Have you been watching the reality show on TLC called Extreme Couponing? I have and since saving and earning money is what I love to do I have decided to give couponing a try. So far I am not as good as the professional couponers that are featured on the show but I have been practicing and I think I am getting the hang of the whole couponing thing. On the show they give a glimpse into a life of a coupon queen but they don't really teach you how to coupon. They only show you that it can be done and you get to watch these people buy $1,200.00 worth of groceries for under $10.00.
I have always used coupons, shopped according to the weekly circulars and I do know that the sales run in cycles but I have always been afraid of combining the sales with multiple coupons to get more bang for my buck. After taking a closer look at the stores' coupon policies I have a better understanding of how to save money without feeling guilty about taking advantage of a sale that is too good to be true. Since taking coupons more seriously during the past few months I have reduced my weekly grocery bill by 70%. My goal is to take it down even further, ultimately I want to save 90% off of the groceries I buy. Since starting to coupon I have been eating much healthier, cooking at home more, and I have found many new favorite products from brands I would have never tried if it wasn't for a coupon.
For me, couponing was a challenge because I live in a very rural area with only 2 grocery stores nearby. Neither of my local grocery stores double coupons and unfortunately they do not accept competitor's coupons. Another obstacle I faced was the lack of a Sunday newspaper in my area that included coupon inserts. Even though I had these difficulties I was still able to coupon and save 70% off of my groceries. I get the majority of my coupons from magazines, USPS mail (mailing lists), product packaging and websites (printables).
There are websites dedicated to teaching you how to coupon but they may be difficult for a new couponer to find so I will link to a few of my favorites below.
I have always used coupons, shopped according to the weekly circulars and I do know that the sales run in cycles but I have always been afraid of combining the sales with multiple coupons to get more bang for my buck. After taking a closer look at the stores' coupon policies I have a better understanding of how to save money without feeling guilty about taking advantage of a sale that is too good to be true. Since taking coupons more seriously during the past few months I have reduced my weekly grocery bill by 70%. My goal is to take it down even further, ultimately I want to save 90% off of the groceries I buy. Since starting to coupon I have been eating much healthier, cooking at home more, and I have found many new favorite products from brands I would have never tried if it wasn't for a coupon.
For me, couponing was a challenge because I live in a very rural area with only 2 grocery stores nearby. Neither of my local grocery stores double coupons and unfortunately they do not accept competitor's coupons. Another obstacle I faced was the lack of a Sunday newspaper in my area that included coupon inserts. Even though I had these difficulties I was still able to coupon and save 70% off of my groceries. I get the majority of my coupons from magazines, USPS mail (mailing lists), product packaging and websites (printables).
There are websites dedicated to teaching you how to coupon but they may be difficult for a new couponer to find so I will link to a few of my favorites below.
