My Couponing Adventures Part 1

Since my post last week with the tower of pasta, I have had a few questions about couponing, how I got started, where I find coupons, that sort of thing.  First of all, I want to say that I am really a newbie at couponing, so I am not really one to look to for advice, but keep reading and I will point you to an expert who you can look to for advice:)  I will share with you why I started couponing, the steps I took, where I find coupons, etc., and, of course, the results.  That's a lot, so it's going to take me several posts, so please be patient!


About two years ago, I was shopping primarily at Sam's Club and WalMart.  I had a strong conviction in my heart that if we could manage to spend less, then we would have more money to give to others, so I started looking at ways to decrease our spending.  Now, we weren't exactly living extravagantly at the time.  We had two kids and were living off of one income.  For years we have only had one vehicle.  We have never paid for cable.  We do not have iphones; in fact, we didn't even have texting at the time.  Our kids wear hand-me-downs.  We use cloth diapers.  But, the grocery budget was one place I identified where we could possibly reduce spending.  Plus, I do all the shopping, so the grocery budget was an area completely under my control.  Now, I used the term budget, but really up to this time, I wouldn't say we really had a grocery budget.  We (meaning I) just spent what we needed to on food.  I was determined, though, to spend less with the goal of being free to give more!

Around this time, a friend of mine mentioned a blog that she liked, called MoneySavingMom.com, so I checked it out and started reading it.  I currently follow a few couponing/money saving blogs, but this is by far my favorite.  Crystal is a wonderful Christian homeschooling mom of three.  I have learned and continue to learn so much from her about frugality with a purpose.  I don't want to reproduce the work that she or others do on their blogs, so I point you there for a great resource of money-saving tips, coupons, deal scenarios, etc.  She has some great series that can help you lower your grocery budget, like 31 days to a better grocery budget and 31 weeks to a better grocery budget if you are interested.

The first step I took, which I learned from Crystal at MoneySavingMom.com, was to create a price book.  I listed the groceries that I typically buy going down the left hand side of a spreadsheet and the stores going across the top.  Then, I went around to the stores and recorded the regular price of the product.  I went everywhere I could think of: WalMart, Sam's, Target, K-Mart, Big Lots, Rouse's, Winn-Dixie, Save-a-Lot, Dollar General, Walgreen's, Rite Aid, you get the idea.  I think this first step is crucial.  In order to get the best bang for your buck, you really have to know a good deal when you see it and you can't do that unless you know what you typically pay for something.  If you have it recorded in your price book, then you won't be guesstimating.  You'll be able to look at an ad and compare the price with the lowest price in your price book and know whether it's a good price or not.


Armed with my price book in hand, I then started collecting coupons.  If all goes well, we can continue this discussion next week!