Most people couldn't imagine sitting in a classroom, flipping through catalogues and clipping coupons, but that's exactly what one summer Ball State immersive learning class does.
Students in the Extreme Couponing for Charity class clip coupons for four weeks to help the less fortunate by accumulating enough products to give to charity.
"Taking this class meant that I would be giving back to my community, learn valuable life lessons and earn credit hours," Extreme Couponing student Ed Bean, who now refers himself as the "Coupon Ninja," said.
Kevin Gatzlaff, professor of the class, said students are learning valuable life lessons.
He said even though the class is nothing like the popular TLC show "Extreme Couponing," students are learning how important coupons are and how they can make their money stretch.
Extreme Couponing student Erica Kesling said she has already developed new shopping habits and thinks about shopping differently.
During class, students research, use spreadsheets and work on writing a Pepsi Refresh grant to earn $10,000 so they can fund their project. Similar to other college classes, the course requires weekly homework, which consists of planning shopping trips to Walgreens, CVS and Staples to use their coupons.
CVS is a favorite for the students because CVS offers "rewards" which can be used to put them ahead in their buying leverage. These rewards are often used on products that are rarely on sale, mainly toilet paper.
Instead of using them for their own personal use, the students give all the products to Take Five, an organization that tries to fill the emotional, spiritual and physical void for anyone who experiences it.
Gatzlaff said Take Five was chosen because the charity is completely run by volunteers. The students are able to personally give the products and see reactions of the recipients.
The class agreed unloading the bins at Take Five is their favorite part of the semester thus far.
"Giving back to the community is one of the most rewarding parts of this class, because many students come to the university, receive their degree and leave," Kesling said. "It's rare to give back."
In only a few short weeks of clipping coupons, purchasing common household products such as razors, shampoo, toilet paper and toothpaste, the students were able to accumulate $1,191 worth of necessities while only spending $291.
Extreme Couponing student Holly Fink said the work the class has done is rewarding.
"This was really encouraging to help even more people," she said.
After seeing their initial accomplishment, the students made a goal to accumulate 300 roles of toilet paper, and they succeeded.
"We just began buying more, and building our pyramid with each roll," Fink said.
Gatzlaff said he hopes his students learn that it does not take a large amount of money to help people in a huge way.
Extreme Couponing for Charity, or ID 495, is available to students in any major.
For more information on how to become involved or how to help you can visit the Cardinal Couponers for Charity Facebook page or Take Five at take5outreach.org
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