People

Local coupon guru publishes book, works to ‘change the world’

Written by Brigitta Burks | News Editor | BBurks@toledofreepress.com

Local “extreme couponer” Joni Meyer-Crothers might not play favorites with her seven children, but she does have a favorite chapter in her new book “Extreme Couponing: Learn How to Be a Savvy Shopper and Save Money … One Coupon At a Time.”

“Chapter nine is about changing the world, one coupon at a time, so that’s my favorite chapter,” she said of the book, which is set for a March 5 release.

Meyer-Crothers started extreme couponing about five years ago after her husband was laid off from his auto-industry job.

Although Meyer-Crothers had a transcription business on the side, her family, which includes seven children ranging from 6 to 26, needed more resources.

Joni Meyer-Crothers, her husband Jamie and four of their children display Joni’s forthcoming book.

“We needed to save money. And I had a friend who showed me two things we could get for free. And I’m a major, major overachiever and I thought, ‘If there’s two things, there’s a lot more,’” she said.

With her knack for math and organization, Meyer-Crothers was soon spending $200 for $5,000 worth of groceries per month.

“That was my moment where I said, ‘This isn’t just couponing. This is a ministry and a way to give back,’” said Meyer-Crothers, who donates about 80 percent of her groceries to Sylvania Area Family Services every month.

After members of her church nominated them, Meyer-Crothers and her family appeared on TLC’s “Extreme Couponing.” Since then, she has been on the “Rachael Ray Show,” “Good Morning America,” “20/20,” “Today” and “Fox News.” On the book’s release date, Meyer-Crothers is set to appear on “The 700 Club.”

The book pitch

TLC and Discovery Channel publishing contacted Meyer-Crothers in December 2011 to pitch a book.

“Of course, I said, ‘Yeah!’” Meyer-Crothers said. “By the end of the book, it kind of walks people through how to make a successful shopping trip.”

Her agent paired Meyer-Crothers with co-author Beth Adelman, whose name also appears on the cover. Every week, the pair would discuss a chapter and Adelman would write it based on those conversations. Then Meyer-Crothers would reword phrases that didn’t sound like her.

“We wanted to make sure everything was as Joni would say it and not as I would say it,” Adelman said.

“It was very fun to work with Joni because she really knows her stuff and she was very well-organized,” she said.

At first, Adelman was a little skeptical about the book’s concept.

“Honestly, initially I didn’t think there would be enough information for a whole book … but I was wrong; there’s plenty of information,” Adelman said.

Now Adelman uses tips she picked up from Meyer-Crothers — like saving coupons for when items go on sale, she said. She also started donating to a local food bank.

“Very few people are having a very fabulous time financially right now and this is a book that will help people stretch what they have,” she said.

Meyer-Crothers said she may work on another book as a testimony on her life and couponing.

“I’m very big into teaching people that you can save for your own family, but you also have to share. There are too many hurting people out there and we have to step up and help them,” she said.

The new author said she has been getting good feedback on the book so far and that it’s placed 33,000 out of  8 million books on Amazon.

“It’s not even out so I’m pretty excited,” Meyer-Crothers said, adding that the book also includes some behind-the-scenes info on “Extreme Couponing.”

The book retails for about $15, but Meyer-Crothers is selling 100 copies for $13 on her blog at http://www.freetastesgood.com/?p=21276. The 100 buyers will receive a $5 gift certificate for a coupon-clipping service and $1 of each sale will go to the Seagate Food Bank of Northwest Ohio for Project PJ, which collects items sleepwear.

Meyer-Crothers said her favorite couponing tip is to use clipping services, which charge a small handling fee but can provide several coupons to users. She also suggested asking the management of nursing homes for extra coupons because most residents just want the papers and not the coupons.

“There’s ways to get free coupons besides buying hundreds of newspapers each week,” she said.

Meyer-Crothers spends about eight hours a day running her blog to provide savings tips to the masses. Still, her faith is the biggest part of her life, she said. She also credits her faith with jump-starting her passion for couponing.

