What's it like to work as a couponer?

How one 22-year-old turned her couponing habit into a successful business

Emma Mumford earns a living from saving coupons. Known as the “Couponing Queen”, she makes huge savings on everyday items thanks to her forensic knowledge of the latest discounts. Her biggest bargain to date saw her pay just 8p for a £256 trolley at her local Tesco in Dorset.

The 22-year-old typically saves between £5 and £20 on her weekly food shop “with not much effort at all”, and can be at the checkout till for an hour while staff verify her coupons.

Mumford began couponing almost three years ago when her ex-partner left her in £7,000 of debt at the age of 20. With only a part-time job in Next, she began collecting coupons on the side to save money.

After 18 months she turned her hobby into a business and started her own blog, where she shares the best deals with fellow bargain-lovers.

Mumford's tips include checking supermarket magazines for coupons, making the most of in-store discounts and collecting loyalty card points.

“It's just the little things you have to be mindful of. The other day The Laughing Cow Extra Light had a £1 off coupon and it was £1 in Sainsbury's - so that was free cheese,” she says.

She has also had results with more creative ideas, such as writing to companies with her own personalised reviews of their products. “At the beginning I was really successful with Dettol, and managed to get £20 in vouchers for doing a review. I even attached a photo of how clean the surfaces were,” she says.

Now that she runs her own business, she works around the clock to update her blog, social media accounts and YouTube channel. “I don't get any time off. It has become my life,” she says.

But she has no complaints, especially when she sees friends who have just finished university with £36,000 of debt.

“I can't imagine myself doing another job. If I could do this for the rest of my life it will make me really happy."