THE DOWN LOW ON COUPONING

  
Today was our regular shopping trip. We go every two weeks to do our main grocery shopping. Every time I shop I am stopped several times throughout the store by a fellow shopper who is curious about where I get all my coupons. Today was no different. My husband, Robert, has just recently had to start participating in the grocery shopping now that he is out of the military and I can't go on base without him (he now works contract for the military as a pilot. HE still has access to the base). After 15years of marriage and military service he finally gets to see what commissary shopping is all about! He finds coupons annoying and way too time consuming, but he enjoys the savings. Today our savings was over $55! Combined with my Publix trip yesterday, we saved around $75 this payday on our groceries! I've been asked so many times about my couponing,  I decided I should post the basics so maybe some of y'all could get started on saving. Here we go...


   Coupon Resources:
  1)  find out what Newspapers are available in your area. For example, where I live in lower Alabama, we receive the local paper, but I found out recently that some of the stores around town also carry the Montgomery, AL paper. The Montgomery paper carried the Smart Source insert that the Dothan paper did not. 
   2) All You Magazine (found at Wal mart) 
   3) on line coupon sites:
       www.couponmom.com
       www.weusecoupons.com
       www.shopathome.com  
      www.stockpilingmoms.com
           
   4) on line 
        ebay, 
        clipping services on line www.thecouponclippers.com


    5) Figure out how you are going to store your coupons. Each person is different, but I use the regular old canvas school binder. It works great. You baseball card holders, or business card holders to separate out your coupons. I use colored dividers between the pages to designate categories in mine. All the dairy in one, frozen foods in another, meat, miscellaneous stuff, bathroom, laundry, etc... 


Now you're prepared! You have all your coupons organized and they are easy to carry through out the store.  Being organized is key!!! Grab your favorite grocery stores weekly sales paper, or Google it on line and write down all the deals you want to take advantage of. Match your coupons to the items on sale and save even bigger! 

Start buying extras on items that you can get for free or close to free. This is a picture of my extras that I have gotten. I've only been doing this for a short time, and have just started to buy extras to start stockpiling. Beware though, it is very addicting!


Keeping checking back for more posts on couponing tips.