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<\/a><\/p>\nSince the beginning of November, he has been searching for sales and other opportunities to access food and hygiene products to donate to Community Care St. Catharines and Thorold.<\/p>\n
On a limited budget himself, the 20-year-old Ajax native uses his couponing prowess to get items \u201cextremely below cost,\u201d if not for free, that are needed at the local food bank.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just want to help people that need that little extra boost,\u201d said Battaglia, whose family recently moved to Newmarket.<\/p>\n
His first foray into couponing came the year before he began university, as he prepared to head away from home and manage his own finances.<\/p>\n
When he discovered his newfound skill allowed him to collect more than his regular grocery needs, he decided donating to others was a fitting next step.<\/p>\n
Battaglia has since made donations of non-perishable items and hygiene products totalling more than $1,500 to a youth shelter in his hometown, the Brock University Students\u2019 Union Food First program and Community Care. He also makes smaller donations of perishable items, such as meats, throughout the year.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s planning to provide an additional $500 in goods to Community Care just before Christmas.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m hoping to make the donation just before I go home for the holidays, this way I have as much time as possible to collect as many items as I can,\u201d Battaglia said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m always looking for whatever is the best deal that week or that month \u2014 whatever I can get my hands on.\u201d<\/p>\n
This month, a deal on cereal allowed Battaglia to collect 25 boxes for his donation haul. The boxes have been added to a collection of soup, pasta, tuna, sauce, toothbrushes and toothpaste that has already accumulated in his bedroom.<\/p>\n
Asked about the basics of couponing, he admitted for many people it can seem quite complicated.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot to couponing,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s paper coupons, points, cash back deals, price matching. There\u2019s so much more to it than people often realize.\u201d<\/p>\n
Battaglia estimated he spends about 10 hours a week \u2014 even during exam season \u2014 on his couponing hobby.<\/p>\n
He runs a Facebook page called Brock Affordable Groceries for Students (BAGS), in which he posts weekly deals that students may find beneficial.<\/p>\n
He wants to someday turn his love of couponing into a career, helping low-income individuals, seniors and families who \u201cneed that little bit of extra help\u201d to access groceries at a reduced cost.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d like to host sessions in the community for learning about couponing,\u201d he said, and to \u201cdo the shopping for those who need the help but don\u2019t have the time to dedicate to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Battaglia does the shopping on his own, he belongs to a network of \u2018couponers\u2019 who accept his unused coupons in exchange for deals more suitable to his donation plans.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are very supportive,\u201d he said. \u201cThey love to see I\u2019m using the coupons for something more than just myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Battaglia is motivated by the thought of helping others.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt first, I thought I wanted to be an accountant, but I realized that\u2019s not me, that\u2019s not who I am,\u201d he said. \u201cI want to help people anyway I can and couponing is a great start.\u201d<\/p>\n
His own budget is expected to get tighter next year, when he reduces his grocery allowance to $25 from $50 a month, but he plans to continue making regular donations.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will be a little tricky at times,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I can make it work.\u201d<\/p>\n