Have you heard about the extreme couponing craze? From the women I talk to at church to the bloggers I read online, it seems like everyone is going gaga for coupons these days. Now, I’ll never be one of those shoppers who goes to the grocery store and comes home with a year’s supply of everything for pennies. But I am happy to report that I saved $11.22 on my grocery bill last night using coupons.

As I’ve started to pay more attention to coupons, I’ve noticed how eager I am to read my junk mail. Yesterday I opened up a “Val-Pak” and thumbed through at least 50 coupons for local restaurants, contractors, and more. Of course, I pulled out the three coupons I found for HVAC contractors and took a closer look at them. The first contractor offered $25 off any heating or plumbing service. The second contractor offered a $79.95 furnace tune-up or $50 off any repair. And the third offered a free in-home estimate and highlighted equipment that could qualify for up to $2,500 in tax credits and cash rebates. I wish I could call them all up and ask what kind of response they get from these coupons.

Honestly, I think there is something reassuring about having a piece of paper that promises you will save a little money — and it’s very handy to pull out when a need arises.

Of course, these days coupons aren’t restricted to paper. There are many options for contractors to post coupons to their websites, send coupons via email to customer lists, or to promote coupons with social media. Just two days ago I saw a contractor tweet a link to a coupon on its website.

Believe it or not, September is National Coupon Month, so this is a great time for you to get in on the coupon action. Do you have any stories to share about successful coupon campaigns? Post them in the comments below.