Answer: b. His mother clipped coupons from magazines and newspapers, kept a vegetable garden in the summer, and
shopped at Penneys and K Mart
Explanation
From the excerpt, we can deduce that Alfonso's mother is careful with money because she didn't spend the money on things that are not important and also she avoided wastages by minimizing the money that she had on her and purchasing goods at cheaper rates.
This can be seen as she clipped coupons from magazines and newspapers, kept a vegetable garden in the summer, and shopped at Penneys and K Mart. Having a coupon means she will spend a lower amount when she goes shopping and having a vegetable garden means she won't need to buy vegetables, thereby saving funds.