[BeckyScott]

At least, for a newbie to go with.

No doubles here, and limited stores.

The reason I never really got into couponing before was the oft-heard excuse "they're never for nutritious food" or "they're too much work".... or "they're never for the right things". Well I've been trying really hard not to buy something that I don't really need just because I have a coupon for it, because I'm primarily wanting to save money, and I'm doing all right, but I need to have some rules in place for myself.

This is sort of what I've been doing so far:

1. If it's an item that I need to buy or will need eventually that I am brand-picky, I will take any coupon I can get. Because I'd be buying it anyway, coupon or not.

2. If it's something I need or will eventually need but I'm not brand-picky, the coupon needs to be for enough $ to make it cheaper than the cheap brand. For example, most of us here will eat the bagged Malt-O-Meal cereal, which is cheaper than name-brand. So I will only buy the name-brand with a coupon, if that makes it comparable price to the Malt-O-Meal.

3. If it's something we don't really need but we'll eat, the coupon needs to be at least a buck off or half price. Like pudding cups, we certainly don't need those, in spite of what my 11-year-old says.

4. I am not to the point yet of using coupons for stuff we don't need, if it's close to free, and then using them for donation. I will get there eventually, maybe, but not yet. I've got my hands full just trying to keep track of what we do need.

Does that sound all right? How do you all decide when to use a coupon and when not to?

Also, how often do you all hit the store? I only shop WalMart and it used to be my rule was to go once a week, that's all I'd go no matter what. But there is such a learning curve with the coupons, when I go once a week I am camped out in there for an eternity while I try to get everything matched up. Would it be better to plan it out more and go several times a week?