How We Started Couponing

I’m sure everyone can come up with five reasons NOT to use coupons: 1) It takes too much time.  2) I can’t save very much.  3) It is a hassle.  4) I can buy the store brand for less than the name brand even with a coupon.  5) I’m not organized enough to use coupons.

Trust me- I’ve used every one of those excuses, and now I rarely make a purchase without using at least one coupon.  Couponing is one of the easiest things I have found that saves my family money.  Over the last six months we have decreased our household budget for groceries, household supplies and pull-ups by over a third.  This is a significant monthly savings.

I stumbled into coupons by accident.  I signed up to attend a budgeting seminar at our local library, and it happened to be about using coupons. If you would like to sign up for a course, check our Lisa Williams with Becentsable .  So far my all time favorite website is Tracie with Penny Pinchin’ Mom probably because she is located in Kansas City. Tracie has a very comprehensive site, but if you have additional questions, contact me and I’ll do my best to answer them.

I’ve become very conscious about what we spend my weekly shopping budget on.  I buy items that we need, and then stock up on items we always use when they are cheap (or free).  I think this annoys my husband (How many tubes of toothpaste do I really need?  Will you really use that much deodorant?).   But on the flip side, Brian will never run out of ‘his’ shampoo.

I’m not planning to turn this into a coupon blog to save you money.  But I will share my favorite blogs with you and maybe the occasional deal that is just too good to pass up.  I already do this for my coworkers, so I’m sure they will appreciate me not annoying THEM anymore.

I really do get excited about seeing the weekly ads (I never used to look at them before)- and seeing the FREE items I can add to my stockpile.  Coupons have completely changed my families way of spending, and saving money.  In this economy, everyone needs to be able to use their money more wisely, especially when friends and neighbors are looking at layoffs, pay cuts, or even just trying to find a way for Mom to stay home with her babies.  Everyone needs to save money and combining manufacturer coupons, with sales, and store coupons the savings can add up quickly!

Depending on how much you want to save, couponing takes a little time, it takes a little organization, but I believe for our family the time I spend couponing is well worth it!

My favorite couponing and deal bloggers are:

Tracie with Penny Pinchin’ Mom , or you can find her on Facebook or Twitter .

Heidi with Little People Wealth, or you can find her on Facebook or Twitter.

Kim with STL Mommy, or you can find her on Facebook or Twitter.

And finally, if you have any questions you can contact me.