Meet Rodney Osborne aka “the Couponator”

Rodney Osborne of Sunbury, Ohio is a true hometown hero. Jokingly referring to himself as “the Couponator”, Osborne has not only gleaned financial wisdom from a dark experience in his own life, but uses at least one of the survival skills gained during that time to now help others in his community. This skill? Extreme couponing. In the Osborne household, coupons are not only used to help stretch the family’s food budget, but Rodney also clips coupons in order to make sizable donations to local charities.

 

The Backstory

Not very long ago, Rodney Osborne was so far down on his luck that he and his wife were compelled to accept food donations from a local charity just to feed their children. Without a paycheck to rely on, these were rough times for the Osborne family as not only was Rodney out of work, but so was his wife. Despite this very difficult chapter in the Osborne family story, however, Rodney discovered new ways of stretching a dollar by clipping coupons.

Back at work now, the Osbornes are able to once again comfortably feed their family thanks to their continued coupon clipping activities. They also pay the assistance they received forward by now helping to feed others with the use of coupons. Having come full circle, one of the organizations that the family contributes food to is Common Ground– the exact place where the Osbornes once received donated food during their jobless stint.

A Smart Hero

Proof of the savings that Rodney and his family have realized are evident in the numbers reported in several news stories about their generosity. On one shopping occasion, the family was able to donate nearly $1,000 worth of food and necessities despite spending less than $40 for the entire bill. Another time, Rodney spent $50 for $1500 worth of groceries, all of which were delivered directly to local charities.

Beyond Giving

Familiar with not having enough money to feed his family, Rodney’s primary objective is to help others in the same situation. His charity doesn’t end with merely giving donated food and other necessities, however. When interviewed about his compassionate and wise giving, Rodney also shared that he hopes to drive the point home to others that significant savings can be realized simply by taking the time to cut and use coupons for regular shopping. His lessons truly begin at home as he not only continues to use coupons to feed his own family, but he and his wife are also teaching their children how to effectively budget by using coupons.

Sharing the Savings

In addition to the organization that once helped the family during their meager times, other Ohio charities benefitting from Rodney’s wise giving include Friends Who Share and People In Need, Inc. As “the Couponator”, Rodney Osborne is as much a hero as those featured on the silver screen. Through his generosity, people who might otherwise do without are able to acquire food, school supplies and other necessities while simultaneously learning valuable lessons about saving and sharing.

Civic Duty salutes Rodney Osborne for being a real-life example of how everyday people can turn turmoil into triumph while rescuing others at the same time.

  1. Haines, Robyn. “Sunbury Man Pays It Forward With Coupons.” NBC 4i. NBC, 04 Oct. 2012. Web. 23 Oct. 2012.
  2. Russell, Chris. “Coupon Crazy.” Dave Ramsey’s My Total Money Makeover. Dave Ramsey, 22 Oct. 2012. Web. 23 Oct. 2012.
  3. Nick. “Man Uses Coupon Skills to Give 25x More Food to the Poor.” Good News Guardian. Good News Guardian, 08 Oct. 2012. Web. 23 Oct. 2012.