Do you have friends or family that would like to save money?  Perhaps they have seen your successful grocery trips and said “Please show me how to do what you have done”…. does that sound familiar?

Those of us that have couponed for some time can agree that getting started can be overwhelming. There are some great blogs out there that are here to help you get your feet planted little better, and some tips you can take in making couponing a realistic, and stress-free part of your daily life.

Gather some Newspapers

You’ll want to sign up for the Arizona Republic, or your own local newspaper.   I suggest getting 1-2 papers, you’ll be less overwhelmed. You can always increase later on.  

OR, skip the subscription – visit the Dollar Tree, or $.99 store on a Sunday – they carry Newspapers for $.99 – ALL week long (until they run out!)  In fact, i was JUST in there Saturday and bought Papers myself.. so they do usually have a nice stack for the entire week.

OR. take an entirely different route – don’t buy any, and just print your coupons. Sure .. you  might miss some deals, but an overwhelming majority of coupons you have in your inserts are available to print too (we’ll always tell you what to print as well!)

Not into Newspapers?  Then stick with digital coupons. We have more than a handful of Apps that you can load to your phone that’ll help you save WITHOUT clipping. Read our last post for more.

Find a way to Organize your Coupons

Learn the lingo & pick a way that you think will be easiest depending on your time and family situation. The lingo may be tricky at first, but it comes with time.

Organizing your coupons requires you to think about the time constraints you may have. A binder is great, but it requires a great deal of time to upkeep. You can keep Whole Inserts and clip what is needed, or use a small accordion file (Dollar Spot at Target is great for this) or recipe box.

Pick One Store & Remember Deals Cycle

Use the shopping lists on the blog, and determine what your needs are. Try to start with one store – and familiarize yourself with that one store before trying to grab every deal at every store.

Print your shopping list, or grab the Favado App to use the list on your mobile device.   If that is too hard to adjust to, you can find time to sit down every night on the blog and make your grocery list.

You can also use the Price List to get a great deal on everyday items in 5 areas – if you wish to price match at your local Walmart.

Remember that deals will cycle – if you miss getting a deal this week, it’ll come back around in a few weeks.

Carry the Coupon Policy for your Store

I suggest carrying the policies for each store with you, familiarize yourself with them, and don’t be afraid to ask questions – whether in the store (with a manager) or here with us on Facebook. Understand that most store employees aren’t always aware of their own policy.

Get a Buddy

Get a friend to help you stay on top of deals you miss; and to offer support. Your friend can be your spouse, significant other, or family member. It’s nice to have someone to go to if you experience coupon burnout and even better to have a friend looking out for your best interests.

Other things to remember:

Have a notepad & paper by the computer – jot stuff down as it comes to mind…or as you read blogs.

Don’t aim to get everything free – realistic couponing (not extreme) requires you feed your family things other than soap & mustard – the goal of couponing is to cut your current expense, not just get free items.

Lastly – being part of a community is an amazing asset; consider joining us on Facebook to meet others with the same goals in mind. Not only will you get advice, you’ll also learn how things work just a bit faster.