The most frequent question I receive when people find out I coupon is, “Where do I start?” True, it can be kind of overwhelming. Hopefully I can shed some light on this issue and give you the tools you need to start couponing and saving money.
The things that will save you the most money are the good shopping principles that smart shoppers and couponers use. Now don’t misunderstand. I LOVE coupons and I am a huge advocate of using them. I just think that they are more of the icing on the savings cake rather than the foundation of it. For those of you who have tried couponing before and feel like it was too overwhelming, this should be welcome news.
If you want to start saving a bunch of money today I would suggest you implement the following habits into your shopping routine:
What are some things that helped you when you started couponing? Or what questions do you have about starting?
The things that will save you the most money are the good shopping principles that smart shoppers and couponers use. Now don’t misunderstand. I LOVE coupons and I am a huge advocate of using them. I just think that they are more of the icing on the savings cake rather than the foundation of it. For those of you who have tried couponing before and feel like it was too overwhelming, this should be welcome news.
If you want to start saving a bunch of money today I would suggest you implement the following habits into your shopping routine:
- Learn what a good sale price is on the items you already buy. This just takes time and experience. When I first started couponing I meticulously looked through each of the store ads and made lists of how much the things I wanted to buy cost. Then I compared the prices with different stores over the weeks and pretty soon I was able to identify a true great sale price. (Not everything printed in the ads is actually a really good deal.)
- Buy the things that are on sale and stock up on those things so that you never have to pay full price for them.
- Plan your meals around the things that are on sale and the things you already have in your pantry. Planning your meals will also make it less likely that you waste your money going out to eat so often.
- Stop buying toiletries at grocery stores and get started on learning how to play the drug store game (Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid each have their own version of the game. If you play it right you should be able to pay pennies on the dollar for most if not all of your toiletries and over-the-counter medication.) Here are a few good links to learn how to make the most out your shopping at Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid.
- Match the coupons you have to the sales at the stores to increase your savings. Most coupons are available in the Sunday paper and online. There are tons of free blogs out there that have grocery store coupons match-ups every week for stores all over the country. Here are a few of my favorites: Cents'Able Shoppin', The Krazy Coupon Lady, The Thrifty Mama, and Couponing 101.
- Don’t stress and start small. Couponing is a skill and it has to be learned. There will be times when the learning curve seems pretty steep, but hang on and it will get easier. I remember when I first started couponing I didn’t sleep well for a few nights because I was so anxious about getting the hang of this new skill. It was a completely different way of shopping than what I was accustomed to. But as you practice and learn you will get better at it and it will seem easy in no time.
What are some things that helped you when you started couponing? Or what questions do you have about starting?
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