Stories From Main Street: 'Coupon Queen' Of Valley Cottage Clips Savings For Charities
VALLEY COTTAGE, N.Y. (WCBS 880) - One woman in Rockland County is making a big difference by getting out a pair of scissors.
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Anna D'Souza clips and clips her way to savings.
"People call me the Coupon Queen, the Coupon Lady," she says. "But it's so much. I'm getting so many coupons right now that I can't keep up with the cutting."
A few decades ago, D'Souza's late husband challenged her to save a few dollars.
Now, the Valley Cottage woman says she reduces most grocery bills to "a few cents. I'll bring it up to $20 / $30 and bring it down to a few cents or a dollar-something."
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What does she do with that food?
"I donate it to all the charities. I donate it to People to People. I've donated to St. Paul's Church. Now, I am donating to the troops at West Nyack Post Office. They do a thing over there collecting food and stuff," she says.
Her local delis save the unused newspapers and perfect strangers send her coupons.
D'Souza organizes them alphabetically and by date in a tool box with index card dividers.
"One day, my late husband came home with this tool box and he says 'Annie, look what I found for you.' and he made it into a coupon box for me," she says.
The box is separated into over 300 categories ranging from air fresheners to yogurt.
One of her best hauls was 20 years ago.
"I ran up a bill of 800 and something dollars and instead of paying at the end, the managers told me to hold on to my bottle receipts and try and walk away with money. So, I ended up walking with like $80 in cash," she says.
She says some supermarkets are welcoming while others harass her.
Local lawmakers have come to D'Souza defense so the coupon queen can keep on saving.
"It's just a hobby. It's just something that I enjoy and I'm helping people," she says.