“That’s kind of how it started at the age of 5. And that’s how the book starts out. I remember sitting in church. … I can remember I was in the third pew and I had my little dress shoes on and we had a missionary come to the church and talk about how as a Christian, it was our job to feed the hungry. And I remember clear as a bell, him standing up there and [I’m] thinking, ‘I’m gonna do something,’” Meyer-Crothers said.

“Even though at 5, it was placed on my heart, it took all these things to go through for me to finally be ready to share the ministry.”

Meyer-Crothers’ older brother, Lester Meyer, said that while growing up their family was not wealthy and he admires his sister for giving back even when she doesn’t have a lot.

“It’s amazing because I’ll be honest, she doesn’t have very much for herself,” he said. “She just keeps working at it. I think her vehicle has 200,000 miles on it.”

“It’s made me open my eyes up … lately, I’ll go to Kroger and check prices and I’ll end up going to Meijer and Walmart and checking prices,” he said.

Meyer-Crothers’ children are also proud of her.

“The older two especially, who remember when we were hungry, they’ll say, ‘We’re really proud of you, Mom. You’ve come a long way.’”

And she still has big plans for continuing to help others.

“My dream is I would like to go to every single state and go to food banks and help people learn how to coupon because so many food banks are hurting and there’s so many people going hungry.”

To learn more, visit the web site www.freetastesgood.com.

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Back to School

Patience, price-matching keys to back-to-school shopping

Written by Sarah Ottney | Managing Editor | sottney@toledofreepress.com

Like most area parents, Joni Meyer-Crothers of Sylvania has back-to-school shopping lists to tackle before fall — but she’ll probably spend far less money than most.

“I have four right now going to school and we spend $15 per child at the most, and that’s mainly the backpack they want,” Meyer-Crothers said. “We do mostly penny deals.”

Meyer-Crothers is an “extreme couponer” frequently featured in the national media, including TLC’s “Extreme Couponing,” “The Today Show,” “Rachael Ray,” “FOX News” and AOL’s You’ve Got.

She and her husband, Jamie Crothers, have seven children ranging in age from 6 to 25. She started couponing to save money on groceries after Jamie was laid off from his automotive job, and it has grown to become both a passion and a lifestyle.

For back-to-school shopping, Meyer-Crothers recommends looking online for deals.

“I use a combination of print and online coupons, but usually around school time, you’ll find more online,” Meyer-Crothers said.

Her own website, www.freetastesgood.com, features daily deals on back-to-school items. Type “Back to School” in the search bar or click the “Back to School” link on the right-hand sidebar.

“As coupons come out, I’ll be updating that all the time,” said Meyer-Crothers, who also has a Facebook page, “Saving and Sharing for Christ.”

Another good website is coupons.com, Meyer-Crothers said.

Joni Meyer-Crothers with her husband, Jamie Crothers, and four of their seven kids.

“People are going to want to check them daily because it can change every day,” she said. “As it gets closer to school, they will start adding more.”

Print online coupons even if you don’t plan to use them right away, Meyer-Crothers said.

“Even if you’re not going shopping that day, print it out because usually they only allow a certain number to be printed,” she said. “By next week it might be gone, or even the next day.”

Comparison shopping between stores can sound daunting, but many couponing blogs will do the price-matching for you, Meyer-Crothers said.

“You don’t have to go through all the ads to save money,” she said. “It’s all spelled out for you in most of the blogs.”

Walmart will price-match any store’s coupon as long as it carries the item, she said.

“That’s a huge benefit because then you don’t have to go to all the different stores,” Meyer-Crothers said.

Walmart is the only local store that will actually pay shoppers for purchasing certain items, Meyer-Crothers said. For example, if an item costs $1 but the shopper has a coupon for $2 off, not only will the item will be free, the shopper will get $1 in change.

“That’s huge,” she said.

Another tip for back-to-school shopping is to partner with other parents.

“If you each take a store, you can get all the same deals, but it makes it easier on you,” she said. “Not only money, but time is precious for everyone and you want to make sure you are making the most of both.”

It’s more cost-effective to do back-to-school shopping gradually, Meyer-Crothers said.

“People want to do it all in one day, but that’s not going to save a whole lot of money,” Meyer-Crothers said. “They’re probably going to spend three to four times more. You really want to start now and do it up until school starts. Most people are going to the store once a week anyway, so by the time three to four weeks are up, you’ll have all the school supplies you need. People can save at least 75 percent if not more if that’s how they shop at school time.”

