Coupon Use at All-Time High

 Clark Howard's Cash-Saving Tips for 'Living Large in Lean Times'

Be still, our cheapskate hearts: Clark Howard, the HLN TV host and ClarkHoward.com founder who parlayed his frugality into millions, has come out with a new book calledLiving Large in Lean Times(Avery Penguin, $18).

Simply put, Howard believes you can get rich off the money you don't spend. How deep does Howard's thriftiness go? Well, Howard would probably rather feed a rabid squirrel than a parking meter.

Americans are clipping and using more coupons as economic uncertainty continues to engulf Coupon use jumped significantly when the economy tanked in 2008 and has remained elevated, an indication that consumers continue to be less than comfortable with their economic situations, experts say.

After couponing for a few years, I decided in 2010 to see if all that work was adding up to real money. And if it was, could I use those savings for, you know, something fun?

Was it enough savings to pay for something I would otherwise have a hard time justifying in our family budget? Maybe something on my bucket list?

In the United States, how much is redeemed in coupons each year?

An estimated 3.3 billion coupons for consumer packaged goods were redeemed in 2010, at an average face value of $1.12 each, according to data from Inmar, a Winston-Salem, N.C.-based coupon processing firm that studies coupon promotions...