[lcharon07]

Member name: lcharon07

Name: Lauren C.

Location: El Sobrante,CA

Stores I Shop at: Lucky and Safeway

Weekly grocery budget: around 100

Number of people in my family: 3

Number of pets: 1

How long have you been couponing? just started

Favorite Coupon of all time: dont have one yet

What I hope to get from AFC: saving money

I would like to have an experienced AFCer/couponer contact me to show me around the site (Yes/No):sure!!

Hobbies/Interests: traveling, spending time with my family and friends, and cooking

[Tessmom05]

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My advice for new couponers is to take it slow and do your research or it can get overwhelming. If you ever need help don't hesitate to ask.


Here are some great links to help get you started here!
AFC 101
Couponing 101


Just remember the more knowledge you have the easier it will be! Once again Welcome to AFC!

[Z and G's Mom]

Hi and welcome to AFC! THE best, and most informative, forum on the internet!
Here’s some advice for your couponing journey…

** READ READ READ READ READ READ READ!! And then READ some more! Learn your local store’s coupon policies - GROCERY STORE FORUMS. Print those policies out and keep them with you at all time! You’ll be surprised at how often cashiers and even store managers are unfamiliar with all the intricacies of their own policies!

** Don’t be afraid to ask questions - COUPONING 101!

** START SLOWLY! If you jump in too fast, you’ll get frustrated. PLEASE don’t think that if you don’t build a massive stockpile overnight, that you are a rotten couponer! It takes time and effort! BUT, if you'd like to peek at what your stockpile COULD look like one day, check THESE out!

** Not sure how to begin? Do a David Letterman… Make two TOP TEN LISTS! One for food and one for non-food items that you and your family use on a daily or weekly basis. If your family is a HUGE pasta eater, then noodles and sauce should be on your list. If you have 4 teenage boys, then body wash/soap is a MUST! Walk through your house as you are making your lists. Then, go to the grocery/drug stores WITHOUT BUYING ANYTHING! Take along a pad of paper (or 6) and make notes on current prices for those items on your Top Ten lists. Do this once a week for a few months. Start learning the sales cycles. Start learning the fluctuations in prices and soon you will be able to figure out what your stock-up prices should be. Start your stockpile with items your family will use regularly. Nothing worse than staring at a stockpile with a whole bunch of stuff (gotten for free or really cheap) that no one will EVER use!

** Wondering what prices you should aim for when stockpiling? Check out this thread! Stock Up Price List

** Start clipping your coupons! Sign up for a newspaper delivery – this is THE only way to guarantee that you will receive coupons in the papers you buy. Not all newsstand or drug store papers receive inserts as the inserts will always be placed in subscriber papers first. CALL the newspaper first and make sure of which coupon inserts they carry! Ask about special subscriptions – Sunday or weekend only, discounts for multiple Sunday papers, etc. Start asking your friends and family members for their coupons. You’ll be surprised at how many people just toss them in the garbage – YIKES! **Need complete sets of inserts? No problem! Click COMPLETE INSERTS for LOTS of choices!

MOST OF ALL – HAVE FUN! If you ever have any questions you’d rather not ask in the open forums, click JESSIE to ask me directly! Glad you’re here in the AFC family!

[Melanievcb]

Hi Lauren! Noticed you like to travel, click HERE to check out our "Travel Deals" forum. There is a wealth of info on this site, if you have any questions or can't find something please feel free message me HERE on my page. If you like any of the posts or have found them helpful always click on the "Thanks" on the lower right corner of that particular post to show your appreciation. Welcome to the AFC family!

[siriradha]

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We're so glad you joined us!

Have you checked out all the different forums we have here? To get yourself used to navigating the site, click on "Forum" on the dark blue bar near the top of the page. This will bring up a huge list of forums you might want to investigate. Just click on one and see how things are arranged.

One of the best ones to remember if you're having trouble and need some help is "Cry for Help." Just find the section that best fits your question and post, and before too long someone will answer it. We're all sort of codependent here--we share the deals we come across, how we did them, and just generally help each other figure out how to do what we want to do, save money!