Couponing class

Besides keeping her own family’s expenses down, Meyer-Crothers is passionate about helping others do the same.

Her next couponing class will be 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Aug. 11 at Sylvania Area Family Services, 5440 Marshall Road, Sylvania. Cost is $10 and five nonperishable food or hygienic items. Space is limited to 40 participants. Participants must preregister by visiting freetastesgood.com. Type “Sylvania Area Family Services” into the search bar to find registration information.

Giving back is another passion for Meyer-Crothers, who regularly donates groceries and items to local charities. She also partnered with Toledo Free Press last year to take a local mother on a holiday grocery shopping trip.

When back-to-school shopping, pick up a few extra sale items if possible and donate them to local charities or school supply drives, Meyer-Crothers said.

“My big thing would just be when getting out there to think about kids that don’t have a lot,” she said. “Most people can afford to pick up a few extras, so give back and help somebody else out.”

Participants at Meyer-Crothers’ most recent couponing class were asked to bring school supplies to donate. The collected supplies will be given away to more than 200 Sylvania area children at a carnival hosted by Sylvania Area Family Services and North Point Community Church, said Dottie Van Drieson, social services coordinator at Sylvania Area Family Services.

“Every time she has a class, whether it’s here or if it’s local, the food comes back to us. For one of the ‘Extreme Couponing’ shows she did, all the food came to us,” Van Drieson said. “She’s been very kind and generous to our organization. It really helps us. At times when our pantry is getting low, she brings in food and we’re able to feed 10 to 20 families with what she brings in.”

Meyer-Crothers’ next big project is a how-to book on extreme couponing for TLC’s Discovery Communications due to be released this winter by Penguin Books.

“I just finished my last chapter, so it’s getting very exciting,” Meyer-Crothers said.

For more information, visit  www.freetastesgood.com.

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Coupon trip brightens family’s holiday — and beyond

Written by Zach Davis | | zdavis@toledofreepress.com

In these tough economic times, holidays like Christmas can be especially difficult for financially struggling families. This holiday, at least one family will have an easier time not only in the short term, but for the foreseeable future.

Toledo resident Heidi Krueger Middlebrooks was chosen from nearly 100 nominated families to spend Dec. 20 shopping with Toledo’s “Extreme Couponer” Joni Meyer-Crothers, who with her family has been featured on TLC’s “Extreme Couponing.” Middlebrooks went home with about $1,750 worth of groceries from the shopping trip and a donation from Meyer-Crothers’ stockpile.

“It was really cool and a lot of fun,” Middlebrooks said. “I was glad to learn from her. I learned a lot of information. It’s nice because now we have a head start.”

Meyer-Crothers partnered with Toledo Free Press to provide a better Christmas to a citizen in need, and to teach them how to shop the way she does, saving the family money in the long run.

Meyer-Crothers said she hasn’t spent $200 on groceries during a month’s time in the past three years, despite the fact she buys about $5,000-$6,000 worth of groceries each month. She donates an estimated 80 percent to organizations such as Sylvania Area Family Services.

Heidi Krueger Middlebrooks, left, with some of the personal stockpile items donated by ‘Extreme Couponing’ shopper Joni Meyer-Crothers.

“Just looking at what she does and what she gives [to food shelters], she is just an awesome person,” Middlebrooks said. “I was in tears for days thinking, ‘How can I accept this help?’ I am working and I am grateful to have a job, but with seven kids it doesn’t really take care of what we need to take care of. I will pay this forward 100 times over. It’s so appreciated and I will continue to be able to coupon and provide for the family with this [knowledge].”

As part of the Toledo Free Press promotion, Columbia Gas of Ohio and FirstEnergy will cover the cost of the family’s January utility bills. Columbia Gas also donated a programmable thermostat, combination smoke and carbon monoxide detector and energy-efficient showerheads, which, once installed, will save Middlebrooks an estimated $180 on her bill each year. FirstEnergy also supplied Middlebrooks with energy-efficient light bulbs and tips on how save money.

