*Back to Basics*

I thought it might be a good time to go back to some of the basics for any newbie coupon shoppers out there or for anyone who hasn't started and is interested in learning more, but doesn't really know where to start. First off I just have to say that I try my best to lay things out in simple, easy-to-understand terms and to give as many details and descriptions as possible, so as not to confuse you. However, sometimes I get a little TOO detailed and off-subject or ramble on a bit and, therefore...confuse you. Lol. If you ever have any questions about anything, please don't hesitate to leave a comment or email me. I will answer you quickly and to the best of my ability.

Ok, so that said, I thought I would go over a little bit how the system works. (For a more in-depth explanation click HERE.)

There are three main parts that make this system a success:

1.) Gather coupons: First you will need to start collecting coupons. The best way is through multiple newspaper subscriptions. By getting multiple copies of the Sunday paper, you will have access to multiple copies of each and every coupon, thus enabling you to buy multiple amounts of items while they are at a rock-bottom price you are willing to pay. I recommend one newspaper per member of your family, including babies. The newspaper is not the only place to get coupons, though! You can print many of the same and other coupons online through various websites. One such place is Coupons.com. You can also try SmartSource, Redplum, Pillsbury.com, boxtops4education, and even the manufacturer's own websites sometimes provide coupons. You will also find that you will come across coupons just about everywhere...magazines, in the store, in the mail, you name it. Of course, once you have all of these coupons, you will need a way to organize them. Click HERE for my Organization 101 page.

2.) Wait for the sale: Just because you now have all of these great coupons doesn't mean you are going to save money by just heading on over to the grocery store and using them. The idea of this system is to hang onto your coupons until the item is on sale or part of a promo that makes it a low price that you're willing to pay. For example, if you head on into Walmart with a $.50 off coupon for Quaker oatmeal priced at $2.50, you will find that even after you use the coupon, the store brand oatmeal will still be cheaper at $1.50. If you wait for Quaker oatmeal to go on sale for only $1.50, you will now be able to use your coupon to get the Quaker oatmeal for $1.00, which is $.50 less than the store brand! If you wait until your store offers double coupons (where the store will actually DOUBLE your manufacturer coupon up to a certain dollar amount) then you could wind up getting the Quaker oatmeal for just $.50, which is now $1.00 less than the store brand! This system works because you are pairing up your coupons when the time is right and the item is at its lowest price.

3.) Stockpiling: Alright, so you are now able to get the Quaker oatmeal for just $.50. Great, right? Well, yes and no. Yes, it's great that you're saving so much money on an item your family will use, however, it's not so great that when you run out of oatmeal again, you will now have to go to the store and pay full price. Then, you'll probably have to pay full price again the time after that and the time after that, until the item again goes on sale and you have a coupon to match with it. The way you get around this is by having multiple copies of the same coupon. By getting multiple newspaper subscriptions and having access to multiple coupons, you are now able to get multiple boxes of Quaker oatmeal while you can get it for $.50, that way you now have enough oatmeal to last you until the next coupon/sale matchup occurs. Make sense? You want to STOCK UP on an item while it's at its rock-bottom price, so that you'll never have to pay full-price on that item AGAIN! Click HERE for more info on stockpiling.

By doing those three things, you are able to dramatically cut your monthly grocery bill by 50%-90%! You can put as much time and effort as you want into it and your results will match that effort. If you're ready to learn even more and really dive in, click HERE to get started!