Coupons

Ok, I’m starting to finally get my bearings in this whole unemployment game. I’m getting a schedule down and things are becoming more normal. It’s been a little frustrating and at first, I really wasn’t sure what to do, when to do it, how to feel, etc…

I’ve neglected this blog only because I had such drive to attack my debt and grow some savings when I had a paycheck coming in, and now that I’m living on those very savings, I feel a little as though I don’t have much to talk about. That’s not true, of course, as now is the best time to be frugal and watch my money. It’s just been a complete change and I have come to learn that I don’t do well with change.

But aside from that, I’ve never been one to use coupons. Here and there, sure, but I’ve never been an ‘extreme couponer’.

Well, on the way home from taking E to school, a blogger on a local savings site, CincySavers,  was talking about the great coupon deals this week at the local grocery stores and I decided right then and there that I would give the couponing thing a try.

I have all this time to get organized, after all.

According to this blogger, LittleMissKnowItAll, the first two steps to getting organized for couponing are:

1. Make a menu plan.
This will help you spend your money on the items you’ll get the most out of – the items you purchase often because they’re in most of your meals. Get a calendar, sit down and write out the meals you most often make. Most people eat the same eight to 10 meals on a regular basis, so start by writing down your favorites. The items you need for these meals are the items you need to stock up on.

2. Make a master shopping list.
If you buy an item three or four times per year or more, it belongs on this list. This shopping list is for every single item you purchase on a regular basis and will help you know what to look for sales on. This list helps make sure you’re looking for coupons for the right items and not wasting time or money on the things that look appealing when you see a good sale but that you don’t use that often in actuality.

This is my homework for tonight…and I will join you tomorrow with the results and move on to the next steps. If you’re already a couponer, I’d love to hear how you do it or any tips you may have.

Until tomorrow!