CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Armed with a labeled binder and a cost-analysis spreadsheet, Cedar Rapids mother and bargain hunter Kim Herr recently decided to try her hand at coupon clipping.

For seven weeks, Herr, 38, has been collecting coupons from newspapers and websites, filing them by expiration date in her binder and then driving to different stores hoping the savings would accumulate. On Thursday, Herr was happy to report they have.

“Last week I was pretty excited,” said Herr, who shops for her husband and three children, ages 13, 11 and 7. “I got $124 worth of things for $66.”

Herr’s story exemplifies a trend that industry experts and local grocers and retailers have noticed with the slowed economy and debut of shows like TLC’s “Extreme Couponing.” More people are trying to save a buck — or $58 in Herr’s case — by taking advantage of advertisements offering $1 off cereal, for example, or a free package of granola bars with the purchase of another.

Stores in the Cedar Rapids area have reported a marked increase in the overall use of coupons, and some sellers have even noticed more “extreme” collectors shopping with coupon binders in tow. Many of the coupons they present for redemption are legitimate, but some are not being used as intended or are altogether fraudulent.

That has prompted some local vendors to tighten their coupon policies, clarify their rules or simply remind cashiers about permitted coupon use and what is considered “gaming the system.”

“Some customers want to use coupons in a way that they really haven’t in the past,” said Ruth Comer, spokeswoman for Hy-Vee’s corporate office. “That has led some of our stores to clarify what they will accept.”

Hy-Vee has a general coupon policy, Comer said, and each store has the discretion to put additional limits on coupon use.

“We have had to become more vigilant in looking at coupons and making sure they are being used the way that the manufacturer and the store intended,” she said.

The Hy-Vee at 1843 Johnson Ave. NW in Cedar Rapids, for example, clarified its coupon policy this week, said J.J. Hesnard, a manager there. He said cashiers are getting a refresher on the store’s rules — including those limiting shoppers to one manufacturer coupon and one store coupon per product and no double or triple coupons.

“There have been a lot of questions since these shows have come on,” Hesnard said.

The Cedar Rapids store also has seen more fake or stolen coupons in the checkout lines, according to Hesnard.

“It’s scary because a lot of times the customer doesn’t know it’s fraudulent,” he said.

Coupons have become so valuable in some circles that stores, like the local Hy-Vee, also have noticed a rise in coupon theft of late, Hesnard said. Store employees are keeping a keen eye out for criminals who, for example, take entire stacks of manufacturer coupons from product displays or nab coupons stuck to individual products.

Such indirect thievery has, on many occasions, stopped his store from even making the coupon pads available to shoppers.

“We will put out a display and come in the next day and the whole pad is gone,” he said. “They are stealing from the rest of the customers.”

A sort of black market for coupons has developed where thieves vend the stolen vouchers online, according to Hesnard and his colleague Bryce Bortle, a manager at the Hy-Vee across town at 5050 Edgewood Road NE.

“That is the biggest issue I’ve seen over the past six months — in-store coupon theft,” Bortle said. “We’ll have a small shipper of a product come in with a tear-off pad, and you’ll come in the next day and the whole entire pad will be gone.”

That happened earlier this week with a Crystal Light display, he said.

“I had coupon pads on there, and now they’re gone,” he said.

Don Erps, store manager at the Cedar Rapids Fareway at 4220 16th Ave. SW, said he too has seen a rise in coupon use and gotten used to fielding coupon-related calls. His store also has fallen victim to coupon theft in recent months, prompting managers to change the way they offer manufacturer coupons to shoppers. The stacks of coupons now are kept at the front of the store, with the cashiers.

“We put up a sign that says, ‘available upon request,’” Erps said. “That has helped.”

On a national level, the coupon craze has prompted some of the bigger chain stores to change their coupon policies, according to industry experts and company officials. Target, for example, has clarified that buy one get one free coupons can’t be doubled up, preventing shoppers from getting several free items.

“Target has seen an increase in coupon redemption in the past year, so we have made some modifications to our policy,” Erika Winkels, a spokeswoman for Target’s corporate office, told The Gazette.

Cedar Rapids shopper Herr said she doesn’t want to scam the system. She just likes to get a good deal. But, Herr said, she has failed to read a coupon’s fine print, on occasion, and been corrected by a cashier.

“There is a learning curve,” she said. “But I think it’s worth the work.”

Coupon etiquette tips from consumer-savings expert Andrea Woroch, who has spoke on the issue on programs including The Today Show, NBC Nightly News and Smart Money:

Do follow the rules, which can vary store to store. If you’re planning to use a large amount of coupons, brush up on your stores’ coupon policies before you shop.

Do get organized before you check out. Handing over a haphazard pile of miscellaneous coupons can be a nightmare for cashiers and other customers waiting in line. Cut them out and face the coupons in the right direction before handing them over.

Do be police to the cashier and other customers. If a cashier isn’t familiar with the store’s coupon policies, stay calm and ask for a supervisor. When your cart is overflowing, give others a heads up you’ll be using coupons, and if someone has just a few items, let them go ahead.

Don’t clear the shelf of popular sale items. If you want to stock up on certain products, call ahead and ask a manager if they’ll set aside an order for you.

Don’t go shopping with your tall stack of coupons during the store’s busiest times. Using dozens of coupons takes time and will irritate other shoppers. Instead, go shopping during slow times to take the pressure off the transaction.

Don’t steal coupons. Such activity is a growing trend turning the tide against coupon users. Instead of stealing newspaper inserts, simply ask other subscribers for theirs. Many people are willing to part with their unused ads.