about ‘free stuff,' this book answers that question,” she says. “If you had no idea there was an entire cultural phenomenon associated with avid coupon use, this book will interest you.”

Retail marketers would do well to read up as well, she says.

“If you are a marketer who does not understand the minds of the ‘coupon crazy,' you need to read this book. You'll be both entertained and educated.”

The book's name is a play on words.

“I am crazy about coupons and love saving money, but I admit I am an anomaly among friends and family who don't understand the hobby,” Kenyon says. “When I get overly excited about a good deal that might net me 20 tubes of toothpaste for $1, I am certain there are those that consider me a bit ‘crazy,' period.”

She is quick to point out that she is not an extreme couponer, like the people profiled on TLC's “Extreme Couponing.”

“I don't have entire rooms full of stockpiled items. I don't spend 30 hours a week clipping coupons and shopping,” Kenyon says. “I was interviewed by the TLC producers three separate times, and each time I told them the same thing: We can't do that in Iowa. There are no double coupon stores. I do mini ‘free sprees,' and I have smaller stockpiles stored throughout my house, but the bottom line is that reality television portrays the very extreme among us, and does not resemble reality for most of us.”

One of the most fascinating parts of working on the book, Kenyon says, was talking to couponers all over the country.

“I posted ads on couponing websites to ask people if they were willing to be interviewed,” she says. “I interviewed about 65 people all across the country. And I assumed couponers grew up in poverty, but I talked to one woman who makes $500,000 a year but enjoys couponing.”

In the book, Kenyon also tries to pinpoint what constitutes a “good deal.”

“It was interesting looking at the science behind what is so appealing about free things,” she says.

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MEET THE AUTHOR

Who: Mary Potter Kenyon

When: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 11

Where: Barnes & Noble, 333 Collins Rd. NE, Cedar Rapids

Cost: Free