Dear Christina:

I noticed you the other day when you strolled into the grocery store with your long shopping list. You made your rounds, easing up and down each aisle, scrutinizing every shelf. Once you reached the cashier, you had everything highlighted on your list and from the looks of your shopping cart, you had a few more items than planned. One thing that struck me as insanely odd was the fact that your buggy was overflowing and you omitted a major secret that all divas have the answer to — ballin’ on a budget.

The light bulb in my head was flashing red. I honed in on this transaction thinking to myself in utter disbelief, “Now, I know this sister did not strut into this grocery store appearing organized, with a shopping list completed on FranklinCovey signature paper, a yellow Sharpie highlighter in tow, and a MontBlanc pen scribbling on a check in Louis Vuitton’s new Damier Azur checkbook. And, she doesn’t have any coupons!?”

Yikes! I think I was more horrified than Faye Dunaway when she portrayed the wicked stepmother, Joan Crawford, in Mommie Dearest (1981). In the “no wire hangers ... ever!” scene Crawford chastised her adopted daughter Christina for continually using cheap wire hangers after she’d been warned not to.

Let’s switch things up a bit and I’ll be your loving mother for the sake of emphasis and tip you off to the diva’s secret that may have slipped by you — coupon chic is in. Wasting money is a faux pas ... i.e., a mistake. Let me hip you to another little secret. The Sunday paper is a great place to find coupons. Every week there are some great bargains waiting to be discovered.

Another option is printing coupons from your computer. Valpak is a common coupon marketing firm that distributes by mail and they have a Web site (valpak.com) that features some great deals. No matter if you live in the infamous 90210 zip code in Beverly Hills or 31401 in Savannah, Ga., there’s a deal for you.

If you haven’t been on the H.O.T! Coupons Web site (www.hotcoupons. com), you’ve been missing out. H.O.T! Coupons boast that they’re the largest online Web site. Plug in your city and state or zip code and start searching. They have everything from your neighborhood Chinese restaurant to your local auto service center offering discounted oil changes for only $15.95.

The next time you create a list, be sure you’ve done your research and collect a coupon for every item you plan to purchase.

Sincerely,
Mommie Dearest

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