Couponing Secrets!

Last week I had an opportunity to guest blog for A Beautiful Blog.  It was the final week in their Love & Money series.  I was excited to share some of my couponing secrets.  Here are some highlights from the blog post.

My pantry!

There is nothing better than saving more on your grocery bill than you actually spend.  It is a tremendous way to avoid paying more on groceries than you need to.  For the record, I am NOT one of the ladies you see on the popular reality show, “Extreme Couponing.”  I don’t have a separate room in my house or a custom built garage shelving system that holds hundreds of boxes of cereal and toiletry items.  I’m just a gal who loves to save!

I save on average 50%-60% on my grocery bill.  We are a family of four who used to consistently spend $550-$600 a month on groceries.  We now pay about $300 a month (including pull ups for the 3 year old).  A recent shopping trip at Publix cost me $26 for nearly $100 in groceries. 



Paid $26 for over $100 in groceries!

The whole basis behind couponing is to purchase (stock-pile) items your family uses while it is discounted at its lowest price.  You then combine your coupons with low prices or Buy One Get One (BOGO) free deals to save, save, save!  

Here are a few steps that I follow every week for couponing success:

My coupon file!

• Purchase 4 papers weekly  (Always purchase an even number of papers depending on the size of your family)
• File the coupon inserts in a filing box (shown in picture)
• Review couponing website for coupon match ups at local grocery store (Publix BOGO’s are normally the best deals)
• Pick up free coupons all over the grocery store (most people don’t realize that coupons are normally near the front door, placed around end caps, or down the aisles )
• Stock pile items at their lowest price (this does not suggest you hoard items)

If you are interested in couponing, I would highly suggest attending a free class that provides the basics of the program.  I personally recommend Truecouponing.com.  There are several offerings in the area but I love Truecouponing because it is faith based and FREE.  New to couponing?  Click this link.

The greatest gift that couponing affords me is the opportunity to share my abundance.  Whether it’s giving a care bag to the homeless, cooking dinner for a friend or donating toiletry items to the elderly, I am able to fulfill God’s desire of sharing with others.  Couponing requires time, patience, and organization but it is well worth the 2-3 hours of my time each week.  In my eyes, it’s a 2^nd job that allows me to work from home.

~1 Timothy 6:18~

“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”

If you are a couponer, we would love to hear about your testimony of savings.  Leave us a comment below. (Posted by Renee)