tips for the first-time couponer

As I made my list for the grocery store this weekend, I thought of a few tips I have learned over the years.

- If you're a new couponer, don't expect to come away with big savings at first. It takes a while to get into the rhythm. After a while, you'll know what a good price is and what coupons are actually available and you'll be shopping like a pro.

- Start small. Don't go to every store you ever heard of just to save money. It's overwhelming. Focus on one or two stores to get going. I'm a Publix/Kroger shopper b/c they are close together and close to my house. CVS is a great one, but not close to me.

- Decide what you have room to stockpile and what you're willing to stockpile. I stockpile small non-perishables and toiletries. I find I get the best deals on things I use most often and it's worth having on hand. I never know quite when my husband is going to run out of deodorant, so it's good to have a back-up. Plus when they are buy-one, get-one free at Publix and I have a coupon, it's a great deal!

- Shop the sale ads. Be prepared to go into a store with a list. Make your list and pull out the coupons you have. I put a star by my items on the list so that I know I have a coupon. It's great if you can only shop from a list, but I usually can't resist the temptation to put an extra item or two into the cart. Try to plan your meals from the sale ads. I'm not willing to give up everything I crave, so I usually try to plan two meals based on the ads and the rest what we want.

- I don't devote more than 30 min - 1 hour a week to making my list, organizing my coupons and preparing to shop. Any more than that, and I'd just get frustrated and quit. I also work a full-time job. Some folks may have more time on their hands and that's great - I just like to keep it simple. :)

- Use what others have prepared for you. There are lots of great online sites out there devoted to couponing. Don't be shy about using their lists to make your own - that's what they're there for. In a future blog, I'll tell you about some of my favorites.


I'm going to stop here. I am really cheap passionate about saving money where I can, so I could write for days. Clearly. I know there are a million couponing blogs out there, but I'm going to try to keep this going and see if I can help you save a dollar or two.


Please share any tips with me that you have! I can always improve! By the way, I think it would be fun to track the amount that I'm saving with coupons/sales in a little tracker on my blog. Does anyone know how to add that feature?

Learn more about how I coupon here.

the coupon folder

This post is the second in my couponing series. To read more about couponing my way, start here.

Have I mentioned I love organizing?  Well, I do. This includes my coupons. :)

Setting Up Your Coupon Holder

Materials needed:
- Coupons (obviously)
- Folder - some folks use three-ring binders, some use flexi-files, some use envelopes. I wanted something sturdy, but not bulky, and small enough to throw in my purse, so I use a flexi-file.

-Labels

First, decide how you'd like to organize your coupons. Maybe by grocery store aisle? Type of product? Anything you want. I organize in kind of a hybrid way: by type of product and location in the store. If you have a great idea for organizing your coupons, let me know! There is always room for improvement.

Make a label for each of your categories. I organized mine like this:

Dairy/Produce
Breakfast Items
Canned Food/Drinks
Spices/Baking
Condiments
Frozen/Meat
Candy/Chips/Snacks
Paper Goods
Cleaning Products
Toiletries
Medicine
Misc.

Next, make your labels. You can handwrite them or use your printer or go to town with a label maker, like I did. :)

Sort your coupons and you're ready to go. See, wasn't that easy? Not that overwhelming, right?

Stay tuned for couponing tips for getting started...

some might say I'm thrifty

Or some might say I'm cost-conscious...or...cheap. I am. And I'm okay with that.

One of the best things my Momma taught me growing up was how to save using coupons. My Momma always used coupons...even when she didn't need to. It was just like throwing away money to her if she didn't.

When I was in college, I wasn't really a coupon-cutter. I mean, I used them for clothing at stores I frequented, but I didn't go to Bruno's (anyone ever shopped at a Bruno's? Not my fave) and then later Super Target and Publix (thank you, Tuscaloosa!) to buy my Ramen with a coupon. Ramen with a coupon?! Could it get any cheaper?

But when I graduated and realized how much little I was actually making, coupon-cutting came back to me. I started out slow...just using some coupons that my Mom gave me when I was home. Then I'd occasionally buy a Sunday paper. Then I got crafty and created a coupon folder to house my new-found treasures.

Now I'm a full-fledged couponer. So a couple of weeks ago when I lost my trusty coupon folder somewhere, I was devastated. After searching the house and the car, I decided it was time for a new friend.

Enter the flexi-file.

Enter one of my favorite tools ever - the Label Maker - which I sadly don't own.

Enter one evening of cutting, sorting and organizing...sigh.

Recently, a lot of my friends have been discussing couponing and I've noticed that there is some trepidation for first-timers. I started writing a post to help them get started, but it got very, very long. So I’m breaking it down into parts so that it will hopefully not be so overwhelming.

Consider this in intro to my couponing style. My next post will discuss how to organize your coupon folder.

And, because every post is better with a cute puppy, here he is. Tanner likes to help me cut coupons. :)

Disclaimer: I am, by no means, an expert couponer. There are some crazy fantastic couponers out there, but I don't have the time and energy for that. This just works for me and makes me feel good about what I save.