I thought I'd brake this down, so it's not so long of a post. I'll try and post for the next couple of days to share what I've learned on how to coupon the most effectively.
How to start couponing and really saving money.
First you'll need to shop the ads and plan your purchases around what's on sale. Remember though—it's not a bargain if it's not something that you will use, so only buy the sale items that you will realistically use.
This does take some time, but the savings is worth the effort and after all as the wife and mother isn't this part of what we do. It's our job and if you'd like you could use the savings as your paycheck!
Instead of using a coupon on an item just because you have the coupon wait for the item to come on sale and then use the coupon for an even bigger savings and if you're lucky enough to be in an area where the grocery stores will double or triple your coupons then you've won the lottery!
Coupons on average are good for about 6 weeks. Items in the sale flyers on average have a sale cycle of about every 4 weeks, so your coupon should have it's optimum useage during it's lifetime. Just wait and watch.
By shopping the sales you will create a stockpile. Stockpiling is the key to really saving money. Buy items when they are at their lowest price, don't wait until you need them. By doing this you can save on average 50 to 70% on your grocery bill.
Those that save a lot don’t use a single coupon--they get multiples of that coupon and by multiples.
In the beginning stockpiling may actually cost you a bit more until you get your stock pile built up, but after that you can end up spending significantly less.
Yes, you will have to shop more than one store and no Wal-Mart is not always the cheapest. So you'll have to get accustomed to no store loyalty and no brand loyalty. However always double check these savings against the store brands and generic brands, because they may still be cheaper.
Make sure to get store discount/rewards cards. You can keep them on your keyring and they'll be easier to find and access. Many stores require that you have a store card in order to get their advertised savings. Not only that, but some stores will even download savings from their website to your store card and when they scan your card your stored savings will be deducted at the checkout.
Next up—Coupons—where to find them and what to do with them........
