I’ve had a few people ask me if I have any tips on how to get started saving money. So I’m going to start posting information every so often about money saving tips.
The first tip on how to get started saving money is just to start clipping coupons.You need to begin somewhere, and clipping coupons is a great place to start. I have to admit that before I started clipping coupons, I used to think that I wouldn’t use coupons because most of them are name brands that are still too expensive to buy even after using the coupon. Well I have learned differently now that’s not always the case. Read on, and you’ll find out what I’ve learned.
As you see coupon items your family might use, clip out the coupon and file it using a system that works for you. I have a small plastic pouch with homemade dividers. On each divider I’ve listed items such as food, cereal, household, beauty and grooming, baby, etc. For me, it works to organize the coupons by date within the dividers.
Each week I pull out the coupons that are about to expire that I haven’t been able to use with a sale. If the coupon is for a product I really need, then I’ll use it. But don’t feel like you have to use coupons just because you have them. I’m to the point where I can now wait till sales to use coupons to get the best deal. If there’s no sale, then I won’t use the coupons. And to continue what I mentioned earlier, the brand name products are the ones that go on sale. When combined with a coupon, you walk away with a sweet deal!
When you start clipping coupons, remember it’s going to take some time to build up the coupons you need to use with sales. And it’s also going to take time before you really start to see a decrease in the amount of money you spend each week at the store. I’ve been doing this for six months now. Before I started using coupons and watching for sales, I was spending $80-$120 a week easily at the grocery story. Finally, I’m to the point where my food pantry and storage are stocked well enough that I can focus just on sale items. During the past couple weeks of grocery shopping, I’ve only spent about $22 per week. Yeah!
This just goes to show that coupons combined with sales really make an impact on the amount of money you spend each week. It’s worked for me and my family!
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