Getting Started Saving Money With Coupons

How I Got Started


I was about to have our 2nd baby and we had made the decision for me to stay home and no longer work. Obviously, this meant that we would not have as much money and so I asked the Lord to show me how I could manage our money better and to show me ways that I could stretch the money we had. A couple of days after that prayer, I came across some very helpful websites and my money saving adventures began! It didn’t happen over night, but slowly and surely the savings increased…kind of like a coupon snowball.


Take A Deep Breath

Begin with the attitude that you will gradually save more each week. It will take practice to perfect your shopping trips. Don’t overwhelm yourself by expecting to save 90% off your bill the first week. Gradually decrease your budget over the next few months.

Be Prepared---It Takes WORK

Take inventory of your pantry and fridge. Know what you have and what you need. When you find a good deal (free or amazingly cheap) on items that you use, STOCK UP! On the flip side, don’t buy items that you will not use. Just because something is a good price does not mean that you have to buy it. If it just sits in your pantry, you have wasted money, not saved it. However….you can buy items that you know you can donate to charity, like we did recently for Pleasant Hills Children’s Home.
Look through your sales ads before you go to the store, so you can match up your coupons and find the best deals. You can look at your store’s ad online if you don’t receive a copy it in your paper. I look at my couponing as a type of part time job. So the more time I invest, the more I am able to save. A well planned shopping trip and meal plan for the week is key to saving money. I plan my meal plans around the weekly deals, not my shopping based on my meal plans.

Be aware that it will take you longer to shop once you are in the store. Especially when you first get started and you are being extra careful to make sure you have the right size product, it will take you a little longer. However, the more you shop with coupons, the faster you will get at it!

Try not to be brand loyal. There are a few items, such as make up, that I am brand loyal to. However, if you are not brand loyal, you will be able to save much more.

Take your coupons with you to the store. You never know what deals you will find at the store that were not listed in the sales ad.
Know what a good deal is. Be aware of what the regular prices are for items. Just because something is listed in the ad as “on sale,” does not mean that it is. I have seen items “on sale” that are actually higher than the regular price. This comes with a little practice and experience of being watchful of prices.
Also, look out for marketing scams, such as 10 for $10. Most of the time, you don’t have to purchase 10 items because the items are priced individually for $1 each. So just buy the amount that you need.
As a rule, make it a habit to shop weekly.
I have tried to only shop once a month, because it is difficult for me to shop with my kids in tow and we live about 30 minutes from the grocery stores, so I try to go when my husband is available to watch them. By shopping once a month, however, I found that I was not able to save nearly as much money because I was limited on what deals I could take advantage of. I now shop once a week, occasionally stretching it 2 weeks. Many times, I shop late in the evening because that is the only time I am able to leave the kids.

However, sometimes, the sale for the week is not worth driving into town for, so I do sometimes stretch my shopping trips to every other week.

Make the system work for YOU.
What works for me and my family, may not be feasible for you. Don’t feel guilty if you don’t have the time or energy to work the system exactly the way that I or anyone else does. Your time is also valuable. So don’t stress if you don’t have a lot of time to invest. You are not a bad steward of your money if you are not able to use the coupon system to its full potential. Use the resources I am giving you, and then do what works for you and your household. A lot of the tools I am giving you, do a lot of the leg work for you, so for those of you who have less time, the sites listed should be beneficial.