It’s neat to have that opportunity to help somebody out,” said Columbia Gas of Ohio Communications and Community Relations Manager Chris Kozak. “To help somebody start off the new year is just exciting. It’s important to be involved and we are very appreciative that Toledo Free Press asked us.”

“We thought it was a great program,” said FirstEnergy External Affairs Manager Meg Adams. “It’s the community coming together. It’s very exciting.”

FOX Toledo provided television coverage for the promotion.

Christmas is a time for kids to be able to open presents from beneath the tree and Middlebrooks has received some help making that happen. A private philanthropy group donated $250 in gift cards to Target $200 to Toys ‘R’ Us. Kroger donated a turkey for a Christmas day meal.

“That was more than we expected,” Middlebrooks said. “I was really excited to learn about the couponing process, but when you add in all the extras — we were more than grateful.”

Challenges at home

Middlebrooks is no stranger to couponing. Albeit nowhere near the level of Meyer-Crothers, she tries to save money whenever she can. At one point, she was told she didn’t qualify for food stamps because she made $14 over the cutoff. Instances like these inspired her to experiment with coupons to look for savings.

From left, Meyer-Crothers, FirstEnergy’s Meg Adams, Krueger Middlebrooks, Chris Kozak of Columbia Gas of Ohio.

“I knew a little bit about couponing,” Middlebrooks said. “My friends always called me the ‘Coupon Queen’ too. I probably saved 20 or 30 percent — now I will save a lot more. Joni taught me how she was doing it so that I will be able to do it and continue doing it.”

Middlebrooks was a mother of two when she met boyfriend Brad Perry. The two, who have dated for six years, moved in together, bringing Perry’s four children into the home. They later had a son together, giving the home a total of nine occupants.

Living with so many people has been further complicated with the struggles Perry, a self-employed brick mason, has faced seeking work. He stays home to take care of the kids, some of whom have health challenges. That leaves the family dependent on Middlebrooks’ salary as a parent educational case worker at Lucas County Children Services.

“Unfortunately, the way the economy is there’s not as many people doing building or repairing to their homes,” Middlebrooks said. “This year he has not worked hardly at all, so it’s my income that’s trying to support seven kids and two adults. Bills have got us behind a little bit so it’s nice to know that we have some help with those.”

“I’m just grateful,” Perry said. “Everything else will fall into place. Money will get better, we will be able to help pay bills back.”

Those struggles would have impacted Christmas this year for Middlebrooks and her family. Before being chosen for the promotion, she said she had told her children, who range in age from 4 to 19, that there would not be presents this year.

“We told the kids, especially the older ones, that this year was not a good year for us,” Middlebrooks said. “We said, ‘You are going to be without [presents] … We really just can’t do as much as we want to for you.’”

The shopping experience

For as positive of an experience as the trip was, it was not without its drama. A shipment of coupons scheduled to be delivered to Meyer-Crother’s  home were lost in the mail.

“I was very sad my coupons didn’t come in,” Meyer-Crothers said. “I overnighted them but all the post office could say was, ‘I’m sorry.’ We were going to do about $600 and it was only going to be about 50 cents.”

As a result, Meyer-Crothers wasn’t able to quite replicate the success she usually has, but the “Extreme Couponer” still provided outstanding results at Kroger on King Road.

Middlebrooks left with $256.08 worth of products for a total of $41.58, which was paid for by Toledo Free Press. She also received an estimated $1,500 worth of products from Meyer-Crothers’ personal stockpile at home.

Middlebrooks will receive a special order of 100 boxes of rice delivered to the store to use with 100 coupons Meyer-Crothers provided. With the coupons, the rice will cost just $9, or nine cents per box.

Despite saving nearly 84 percent on the grocery bill, Meyer-Crothers wasn’t satisfied. She informed Middlebrooks that she would take her shopping again in the future, this time with her full arsenal of coupons.

“I’m going to take her again once the coupons come,” Meyer-Crothers said. “We will wait for a better sale than the one this week, but we got them a good Christmas basket and gave almost $1,500 from our stockpile.”

More than a one-time gift

Meyer-Crothers made sure that this wouldn’t be just a single boost for Middlebrooks and her family. Meyer-Crothers, who teaches an extreme couponing class at her church, talked her through the experience, giving her tips to save on groceries.

