Step One..
In order to coupon you need coupons. There are many ways to get coupons and you can get as many or as little as you want. I suggest starting small until you get into a rhythm and building as you become more advanced. The most obvious way to get coupons is through the Sunday paper. Each Sunday newspapers have inserts (packets full of coupons) in them. Because you are only able to use one coupon per item people purchase multiple newspapers to get more than one copy of each coupon so they can purchase more than one item with the coupon. I personally purchase 4-5 newspapers each week unless there are not many coupons that appeal to me then I only purchase 1. Another way to collect coupons is on the Internet. Now I know in the beginning it seems like a good idea to print every coupon you see but it is not. Only print coupons that you and your family will use. I check http://www.coupons.com/ daily because coupons drop on that site everyday and once the print quota has been reached the coupon disappears so you want to set aside a time to check at least this site daily. Remember larger cities have higher prices so they receive higher coupons so you want to check more than one zip code on this site. Some of the zip codes I check are 90210, 23235, 75022, 30301 and 60016. Once you get into a routine you will learn what areas appeal mostly to you and create your own list. Sites that I check on a weekly or monthly basis are http://www.redplum.com/ and http://www.couponnetwork.com/. These sites tend to not change as often and you can get away with peeking for new coupons less often on them. Most websites allow you to print 2 coupons per computer so if you have multiple computers you can print each coupon twice for each computer. They do this so everyone has a chance to take advantage of the coupons. So I have coupons... Now what?
Step two:
Now that you have coupons you have to put them somewhere. There are many different storage ways and you just have to find out what works for you. Here are a couple photos of my coupon binder.
I purchased a 3 inch 3 ring binder during all the back to school sales and put baseball card holders in them (I purchased these at toys r us for about $14 for a pack of 50). Whatever coupons I get I insert them into these slots in sections separated by dividers. You can divide your binder however it makes sense to you. In the front pocket I keep circulars from stores in my area that I want to get items from. I also have pencil holders that attach to the rings in the front of my binder. I keep coupons that I know I am going to use in some separated by store as well as have one specifically for each of the drug stores I shop at since they give rewards and coupons. Lastly in the back I have store coupon policies for the stores I frequent just in case I have an issue at a store. I simply have these in page protectors. I spent about $30 on all the supplies for my coupon binder but in everything you have to make an investment and my binder is exactly how I want it to keep me organized. I have a big red bag that I keep my binder in that I take with me to the stores. It is a cross between a purse and a female brief case and I had it before I even began couponing. Now this is how I organize my coupons. You have to figure out how you want to organize yours. Some people do not cut their coupons until they are about to use them and simply store them until needed still attached in the newspaper inserts. The issue I have with this is that if you see something on the go you don't have your coupons with you. I carry my coupon bag with me everywhere so I am always prepared. But this method saves some time which the binder method does not.
Step three:
Couponing is about purchasing things at their rock bottom prices and how you do this is by purchasing things that are on sale and while you have a coupon for them. Each week supermarkets, drug stores, just about every store produces a circular that highlights what they have on sale for the week. As a couponer you have to match the coupons you have to your stores circular and stock up on items that are at their rock bottom price, that you have a coupon for and that your family will use. For instance... If Giant has soup on sale for $1.00 from their normal price of 2.39 and you have a $.75 off coupon you will pay $.25 for a can of soup saving your family $2.14 (you count your savings from the pre sale price because the sale only added to your savings). You also have to know your store's coupon policy because a lot of stores double coupons up to a certain amount as well as limit the amount of identical coupons you are able to use. Also a lot of stores have loyalty cards that offer more savings and sometimes Internet coupons that you can link to your card and use along with your manufacturers coupons. If this seems like a chore there are blogs that match certain store circulars to coupons that are out so fear not there is help. This is not one of those sites I simply expose my savings and what you are able to get.. and if their is something crazy exciting I will post about it. Some of the websites I check are http://www.iheartthemart.com/ (showcases walmart and it's savings), http://www.krazycouponlady.com/ (this site has a wide range of stores they match up) and http://www.southernsavers.com/ (this is focused more on stores in the southern region). They also blog about anything exciting in the couponing world and will teach you how to do drug store hauls (drug stores are a whole different ball game). I also check http://www.hip2save.com/ and http://www.smartcouponing.com/.
In the beginning stages of couponing while you are building your stockpile you will have less savings.
Your family will still need items that are not on sale or that you do not have a coupon for so you will be spending more OOP on these items. Things go on sale in cycles mostly every 6 weeks and coupons come out in cycles according to what is going on (ie seasons, holidays, etc). Until you build your stockpile you still have to provide your family with what they need. I started saving only 40-45 percent each month on my groceries with September being the first month that I saved a whopping 60%. So once you make the vow to start couponing stay motivated and as time goes by you will see your savings climb and your money free up for other areas of life. It seems like a lot and again I encourage you to start small. Make a small list of coupon match ups once you have begun collecting coupons and build from there. Don't try to start at the pro level or you will get frustrated and give up. If you have any questions comment below and I will answer them for you. Also subscribe to keep up with my savings.
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