'Coupon Queen': Do Your Homework Before Going Back-To-School Shopping

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It's almost time to go back to school, which means last-minute shopping is underway.

But that doesn't mean you have to pay full price for those must-have items.

As CBS 2's Alex Denis reported, Gia Pendergast, better known as the "Long Island Coupon Queen," makes it her mission to find the best deals around.

LINK: Long Island Coupon Queen's Best Deals

Pendergast, who recently went shopping with Denis, said it's simple to save when you know what to look for. It starts with a little prep work.

"Check your circulars," she said. "Grab at least three or four of them, and just go through all the school supplies. See who has the best deals."

If you find great discounts at more than one place, "you can actually just shop in one store," Pendergast said. "So when you're looking through the ads, bring all of the ads with you. Staples and a lot of the other stores, they will price-match."

Pendergast said it takes less than an hour to find the deals.

If you don't get the weekly ads delivered to your home, find the coupons online.

But before you buy, read the fine print closely. Some deals have a quantity limit, while others require a mail-in rebate.

And the savings don't apply only to school supplies. Savvy shoppers can stock dorm rooms with discounted cleaning products, toilet paper and paper towels.

Need to shop for clothes? There's something for that, too: JC Penney offers at $50 gift card for $40, Pendergast noted.

When it came time to check out, how much did the Long Island Coupon Queen pay for 38 items?

Nothing. (Actually, with rebates, she will get money refunded.)

"In total, all of the items were free, and I got back $9.14," Pendergast said.

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