Coupons Saving Consumers Big Bucks...

(CBS)  It all started back in 1894- a coupon for a free glass of coke.

Now, reports Early Show consumer correspondent Susan Koeppen, more than $330 billion in coupons are offered each year, and almost $3 billion worth are redeemed.

Bonnie Carlson, president of the Promotions Marketing Association, which tracks coupon use, says the average household saves 1,000 dollars a year using coupons. "86 percent of households use coupons," Carlson notes, "and that translates to 142 million shoppers."

And the age range of people using them is wide, from young to old. Seventy-one percent of young adults say they use coupons.

And today's coupons are hardly just for groceries, either. You can find them now for a vast array of products, from food, to clothes, to electronics, and much more.

To make the most of coupons, Carlson advises using an organizer when you shop, sorting them by category, and keeping the ones about to expire up front.

Moms like Cara Mirabella don't go shopping without coupons. She says it takes her about 15 minutes a week to clip and sort hers, and they save her some $200 to $300 a month.

She's even turned her love for savings into an online business, and created a Web site (www.thehouseholdhelper.com) to teach others the ins-and-outs of using coupons to their best advantage.

"Every little bit helps," Mirabella says. "It makes a big difference for my family."

On The Early Show Monday, Koeppen, herself a coupon user, said the best places to find them are in the Sunday newspaper and online. You can also call the company. Try signing up to get coupons delivered to you, by snail-mail or online, on a regular basis.

Though coupons usually have a lifespan of six-to-eight weeks, some stores take them past their expiration dates, or accept competitors' coupons, so be sure to ask, Koeppen urges.

[couponheaven]

I collect so many coupons that I have several organizers / folders at home for grocery coupons, restaurant coupons, video store and local business coupons (oil changes, etc). I also love to shop online, and have bookmarked my favorite online coupon web sites.

[semoore62]

i would like to see monthly or weekly segments on seasonal items. there is a cycle that food, clothing and other items run through and I would like to see the consumer correspondent address those items.

[couponqueen3]

I was excited to see this segment this morning, but really... where are the REAL tips? I can save $200 in a single grocery shopping trip or trip to Target when I plan it in advance, never mind in a whole month! I see stories on coupon users somewhat frequently but they really don''t spread the word on how much coupons can truly save a family when they put their mind to it! I''d love to see a story where they actually share the tips to making the most of your coupons!

[hermit22]

the disapointing thing about coupons is that in the food category they are mostly for JUNK food i wouldn''t buy anyway. coupons are for chemical foods or sugar foods, not the good old meat and potatoes and vegetables and real foods in the produce section and MILK etc.