A SAVVY couponer has revealed how she saved herself a staggering $12,000, allowing her to quit her full-time job.

Taryn Blankenship, 28, from Wichita, Kansas, became obsessed with couponing during the pandemic and has turned it into a money-saving lifestyle.

By hunting down deals, stacking discounts, and using reward apps, Taryn has cut her weekly grocery bill from $150 to just $40.

She hasn’t spent a dime on essentials like shampoo, laundry detergent, or toothpaste since 2020.

She now saves an extra $3,000 a year, which allowed her to quit her job at a nursing home in 2024 to focus on her craft business.

“When it comes to shopping, I would say I am using coupon for all of my items or getting it for 75% off or free,” Taryn said.

Her couponing journey started in January 2021 when she used a rebate app to get five packs razors for $1 each meaning she made $5 back on every pack.

“Since then, I have been hooked on couponing,” Taryn said.

“Pretty much any item, from laundry care to food I get for free but at a discount.”

‘NEVER WITHOUT A DISCOUNT’

Determined to never pay full price, Taryn has mastered the art of stacking deals, using digital and paper coupons to slash the cost on everyday items.

“As a couponer, you won’t pay full price for many items,” she said.

“I won’t buy anything unless I am getting it for free or at a very good discount,” she explained.

Her secret – shopping clearance racks and focusing on what’s on sale rather than what she wants to eat that week.

“My local store has a program where they mark food on clearance, some of the items are within a few days of expiring,” she said.

“Everything at the store expires, so at some point, it is going to be on clearance.”

She has also built a huge stockpile of essentials over the past four years meaning she can go months without spending a cent on toiletries and household supplies.

FINANCIAL FREEDOM

But it’s not just her who benefits, Taryn regularly donates her stockpile to low-income families is her community.

“Last year, I donated over 50 tubes of toothpaste, 40 boxes of detergent, and more,” she said.

“I will donate that to my local place that gives hygiene products to low-income families.”

The thousands of dollars she had saved meant that she was financially secure.

“I would not have been able to do that if it wasn’t for couponing,” she said.

“I was able to save around $100 a week as I wasn’t spending money on essentials.

“I have the time to do whatever I want—it has given me freedom.”