Best wishes on your couponing adventure!
Carolyn in CO

[DebB831]

to AFC, I hope you find a lot of great deals here.
Don't worry if you don't catch on to everything right away on this site, as with everything, it takes time to figure everything out. And even after couponing for twenty years, I still don't have it all figured out! Here is the link to the acronyms page - Acronyms &amp; Abbreviations- A Full Cup - Coupons
You never know when you may need to look up what IVDSO or YMMV means!

[iluvadoption]

Are you In a hurry, but still want to check out the hottest deals on the web? If so, visit this forum!

AFC's Hot Deals

Do you want a sneak peak at the upcoming coupon inserts? If the answer is yes, then visit this forum!

Sunday Coupon Previews

[mkrmylove]

Lauren, we are delighted to have you join our Coupon Community.

In an effort to help you successfully navigate this wonderful world of couponing here are a few tips, tools, and suggestions to get you started.

TIPS:

1. Relax - This is suppose to be fun so be sure you are enjoying this experience.

2. Stay Focused- Meaning don't forget what is important which is saving money for you and your family.

3. Get and Stay Organized- This is key to your success you must have an organization system in place or your couponing efforts will be for not.

The first thing I suggest you do is check our AFC 101 there you will find the forum rules and everything to get you up to speed on the do's and don'ts of this community.

AFC TOOLS:

Weekly Grocery Ads

Trading Records

SUGGESTIONS:

If you get stuck check out COUPONING 101. There are so many resources available to help you become a successful Couponer, but you have to learn the basics first.

Need to brush up or learn the Couponing LINGO check out ACRONYMS & ABBREVIATIONS!

Need a coupon don't know where to find it check out AFC Coupon Database.

Also check out the Current Coupons Thread (There you will discover there are more places than just the Sunday Paper to snag coupons)

Here are direct links to the Grocery Stores you frequent most:

Safeway

Wanna find out about deals in your state visit California

Check out the following threads for general information on grocery and drug store shopping:

General Grocery Store Discussion

General Super Center Discussion

General Drug Store Discussion

Need tips on making the best of what you have check out Frugal Living.

I noticed you have pets be sure to check out the Pet Talk thread.

Do you love FREEBIES? If so check out our Freebies thread.

Since you like to cook be sure to check out Cook's Corner.

Don't forget you can snag great coupons with no strings attached from our awesome thread RAOK (Random Acts Of Kindness) be sure to pay it forward when you can.

If you get lost or have questions you can always contact me MKRMYLOVE.

[CMmem]

Welcome:
My advice if you are a new couponer.
Don't get overwhelmed. Start slowly.
Expect to spend some time getting up to speed, as you would with any new hobby.

Some AFC state forums have active discussions of deals.
Find your state forum here ==> http://www.afullcup.com/forums/california-deals/

You can find deals your stores in the stores forums Grocery Coupons & Deal Forums - A Full Cup
You can find currently valid coupons listed in the AFC coupon data base: Grocery Coupons- A Full Cup - Coupons


You'll have questions, always ask. We are always happy to answer.
to AFC!

[CMmem]

Welcome:
My advice if you are a new couponer.
Don't get overwhelmed. Start slowly.
Expect to spend some time getting up to speed, as you would with any new hobby.

Some AFC state forums have active discussions of deals.
Find your state forum here ==> California Deals - Grocery Coupons & Deal Forums - A Full Cup

You can find deals your stores in the stores forums Grocery Coupons & Deal Forums - A Full Cup
You can find currently valid coupons listed in the AFC coupon data base: Grocery Coupons- A Full Cup - Coupons


You'll have questions, always ask. We are always happy to answer.
to AFC!

[tippyc30]

You have joined an amazing site. There are so many friendly people who are willing to help if needed. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask. Have Fun and welcome to the AFC family!!

Here are a couple of links to help you get started

Couponing 101 - Grocery Coupons & Deal Forums - A Full Cup

AFC 101 - Grocery Coupons & Deal Forums - A Full Cup