How and where

   Well, like I said before I have been learning to coupon, and it is definitely something you have to study. Every store has a different policy, there are tons of places to get online printable coupons, there are your ecoupons, the newspaper manufacturer coupons, and store coupons.

  The websites that have helped me are Coupon Mom, Coupons.com, Red Plum, and Smart Source. Most of these sites you will have to sign up for a membership, but it is all free. If you have to pay for a membership to print coupons, then to me it is really not worth it. I absolutely love Coupon Mom because every week they compile all the coupons and the deals at all the stores into lists and they tell you approximately how much the item is, what the coupon is worth, and your overall savings. This allows you to plan your trips according to the weekly deals and half the work is done for you. Coupon.com is where I get most of my printable manufacturer coupons and most of the sites that offer "free coupons" link you back to Coupon.com. You will have to download a coupon printer for this website. They also offer a free membership, but it is not mandatory for you to sign up to get the coupons. Red Plum and Smart Source are the usual coupon books in the Sunday paper, but I like to check on here to see if I can print out some of the really good coupons to have multiples. :)

There are a ton more sites available to help you on your journey into the couponing world but to learn the basics and get organized, Coupon Mom is a great place to start. Or at least it was for me...

Shopping trip update: I went grocery shopping yesterday spent $103.48 and saved $66.75! I saved 39% of my total bill! :) Getting better every time.

How it all began

     Well, it all started with a subscription to my local newspaper, The Press Register. I knew there were coupons out there, but I had no clue how to use them or even where to start, until I received my first Sunday paper. I looked through the Smart Source and the Red Plum inserts and remember thinking that this would be a neat way to save money. However, I still ended up throwing out each paper and each coupon again and again, not realizing a.) how much money I was getting rid of in newspaper, when I should recycle it, and b.) how much money I was throwing away by not couponing.

     So when I moved out of my mom's house and had to start buying groceries on my own, I started researching ways to save on my grocery bill and guess what I found out? The Sunday paper was vital to my savings or at least it gave me somewhere to start. I started learning to coupon about a year ago, but did not really dig into it like I have been this summer. I would save about $3.00 a trip depending on what was on sale and what coupons I remembered to bring. I did not plan out my list according to deals, coupons, or stores. I stayed withing a budget, and if I happened to have a coupon for what was on my grocery list, then hot diggity I saved a few cents.

    Then, I got engaged to my long term boyfriend, who is very frugal but did not and does not understand the couponing world, and the real fun began. I knew there was a way I could save more, so I started asking around and Google helped out a lot! I found some really great sites to use and some that were not so great ( I will post a list of which ones I like later) and also found out that stores actually had policies on coupons. I started to learn about Internet coupons, manufacturer coupons, store coupons, and how they all interact with each other. It became (and still is) a game. I get to solve a mystery every week, the best deal and coupons that match up with the deal.

     I am definitely still learning the ins and outs of this new world, but I am having a blast doing it. My check book is starting to have a pretty good time too.