I used to cut out all coupons, go through all the store ads and basically considered couponing/saving money my "job". I mean, really, I can go out and work for five hours, away from my home, or I can save $50 on my grocery bill. The amount of additional $$ is the same. Actually, there's a greater benefit to saving over earning as you aren't taxed on the income. :-)

Between grocery savings, yard saling (often to re-sell at a profit) and thrift shopping, I always considered it a challenge to see just how well we could live on very little. You'd be surprised! And really,  attitude is half (probably more!) the battle in saving money. If you can consider it your job, and an enjoyable challenge, you'll do much better than the person who is depressed and groaning about what they "can't afford".

Now that I homeschool, work full-time and have my own business, I just don't have the time to invest in couponing the way I used to. In fact, I quit completely for awhile. However, I started back up a few months ago and have already saved hundreds of $$ with minimal effort and time invested. There are a couple of  websites that are a great help when you're strapped for time. I'll share them below.

I also want to say that many folks think coupons aren't worth it because they are not using "multiples". That is the key. When an item goes on sale and has a corresponding coupon, making it 50% or more off, buy as many as you can. I generally have around 10 coupons for a given item. Then you don't need that item again until it's back on sale (there's a cycle). Eventually, you'll find yourself buying 80% or more of your groceries on sale. This translates into HUGE savings and is often called the Pantry Principle.

So, how do you get multiple coupons? There are several ways. First, ask friends to save the inserts from their Sunday papers. You should be able to get 4-5 that way, at least. If you belong to a Mom's group or Bible study, maybe you can ask the members to bring theirs in for you when you meet. You can also see if C-stores or groceries will let you take the inserts from the papers they throw out on Monday morning. Most will gladly oblige. If you're more daring, check the recycling dumpster. I get mine from a friend who cooks at our jail. They don't give the inmates ads, so she keeps the inserts for me. Every once in awhile I come across a deal where I get a bunch of freebies and I give her some as a "thank you".

So, what are these websites:

First is RefundCents This site is really a "must-have". Sign up for the paid online membership. A 3 month online subscription is only $4 and you'll make back more than that the first week. The magazine is inspiring and fun to read but not necessary (unless you need ongoing motivation).  Once you subscribe, you'll have access to the full site. Some places you'll want to use on the site:

-If you're new to couponing, check out the FAQ's and Learn the Lingo under the "Help" category. (lower right).  These will help you figure out what you're doing and get you started.

-The next stop is Michelle's Updates under "From the Editor" (upper left). Each day Michelle updates the good deals. Now, you'll want to watch out here. Many of these are good internet buys and can have you spending $$ you wouldn't have otherwise. While these can be a great way to get very inexpensive gifts, be careful that you don't end up buying things you don't need.

-Third is Centsible Chat under From the Readers. This is the "meat" though it can be a bit overwhelming. Here is where readers share the good deals they've found. Many of the posts don't apply to my area. We don't have many of the stores and our stores don't double coupons. However, the BEST bargains and freebies will be found here. Sometimes I will find someone posting about "the Albertson's deal" and not know what they are referring to. In that case I hit the "ctrl" and "f" key on my keyboard to bring up a search box. I think type the word "Albertsons" in the search and it takes me to all the posts containing that word. Before long, I've figured out what the deal is and, often, several variations. I generally read Centsible Chat with a Wordpad document open. I cut pertinent info and paste it into the document to print out later. That way, I can see if I have coupons and remember what to look for when I'm in the stores, later.

-Each week Rite Aid and Walgreens also have Free After Rebate items that are great deals. Rite Aid's can be done online and is a piece of cake. These can be found under the "Hot Deals" category, with their respective headings. Michelle prepares a list of all the combined rebate/coupon items so you can quickly scan through and find what you need. And don't forget - if they're out of the item when you go in, ge a raincheck for the sale price and pick it up later in the month. It'll still qualify for the monthly rebate and be free.

-Another great asset under Hot Deals is the View All Sunday Coupons link. Here, you can use the "find" feature mentioned above to search for a specific coupon. If Hot Pockets are on sale, you can quickly search to see if there is a coupon out for them. The list will tell you the date and source of the coupon. Here we only get SmartSource (SS) and often, don't have all the coupons listed, so it can be frustrating. However, at least I know where to look and it's worth it when we do!

This is probably more than a good start. lol Next time I'll share my other "cheat" website and discuss organizing coupons.

Visit RefundCents HERE. Oh, and DO sign up for their Hot Deals newsletter. That way you'll get the Hot Deals without even checking the site. The newsletter always reminds me that I need to check the site.

Happy Shopping!

Related Tags: frugality, frugal, coupon, grocery savings, saving money, refundcents, cheap groceries