A woman holds coupons at a grocery store. “I was in a position where I was struggling to make ends meet, and we couldn't afford these essentials. And with couponing, it just completely changed our income. It completely changed our savings,” says Karla Benavides. Photo by Shutterstock.

As the cost of everyday goods rise, coupons could be a great option to save a few bucks on daily necessities, and it’s a lifestyle Karla Benavides swears by. She clips digital coupons to use at different stores around LA and teaches others how to save cash online. Today, she has nearly 1 million followers on TikTok and nearly 100,000 on Instagram. 

Benavides tells KCRW that she started couponing after the birth of her two kids, who were born one year apart. 

“I did not believe how expensive diapers were,” she explains. “I was in a position where I was struggling to make ends meet, and we couldn't afford these essentials. And with couponing, it just completely changed our income. It completely changed our savings. So it was something that I wanted to share with everyone that might have been in the same situation that I was in.” 

She pushes back on the assumption that couponing doesn’t make a difference, especially when deals often push someone to buy products they might not need.

“I do get a few comments and messages here saying, ‘I don't need that product. I don't use that product.’ But you can definitely always coupon or find a deal on the specific item that you want and need at that time.”

Benavides points out that when she has a stockpile of a certain item, she’ll give products to her friends and family, and even donate to those in her community. 

So where can you find coupons in today’s digital age? Benavides says most stores typically have their own app that have daily promotions, such as Target and Walmart. She says at many stores, she can typically combine both a traditional manufacturer’s coupon and a store coupon, which helps double the savings. 

She also recommends shopping at Target, due to their weekly offers.

“You buy a certain amount of products or you spend a certain amount and you get a gift card. You can actually use those gift cards week to week and have a continuous roll of them to be paying a low out-of-pocket each time you go into the store to get the items you need,” Benavides says.

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