URBANA, Ohio — For Heidi Geer, a love of extreme couponing took her from collecting grocery items in her basement to a successful business venture in Urbana.
“I had an obsession with couponing—I love to do it. My husband made me a deal, he would build me these beautiful shelves that I have in here, as long as I sold my stuff,” Heidi said.
People in Urbana loved the deals as much as she did.
“After I started selling it, it just went crazy,” she said.
Collecting discounted items became a family project that brought Heidi, her husband Justin and their three children even closer together.
The whole operation got so big, they had to move upstairs to the garage.
“I talked to my husband and I’m like, ‘Justin, we need to do something bigger,'” she said.
Soon, life took a surprising turn for the Geer family.
Heidi eventually quit her job as a school bus driver and Justin paused his career as a welder.
They put their focus into running a 50,000-square-foot store called Hometown Bargains, located down the road in rural Urbana.
“Social media is how we have completely spread the word for our store,” Heidi said.
She has a broker and receives new truckloads of merchandise every week.
A few years ago the local Target closed.
Just about everything in the store is Target liquidation.
“We have an entire 30-foot bin, full of brand new clothes from Target for a dollar a piece,” she said.
Along with offering a huge variety and a fun experience while shopping, Heidi is helping to fulfill a serious need in her community. Prices have gone up everywhere and customers are like family, and that means a lot.
People come in early to get a number and wait in their cars.
Some even camp out overnight to get in line first.
People come from all walks of life to come in, shop, and have a good time.
The shopping goes on for hours and hours.
As Heidi watches, she can’t help but smile and be proud.
“It’s amazing. To be able to pass on savings to other families is all I do it for,” she said.
“With the prices going up we can’t even afford some of this. This is a luxury and seven dollars. I’m willing to do that,” said Urbana resident Mary Habodasz.
The store has opened new doors for the Geers and Heidi is always ready to share some words of wisdom when it comes to getting what you want.
“If you want it, go get it. Don’t let anything hold you back,” she said.
For more information on the store, click here.
