RetailMeNot.com and Junior Achievement USA Celebrate National Coupon Month by Creating a Curriculum That Teaches Students How to Save Money

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- RetailMeNot.com (www.retailmenot.com), the largest online coupon site in the United States, and Junior Achievement USA (www.ja.org), the nation's largest not-for-profit organization focused on empowering young people to own their economic success, today announced the creation of a new curriculum that will help educators teach middle-school students how they can accomplish the simple act of saving money. In honor of National Coupon Month, the curriculum will teach students basic skills in using coupons and deal seeking while shopping and will help to differentiate the many types of retail store offers that are available to consumers in the marketplace.

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Educators can download the "JA Searching for Savings" curriculum and teaching guide by visiting RetailMeNot's Savings Appreciation Campaign page (www.retailmenot.com/savings) or by visiting Junior Achievement's website (http://www.ja.org/programs/programs_retailmenot.shtml).

"RetailMeNot is dedicated to helping students become financially literate and appreciate that saving money is a simple process and that every dollar adds up," said Lou Agnese, General Counsel of WhaleShark Media, Inc., the operator of RetailMeNot.

"Our partnership with Junior Achievement USA through the Savings Appreciation Campaign is helping to fill a void in schools by teaching students how to manage their money.  These life skills will benefit them as they get older," added Agnese, who is also a member of the board of directors for Junior Achievement of Central Texas.

"With the U.S. continuing to struggle to recover from the recession, there is still a great need to teach young people the basics of money management," said Jack E. Kosakowski, president and CEO of Junior Achievement USA. "Junior Achievement has long worked with schools to teach students financial literacy skills in the same way that they learn about social studies and other core subjects. Our partnership with RetailMeNot is a reminder that we can do simple things as consumers to effectively manage our spending as we reintroduce a new generation of Americans to the basic money-saving skill of couponing."

A new poll of parents with a child under the age of 18, conducted on behalf of RetailMeNot by Ipsos Public Affairs (www.ipsos.com), found that seven in ten parents (70%) say that there is no official curriculum/class at their child's school that teaches financial responsibility (e.g., how to budget, use credit responsibly or save for the future).

Beyond the school system, making financial literacy a priority at home remains a challenge for most families.

• While over eight in ten parents (84%) say they have at one time or another spoken to their child about being responsible with finances, parents tend to place greater importance on talking with their kids about other issues: 
  • Nearly six in ten parents (59%) cite moral matters, such as values and religious beliefs, as the most important thing for them to talk to their kids about. 
  • Academics (16%), personal hygiene (8%), drugs (8%), personal finance values (5%) and sex (5%) tend to be seen as issues of lesser importance than moral matters.

There is a bright spot during National Coupon Month when it comes to saving: more than eight in ten parents (83%) say that their family actively or frequently uses coupons to save money when they shop. Moms are leading the way: 

• Moms are more likely to use coupons than dads (85% vs. 81%). 
• Nearly seven in ten parents (69%) also talk to their children about using coupons to help them save money when they shop, with moms again being more likely to do so than dads (73% vs. 65%).

Additionally, more than half (52%) of parents give their children an allowance, and nearly as many (42%) say that they require their children to keep a budget to help manage their spending and savings.

Methodology: These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted July 12–17, 2012. For the survey, a national sample of 1,041 adults aged 18 and older with a child under the age of 18 from Ipsos' U.S. online panel were interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the U.S. adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of 1,041 a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

About RetailMeNot.com

RetailMeNot.com (www.retailmenot.com) is the leading consumer destination for collaborative online coupon, deal and promotional code hunting and sharing. Our mission is to help consumers save money and enjoy a hassle-free discount shopping experience. Since November 2006, our users have shared hundreds of thousands of deals and offers from retailers from across the globe. Online coupons are rated and ranked by users, ensuring that quality deals rise to the top and expired coupons drop down the list. RetailMeNot.com is operated by WhaleShark Media, Inc., the world's leading marketplace for online coupons and deals.

Shopping on the go? Download the RetailMeNot Coupons App for iPhone and Android phones to access Hot Deals, browse top coupons, popular stores and categories and get thousands of online and in-store coupons to shop when you want, where you want. Make sure to "like" RetailMeNot.com on Facebook, follow the company via Twitter @retailmenot and add us on Google+.

About WhaleShark Media, Inc.

WhaleShark Media, Inc. (www.whalesharkmedia.com) is the world's leading marketplace for online coupons and deals. The company's websites enable consumers seeking to save money to find hundreds of thousands of offers from retailers across the globe. WhaleShark Media experiences more than 400 million consumer visits to its sites every year. The WhaleShark Media portfolio of coupon and deal websites includes www.RetailMeNot.com, the largest online coupon site in the United States; www.VoucherCodes.co.uk, the largest online coupon site in the United Kingdom; www.Deals.com in Germany; web.Bons-de-Reduction.com and www.Poulpeo.com in France; www.Deals2Buy.com; www.CouponSeven.com; and www.CouponShare.com. WhaleShark Media is a fast-growing, profitable company funded by venture capital firms Austin Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners, Adams Street Partners, Google Ventures, J.P. Morgan Asset Management and Institutional Venture Partners (IVP).

Be sure to "like" WhaleShark Media on Facebook and follow the company via Twitter @whalesharkmedia.

About Junior Achievement USA^® (JA)

Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches 4 million students per year in more than 120 markets across the United States, with an additional 6.5 million students served by operations in 117 other countries worldwide. Visit www.ja.org for more information.

Media Contact:

Brian Hoyt
WhaleShark Media (operator of RetailMeNot.com)
+1 512 777 2957
[email protected]

SOURCE RetailMeNot.com