“She was able to see what’s going on,” said Meyer-Crothers’ husband, Jamie. “That’s what was good about this. She learned how to do it.”

Some strategies include saving the coupon until the item goes on sale and ordering coupons from services in Florida and Texas, which offer more of a discount.

Not only does Middlebrooks want to continue to coupon, she wants to pass along the knowledge to others. She plans on teaching extreme couponing to her classes at Lucas County Children Services.

“My main thing from the beginning was to be able to help other people too, not only for myself but to be able to teach other people to do it,” Middlebrooks said. “I can’t wait to teach that to some of our parents. We know their dollars aren’t that great and to be able to teach them how to stretch their dollars and make things last is going to be wonderful.”

“That’s passing the blessing on,” Jamie said. “We helped her and she is in turn going to help other people in her situation.

“That’s all we can ask for.”

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Philanthropy

‘Extreme couponer’ to help local family stock pantry for Christmas

Written by Zach Davis | | zdavis@toledofreepress.com

This holiday season, Toledo-area resident Joni Meyer-Crothers will give back the best way she knows how.

Meyer-Crothers, who with her family has been featured on TLC’s show “Extreme Couponing,” will take one local family in need grocery shopping for the holidays, where she will do what she does best — leave with massive savings.

Joni Meyer-Crothers

“It’s awesome, that’s what my whole life is about,” Meyer-Crothers said. “That’s what we were put on this Earth for. We hear and we see the need, but so many people just end it at that. We need to take it one step further and ask ‘What can we do?’

“People don’t think that one or two things matter, but every little thing matters to a family who is hungry. There’s nobody who should be hungry anymore. That’s why we did ‘Extreme Couponing.’ We have done it just ourselves, but it was trying to teach other people how you can do it, hoping that will encourage them more.”

Meyer-Crothers is partnering with Toledo Free Press to gather nominations for one family to be featured in an upcoming issue and receive free groceries while being shown how she shops. Meyer-Crothers said she hasn’t spent $200 on groceries during a month’s time in the past three years, despite the fact she buys an estimated $5,000-$6,000 worth of groceries each month. Whatever money she does spend with the family will be covered by Toledo Free Press. FOX Toledo is a media sponsor for the promotion.

Nominations for Toledo-area families in need can be emailed to news@toledofreepress.com. A winner will be chosen at noon Dec. 18 and will accompany Meyer-Crothers on a Dec. 20 shopping trip.

Updates will be posted at www.Facebook.com/ToledoFreePress.

“I saw Joni’s most recent appearance on ‘Extreme Couponing’ and watched her drop off thousands of dollars in groceries to a local food bank,” said Toledo Free Press Editor In Chief Michael S. Miller. “I was impressed and moved by what she is doing, but thought it would be powerful to put a specific face on the local need. Joni was on board instantly and understood the idea to tell a family’s story that represents what so many local people are facing this Christmas.”

The chosen family will also not have to worry about its heating bills in January. Columbia Gas of Ohio will cover its natural gas bill for the month, to help make the holiday a bit easier.

“There are a number of families in our community that have a great deal of need. It’s an opportunity to work with Toledo Free Press and the ‘coupon queen’ to provide one family with a gift will last beyond Dec. 25,” said Columbia Gas of Ohio Communications and Community Relations Manager Chris Kozak. “It’s very exciting and we see this as a great way to not only help that one family get over the hump but give them the jump-start they need for a happy and prosperous 2012.”

Meyer-Crothers has been featured on TLC’s “Extreme Couponing” on two occasions with two more episodes due to air in the future. She donates an estimated 80 percent of her groceries each month to organizations around the area, most notably Sylvania Area Family Services.

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Publisher's Statement

Pounds: Reality heights

Written by Tom Pounds | President / Publisher | tpounds@toledofreepress.com

Businesses, economic development agencies and governments can plan and strategize with all their might to bring positive news to Northwest Ohio, but no one could foresee an interesting trend that is shining a good light on our region — television reality shows.

The past year has seen no fewer than five such programs feature people who are garnering attention for the right reasons.

