Couponing 101

So you have decided to start couponing to save you and your family money. And now you are wondering where to start and how to do it.
Well I would start by getting your organization strategy down. My strategy is a zip up binder filled with baseball card protector sheets. I have organized the sheets by category and use tab dividers to separate them. Some of my categories are meats, snacks, frozen foods, women's toiletries and makeup, oral hygiene, and baby and many more. You can decide how you want to categorize yours.
I got my sheets from Dollar Tree. They were $1 for a pack of 10 sheets. I got my binder from Office Depot for $14 after I used a 20% off coupon they had in the sale ad. I would have liked to have gotten it for less from WalMart or something but after the beginning of school years is when you can really get the deals on all the stuff they stocked up on and now are trying to get rid of. Not at the end of school like I had done.
Every Sunday morning I get the newspaper and I go through the coupon insert to see what the coupons are for the week. If I see something really great then I may grab another newspaper and I ask my family and friends if they are going to use their coupons, if not I would love to have them. They usually don't use them and they are happy to hand them over. I also go on to coupons.com and the other coupon resources I have listed on the Resources page and see if there are new coupons available. I print what I think I will use, even if not now, cut everything out and file them away in the binder. Then I go through the weekly sale ads and write down all the things that look like deals to me. I usually can remember what I have coupons for and I go through my binder and find the coupons and write those down next to the sale item. Then I make my list out for the store and when I do my shopping I am ready to go. Doesn't really take much time to do. But if you start clipping and don't have an organization method chosen and try to get organized after the fact it can take some time to get everything in place.
I also picked up from Barnes & Noble a small organizer that has an accordion file in it and a small note pad. I write my shopping list on the note pad and keep my coupons in the accordion file. If I have multiple stores I put the coupons in small envelopes (which I reuse) and write the name of the store on the outside just so when I walk into the store I am ready and don't have to worry about where my coupons are, what I'm getting and looking like a crazy coupon lady in the process. I always have my coupon binder with me, sometimes I leave it in the car, sometimes I bring in it. But if I spot a great unadvertised deal and I know I have a coupon I can go out to the car easily and grab the coupon I may need. I like to go to the store once a week, not over and over so if I spot something I don't have to go back later and get it.
I also found this same little organizer at Walgreens, and it was much less money than at Barnes & Noble. It's just as pretty and has the same functions inside. So if you are looking for one I would go to Walgreens and get it, you'll save about $10 doing so. I'll try to put up a picture of mine for you to see what I'm talking about.
For now that should get you started. Print the coupons from the resources page and from the printables list I have up. Organize them and wait for the sales. Using the coupons in combination with the store sale is when you save the most money. Be patient it takes a few months to really see the benefit of coupons. But it is worth it.
Any questions??? Leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer your question.
Thanks.

Oh One More Thing... If you find coupons for things that you won't use but are completely free and you would like to donate the items that is a great way to help out your community. Maybe you come across a coupon for Cat Food and a sale comes along that would make that Cat Food Free, well get it and donate it to your local Humane Society. They can always use the donation. Just some Food for Thought. You may not need it, but someone else may. A small thing like donating 1 item a week can really help make a big difference.