I touched on coupon a little bit in one of my post last week, and I thought I would go a little more in detail since seeing what Shelli wrote. I started couponing this past November, I saw the “coupon mom” on Good Morning America, and saw she would go to her grocery store and buy over $100.00 worth of grocery’s for .25 cents! Amazing, right? Well I thought why can’t I do that, and so that was it, I started to embark on the coupon band wagon. I found websites that were full of information and tips to help you get started. I could not believe how many people out there do this and more importantly how many people don’t! I had always cut coupons and kept them in a expanded able folder, either to forget to use them, have them expire or hold them out but forget to hand them to the check out person! I knew there had to be a better way to organize them so you could find one easier, and quicker in the middle of the store. One website recommended the note book way, using a 3 ring binder .



Each category is separated by section, you can divide it up as detailed or not as you would like. (example: frozen food, health products, beauty, etc…) In each section will be you coupons, in baseball card holders. They fit pretty good, and are clear so you can see each one.



The key is to stock pile coupons so when an item goes on sale you can buy multiple items and store them. I place the one to expire first on top and the rest behind. Now it is easier to see what you have and easy to pull them out. Plus, the notebook fits perfectly in the grocery cart seat.

To get the most for you money is to buy things when they are the cheapest. I shop at Kroger and they are always having 10 for 10 sale. When things are at the lowest price, and you have coupons you buy as many as you can and stock pile. Kroger also doubles my coupons up to $1.00. (example: box of hot chocolate 10 for 10, you don’t have to buy 10 to get the price. I have 4 coupons for .50 cents off one box, which Kroger doubles to $1.00. 4 boxes of hot chocolate $4.00, 4 coupons that will double to $1.00=4 boxes of FREE hot chocolate!) Exciting, huh?!?! I have the Sunday paper delivered to my house every week, but on Saturday I purchase 2 or more papers, depending on the coupon inserts. That is the way to have duplicate coupons for 1 item. I have singed up to online coupons, and I am able to also print a lot off line. I go to websites and sign up to have coupons sent to me in the mail. I know when you do that they send you a lot of spam emails, so sign up to have a free email account and only use that address when signing up for the deals, then every once in a while go clean out your inbox. Now you primary email account wont be full of spam!

I already have gotten my sister hooked, as well as a couple of co-workers. I think my mom is starting to get interested in it as well, she has been asking me a few questions about it.

It’s become a game, to see how much I can save. I get to the register and once they ring up all my items I LOVE to see the price drop. Having a grocery bill start at $170.00, and with my store loyalty card and my coupons bring it down to $97.00, that’s a savings of $73.00!! That’s almost a full tank of gas!! The best I have ever done was a starting total of $76.00 worth of grocery’s and I walked out paying $25.00, it ended up being 76% off! How crazy it that? Who wouldn’t want to save that much money?? Michael laughs at me, because he says I get giddy every time I grocery shop. I hope one day to be able to stay at home with my kids, and knowing how to make our money stretch now will only help when that day comes. Plus, my 5 years old can eat almost as much as my husband!!

I am all about have things organized, so much so that I have an Excel spreadsheet for just about everything, I know dorky! It helps me! I have found a spreadsheet where you enter how much you spent for the week and savings and it will track it for you the whole year. It’s nice to be able to look at it and see how much you have saved.

There is a whole other world when it comes to CVS extra bucks and Walgreen's rapid rewards, I am still learning about those so if anyone has mastered that let me know.

Try it, once you start you won’t be able to quit! I promise!