The queen of this trend is Crystal Bowersox, whose runner-up journey on FOX’s “American Idol” captivated fans and brought cameras and fame to her native Elliston and her song “Holy Toledo.” Bowersox continues to bring good headlines, with her recent Washington, D.C. appearance to discuss juvenile diabetes.

Toledo Free Press has followed the story of Kaylee Halko, who lives with progeria, a rare condition that accelerates aging. The indomitable Kaylee has been featured on shows with Dr. Oz and Barbara Walters, and was the focus of the TLC documentary “6 Going on 60.”

The Frisch family was featured on the ABC show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” which brought host Ty Pennington and his crew to Northwest Ohio to build a new home.

More recently, Joni Meyer-Crothers was the subject of an episode of TLC’s “Extreme Couponing.” On the show, she purchased more than $3,000 in groceries for less than $50 cash, with the entire haul donated to local charities. Meyer-Crothers expects to make a return appearance on the show; Toledo Free Press will keep you updated on her philanthropic efforts.

On July 5, Dana Iliev and Lori Jacobs won the competition on a Tim Burton-themed episode of  Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars.” As we reported in September, Toledo natives Iliev and Jacobs worked together at Grumpy’s in Downtown Toledo, becoming good friends. Jacobs briefly moved to New York City, and when Iliev would visit, the pair would explore cool food ideas to bring back to Toledo.

The cumulative effect of all these positive appearances is to introduce the nation to Northwest Ohioans who have good stories to tell and who bring good attention to our region. You can’t buy that kind of publicity, but hopefully we can cash in on it by showing the world what a great place Northwest Ohio is to live.

Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him at  (419) 241-1700 or via email at tpounds@toledofreepress.com.

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People

Local family on TLC’s ‘Extreme Couponing’

Written by Patrick Timmis | | ptimmis@toledofreepress.com

When Joni Meyer-Crothers got a call from the TV network TLC asking if her family would do an episode of “Extreme Couponing,” she thought one of her adult daughters was pranking her.

She had seen the show — which highlights couponing shoppers who buy lots of groceries for little money — and thought they seemed like hoarders. She didn’t know that several church families had nominated her family for the show.

“I really believe that it was God who opened the door,” she said. “I know that to some people that will sound crazy.”

Jamie Meyer-Crothers lost his job three years ago, a victim of the recession that nailed so many UAW workers. His family had to find a way to save, so Joni asked a friend who shopped with coupons to teach her to use them. Then, she said, she took it to an extreme.

“This is attached to me like my kids are,” she said of the thick, coupon-filled, zippered binder she wears over her shoulder like a purse. Jamie and Joni spend about five hours every week planning, organizing and shopping with coupons. More than your average couple, but the savings are worth it.

Before Jamie lost his job, the family spent about $1,200 on groceries every month. Now, they spend $200 — but they buy between $3,000 and $5,000 worth.

Recently, Jamie paid less than a dollar for over $150 worth of groceries. Sometimes, coupons rack up so much that stores pay him. He recently left a store with $400 worth of purchases and $12 more in his pocket than when he came in.

“I compare it to the loaves and fishes,” Joni said. “Jesus performed a miracle with the five loaves and two fish, and that’s what he’s doing with our coupons.”

Jesus is the real reason they spend so much time on this, Joni said. The couple quickly covered their own needs, then realized the potential for helping others. They now donate about 80 percent  of all their purchases to charity — about $100,000 worth in the past two-and-a-half years — and have a refrigerator, freezer and shelving unit in their garage for community use.

One of the chief recipients of the couple’s donations is Sylvania Area Family Services.

“[Joni’s] just been absolutely phenomenal,” said Jason Robertson, the agency’s executive director. “She and Jamie have been huge advocates for this community and our agency in particular and they have just embraced us.”

The couple sees the show as an opportunity to advance their mission by inspiring others.

“I believe that God tells us that we’re supposed to give back,” Joni said. “It might be something small to you, but giving it to someone, you can change their life tremendously by helping them out.”

The “Extreme Couponing” episode airs Wednesday, June 8 at 9:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. To find out more about Jamie and Joni’s mission, visit SavingAndSharingForChrist.blogspot.com or look them up on Facebook.

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