9 Easy Steps to Get You Started with Coupons

I've heard so many people complain that they want to save money on groceries. I've also heard people say they'd like to give more to charity, but they just can't afford it. Well, when I tell them they can learn to use coupons and watch sales cycles, they tell me they can't. I've heard every excuse: it's too hard, it's a waste of time, it takes too much work, I don't get the paper, Walmart is cheaper for everything, blah blah BLAH. None of that is true! So I've written up 9 easy steps to start saving money using coupons. I PROMISE this isn't hard! You can do it!

1. Pick a store. It can be a grocery store, a drug store, or a big box store like Target. Focus only on that one store for now until you get comfortable with the process. I really recommend going with a store that actually has sales, not just “rollbacks”, if you get my drift.When you combine coupons with sales, you WILL pay a lot less than you normally would.
2. Start getting the Sunday paper. It's cheaper to have a subscription, but you can also pick one up at the store or the gas station if you don't want to make that kind of commitment yet. You can even ask friends or relatives for their unwanted inserts.
3. Get the coupon inserts and your favorite store's weekly ad. If it's a grocery store, you'll need to save one from the previous Tuesday, when they usually come out. You can also look them up online.
4. Look at the store ad and see what's on sale this week. Go through the coupons and see if there are any matchups. Clip the coupons that you want to use on your next shopping trip.
5. As you're looking through the ad and inserts, make a shopping list. Write down the items you're going to buy, and mark the items that you have coupons for (like with a * or a C). This will help you remember to use them. Write down the rest of the items you need, too.
6. Put your coupons in an envelope, a Ziploc, or another container that will keep them from getting crushed at the bottom of your purse, covered in Goldfish crumbs, or blowing across the parking lot.
7. Save the rest of the inserts. You can either clip the coupons for the items you might want to buy and file them in a coupon organizer, or you can mark the date on the top of the insert and file it away for later.
8. Take your list and coupons to the store. Buy only what's on your list so you don't overspend.
9. Take a look at your total and the bottom of your receipt. See how much you saved? That's YOUR money that you would've normally spent without thinking in the past. Now it's yours to save up, pay off bills, donate to charity, or just to spend on something else!