She's the first to admit she's not the only one teaching about coupons, having been in the coupon-advice game just three years. But there's something about her.
Grocery manufacturers and supermarket executives seek her insight on consumer use of coupons. In April, she was one of the main speakers in Atlanta at a conference of the Association of Coupon Professionals.
Catalina Marketing, one of the largest players in the coupon industry, flew her to Florida to speak to the company's sales force of 150.
"We went overtime because there was so much interest - and these are people already in the coupon business," said Susan Gear, a group vice president at Catalina. "She's extremely knowledgeable, probably more knowledgeable than some of us in this space. I think she's an amazing woman."
For those coupon professionals, Cataldo provided an "aha" moment that sounded new to them - the real reason why so many women, and the vast majority are women, use coupons.
"She sees how coupons can affect a person's sense of self-worth and how they can impact their family - how couponing is a very valuable way for them to participate in the economic well-being of their household," Gear said.
"She helped us hold up a mirror to ourselves, and we saw ourselves in a new light."
Cataldo, 37, is a frequent guest on radio and TV and in print publications, including an appearance this year on ABC's "Nightline." Media, along with consumers, jumped on the frugality bandwagon as the economy took a dive and coupons quickly went from crass to cool.
Cataldo also writes a syndicated newspaper column about coupons. It's distributed to papers with some 20 million readers - a kind of Dear Abby with coupons, she says.
