Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Coupon Basics: Where to Start

Where to Start?
One of the questions I get asked all the time is Where do I start? In all honesty it probably doesn’t matter. I think the key is that you start and you will gradually learn the process and find your rhythm and what works for your family. I actually started
with Coupons and learned the Drug Store Game in the process. Don’t worry I’ll cover all of these in detail over the next few weeks.

Start Collecting Coupons.
If you do nothing else in the beginning start building your stockpile of coupons. The easiest way I’ve found is to ask Friends and Family Members who don’t use their Sunday Newspaper Coupons to save them for you. Then put each Sunday’s Newspaper Inserts in their own file folder with the date on the outside. Don’t worry about what to do with these, Don’t even worry about clipping them right now. Just get Started!

Set up a New Email Address. 
You will find that there are some great Coupons and Free Samples available online. All of these require an email address and these companies will more than likely start sending you newsletters and things so you want a separate email account so that you don’t have to worry about clogging up your personal email. I highly recommend 
Gmail because of their spam filters, and of course it’s Free! 

Make a List. 
My final tip for today is to Make a List. If you want to see changes in your bottom line at the Grocery Store, or for that matter the Drug Store, start by making a list. Impulse buys can quickly add up so make a list and stick to it. We will also get into Menu Planning in the weeks to come because I believe that’s the Single Biggest thing you can do to reduce your Grocery Budget. 

Adapted from Passion for Savings

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