Couponing



This seems to be a hot topic lately (at least in 2011). 

I hear there's even a show called "Extreme Couponing", but I haven't watched it since we've not had cable TV since 1998.  BUT, I myself follow a few coupon blogs and have been couponing since February 2010. 

I want to start you off on the right foot, so I suggest you read my favorite coupon blogger's response to the Extreme Couponing show.  She also wrote another response here that is also helpful.  Take some time to read them, and then come back here.

~So, as you can see, REAL couponing folks understand their stuff, get great deals, and are NICE to cashiers. 

Now we can can get to the fun stuff. 

I do NOT want to reinvent the wheel, so I'm once again going to send you over to Southern Savers to understand how to coupon.  I have never met Jenny, but have emailed her and gotten to "chat" with her when she was less than a year into it and had less readers.  Her values and morals seemed to not have changed and she just comes across as an amazing lady.

Once you have learned the concept of couponing, you will want to learn the "coupon lingo".  Follow this link and scroll down to learn about that.

Hopefully you aren't overwhelmed, but rather a light bulb has gone on and you are seeing dollar signs in savings.  And I sincerely hope the crazy and dillusioned couponers (have I mentioned I tend to be honest and at times abrupt...?) don't ruin the whole thing for the rest of us who are following the rules and need to save money!

In order to accomodate all folks, I think the best thing to do is first link you to the Frugal Map.  It's a coupon blog map that another coupon blogger put together for folks to be able to find a coupon blogger in their neck of the woods.  That way you find a blogger who will list coupon match-ups to stores in your area!  Cool, huh?

Here are a few of my favorite coupon blogs:

Southern Savers (of course)

Maven of Savin'

Money Saving Mom

Common Sense with Money

These are my top favorites.  If you get into couponing you will probably find your own and do your own kind of couponing. 

Funny story: 

When I first started couponing I was so excited to know I could save money with coupons, I got FREE pop-tarts!  Woo Hoo!  By our 3rd box I realized it was the dumbest thing I could have done.  I'm one of those health nuts (But not extreme.  Chocolate and I are good friends.) and it dawned on me even though I hadn't paid for it (except tax here in AL) that I was encouraging the kids to have junk food!

Needless to say, I'm a little more coupon-savvy now and can find some decent deals on natural and organic foods.  So, don't be afraid to start.  Like Jenny says, start little and work your way up.  Try just one or a couple deals until you get the hang of it.

I'm at the point now where I am saving on average 70-75%.  But you need to know that we had to to survive on about 20% of our support level (in May 2011).  I started couponing out of neccesity but now find I'm hooked (and still do it out of neccessity).

Phew!

If you made it to here, you're doing great.  I hope to share other couponing and saving tips as time goes by.  So, if need be, read over the coupon basics again and get started!