[AmberDP1]

I give up I can't take it anymore! I want to learn how to do coupons and stockpiling so bad that I feel like it is eating away at me. I just read another post and asked for help hahaha. I'm completely serious though. I would really like to learn how you all do this stuff so well. I am just getting started and I would really like to find someone to "tutor" me haha. Money is very very tight in my household and we struggle a lot and live pay check to pay check. I think that coupons and a good stockpile would help out so much! So please please if you know how to help me out do so, I won't be upset haha! I would really just like to know how it is done, maybe just couponing, maybe couponing and stockpiling, maybe even a coupon train or two. I cut up my second week of sunday paper coupons two nights ago. So I don't have that many coupons yet but I am trying. Also how do I find out if I have a local newspaper recycle center or not and how do I get papers from it if I do? Sorry for babbling on and on and for all of the questions. Please get back with me. Thank you and God bless!

[kmeiding]

Start out by looking for coupons for the items that you like to use. Also, check out shopping lists of stores near you. There are places on this site for almost every store where you can get good deals so start looking. Some stores like Walgreens have ads up weeks in advance if you know where to look. Those are good so you have time to order coupons for those items that are on sale. When you find a really good deal (usually sale paired with coupon), stock up so you don't have to buy at regular price until the next sale. People around here are really good at posting great deals so read around and see what you can find.

[LaLax2]

i have a itty bitty little stockpile like you we also have little money and always find ourselves in a struggle couponing does get easier i havent gotten to that point where my grocery bill is low but i hope to someday all i can tell you read all the post everyone here is very helpful make a wishlist there are forums for the stores you shop in you dont need lots of money to stockpile ive been doing the cvs deals each time with only 5 ecbs lmk if you need any help or pm me

[Amosfam5]

If you are brand new, a Couponing Grocery List like "The Grocery Game" or "Coupon Mom" can help. Be aware that The Grocery Game costs money after the first trial month. You can do the first month by free trial to learn the ropes. The next thing I would do is ask neighbors, family, friends to save you the coupon inserts from their papers. You can't really stock pile without multiple copies of the same coupon. Next, hit the online coupon sites - coupons.com, smartsource.com, redplum.com and join the online groups for Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Kraft and Right At Home (P&G) which will send you email updates and links to their coupons. Those are my tips. Have been doing about 6 months, amazed at how much further my grocery money goes. I never run out of essentials anymore.

[Lynda1811]

Here's what helped me start couponing and stockpiling. I started when DH was laid off of work. Being on unemployment leaves little left for groceries.

Know your grocery stores coupon policy:

1. can you stack a store coupon with a mfc
2. do they accept expired coupons, if so how long expired
3. do they accept competers coupons or price match other stores ads
4. do they have a savings card, or reward plan
5. do they offer rain checks and when do they expire
6. do they offer a savings if you bring your own bags

Write out your grocery list matching as much as possible the meals around what is on sale and find coupons to make the sales even better.

Read the forums of the stores you shop. See what others are finding or how they are doing their deals for the week. Lots of info there. If some post a clearance find, or unadvertised sale, you can be on the look out for it as well.

I think having multiples of couopns will help you save more, and stockpile faster, with little oop. If a store is having a 10/$10 sale, each item is $1. If you have a coupon for $1/1 of that item, then it's free. If you only bought one paper you would only be able to get one for free. So if you bought more papers, you would get more free.

Def look into paper subscriptions for your area, might have a deal for first time subscribers, see if you have a recycling center that is accessable to get extra inserts. Ask family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, for their inserts.

Be on the look out for coupons at the stores, some stores will have a place for people to leave coupons for others to look through. Tear pads, blinkies - the machine that spits them out.

Find a way to organize them. There are several ways, acordian file, box, insert, binder. When you found the the one that works best for you, the easier to find what you are looking for.

If you have a budget, try to stick to it as much as possible. If you are spending more than you planned, or can, really you aren't saving. Try not to be brand loyal. Don't rush the savings or stockpiling. It will come. Food, in my house, is harder to stockpile due to where I am located. But, I do ok.

Walgreens, and CVS have great deals where you can get a stockpile going pretty quickly. Check out the forums and read the post, the members there know how to make the deals.

As questions. There is no stupid questions here. We all try to help out as best as we can. There are a lot of members here that know a thing or two about coupons.

Now that you have started to coupon, and are getting the hang of it, you will see your stockpile grow. You will need a place to store it. HAHA Sounds easier than it really is. Keep it away from extream heat and cold, and out of sunlight. This will help it last longer.

Please don't compaire your shopping to others and get discouraged. Many of us have been doing this for several years. What one family needs for their family, another doesn't use at all. Don't compaire your savings to others either. It all depends on what your family needs, and uses.

I hope some of that helped you out. If you need any more help, just send me a pm and I'll try to help where I can.

Lynda

[makhismamma]

thank you

[coupon214]

Lynda1811, love the way you wrote this up. It would helped when I started couponing many moons ago.

[kimmyann123]

make a wishlist, so you can post what qs you use and need and a list of qs you dont need to use for trading other afc members,and always check the printables on afc to see if theres qs you can print for free,and be sure to watch your exp. dates,some exp quick...

[jeanettebr]

Lynda...you explained it so well!

My advice would be to start slow...learn a store or two...for instance WAGS or CVS and your local grocery store or Walmart.

Shop WAGS/CVS to get your cleaning supplies/soaps/toothbrushes/toothpaste/razors/shampoo/deoderant etc..you can get most of these items free or cheap there. I started stockpiling the end of March and now have enough of these items to get me and my family through many months!
Read the WAGS forum and ask questions there...it takes awhile to learn how to use RR but once you do it's easy...and most of the time its fun (CVS also has a forum if you'd rather shop there)
The deals are posted a week or two ahead of time and kind wonderful people will have links to printable Q's and will match up the sales with the Q's from the inserts and theres even a thread that will help you "roll" your RR

Your local grocery store or WM will have seasonal deals on your food items. If you have a Kmart that doubles you can stockpile in a hurry...I don't...but my food stockpile is growing! (I do get food at WAGS too on good deals like peanut butter, Ragu, Poptarts etc..just watch the ads!) Theres a forum for free/cheap things at WM.

Get Q's by ordering from the link at the top of the page, Ebay and by trading on here.
Good luck and hope your stockpile grows by leaps and bounds!