Not So Extreme Couponing

   I'm sure everyone has heard of or watched that television show Extreme Couponers  on TLC or stood behind someone in line at the grocery store that made you wait an extra four minutes so that they could scan all fifty of their coupons. Yes, it's a little time consuming, but is it worth it? YES!

   My husband and I both graduated college in May, and since then our budget had to be cut in half. We had to make some serious decisions about where our money went. The biggest expense that needed downsizing was our grocery/household allotment, or put more simply...trips to Wal-mart. I currently work in a grocery store, so I became really aware of what are "great" produce/grocery/meat prices and what are not. Another thing that helped trim our budget was couponing. In December we saved $93.43 (that's when I started keeping track of our savings each month out of curiosity) and so far for this month the total is up to $86 saved. Also, the grocery stores aren't the only place to use coupons. We use them for eating out, on soap, pet products, clothing, and I've even seen them for cigarettes if you know where to look.

- The first thing you have to do is get your hands on some coupons. The most obvious source is the  Sunday newspaper. I usually buy two or three papers if the coupons are really good. I know the paper cost more than the average paper, but if you spend $2 on a paper and use $4 worth of coupons then it's worth it. Local supermarkets will also usually have coupon inserts that they're shipped from manufacturers. Also, the internet has become a booming source for free printable coupons. This website is one of my favorites because it's a conglomerate of many coupon websites that all offer free printable coupons http://www.printablegrocerycoupons.net/ 

- There are some tricks on how exactly to use them once you have them. First things first, check the coupon redemption policy with the grocery store you frequent. For example, Wal-Mart and Target only take coupons at face value (no doubling or tripling) whereas your local supermarket (like mine) doubles or even triples the value of a coupon up to a certain value. What I mean by doubling and tripling a coupon is....let's say you want to buy a bottle of mustard for $2. You have a coupon for $0.50 off, so at Wal-Mart you will buy the mustard for $1.50. If your local supermarket is selling the same mustard for $2 and they double the value of your coupon then you will only pay $1 for the mustard instead of $1.50. Hope that makes sense!

- Some supermarkets don't accept internet coupons, so that is another rule to check before you try to redeem the coupons.

- The biggest tip I have learned when it comes to couponing is that timing is everything. Ideally you want to wait for your item of choice to go on sale (which usually takes anywhere from $0.10-$2 off to begin with) and then receive a further discount with your coupon. If you're lucky you've shopped at a local supermarket where your coupon will double or triple, and then you will have bought the item for half the normal price. I have walked out of the store with items that I didn't have to pay a penny for, and no I didn't steal them. For example, I found last month that worcestershire sauce was on sale from $1.75 a bottle to $1.50. I had a $0.75 off coupon, which doubled...so you do the math! Free!

- Organization makes your life so much easier when it comes to couponing. I admit proudly that I'm one of  those people that shop with a thick black binder full of dividers and inserts. I group them by expiration date first, then categories such as Groceries, Non-edibles (like toilet tissue, cleaning supplies, razors, etc) and Restaurants. I work forty hours a week and have a small family that I can't get enough of, so I don't have an abundance of free time on my hands. I do have enough time to take one hour a week to clip and organize coupons, especially if four hours of my time saves us almost $100 a month.

Well I hope this helps and encourages you to start saving your family some serious dough!