If you are new to couponing or the world of free things then welcome. I have only been doing it for a short time but let me warn you it is addictive. It may seem overwhelming at first so take it one step at a time.
1. Get the paper: The Sunday paper is the best source for grocery coupons so either subscribe to have it delivered or by one every weekend. If you buy one at the store you can usually find a double coupon addition for $2.00 instead of the normal price of $1.50. It's definitely worth the extra $.50.
2. Organize: You need a system for organizing your coupons. You can buy a 13 category organizer that will fit in you bag at most stores. I got mine at Target. It was $3.99. Most serious couponers I know though use a binder. You can use any size regular 3 ring binder and fill it with page protectors and baseball card sheets. Then you use dividers to separate the different types of coupons and put each one in it's on space on the baseball card sheet.
3. Go at your own pace: You can read about great deals at hundreds of stores on the internet but this can get very overwhelming. So go at your own pace. Pick a couple of stores that you like that are near you. If you have to drive all over town you are not saving as much. You gas and time are worth money too!
4. Have a plan: When you go make a list and pull out the coupons you think you will need ahead of time. I always take all my coupons with me in case I find a good sale on something I wasn't planning on buying but I try to have the coupons I know I am going to use out and ready before I check out. This will save you a lot of frustration at check out time.
Have another tip or a questions? Please let me know. I would LOVE to hear from you. Also you can sign up on the right to follow my blog.
Happy saving!
Amanda
