Some of you have been amazed at how you can save with coupons! Well I admit I am still a newbie, and I learn something new everyday!
This article below is from one of my favorite blog site MONEY SAVING MOM

31 Days to a Better Grocery Budget: How to Maximize Your Savings With Coupons
by Crystal on May 19, 2010



Take Babysteps
I think it bears repeating: please take baby steps when you start couponing. Do not go buy 10 newspapers, get a big honkin’ coupon box, and spend 5 hours clipping coupons when you’ve never used coupons in your life. You’ll overwhelm yourself, take an enormous amount of time and probably end up exhausted and burnt out — before you’ve even saved a penny on your groceries!

Start with a few newspaper inserts and a small coupon organizer. Check out the deals at your local store (you can find weekly deals for almost all regional stores in the Store Deals section of our website). Pick a few of the best deals that you have coupons for and can use and work those into your grocery trip.

Once you’ve gotten accustomed to matching a few coupons with a few deals, take it step farther and start looking for more coupon sources and try planning a menu based upon what’s on sale at the store. Once you’re comfortable with that, start practicing the Buy Ahead Principle.

Learning things gradually will help you to stay sane, save money and time and really determine what works best for your own family.

Prioritize Your Bargain-Shopping Based Upon Your Family’s Needs
There are often many more savings opportunities than time and it’s easy to lose track of this when you get caught up in the excitement of saving! Time is money, too, so always remember that it’s okay to not hit every deal.

In fact, I encourage you to cherry pick: focus on the best deals that week for items you need. Meaning, if you already have 10 tubes of toothpaste but are almost out of shampoo, prioritize shampoo deals over toothpaste deals. If you have extra time and extra wiggle room in your grocery budget, than you can definitely stock up on other great deals, but focus on feeding your family first.

Thanks to Money Saving Mom

Walgreens Haul 5/29/11

Ok so my couponing is becoming a bit out of hand! I try so hard to see how much I can get for next to nothing... My friend was giving me a hard time because I have been to Walgreens twice this week, BUT I have gotten over $200 worth of stuff ( that my family needs) for around $63.00. INSANE huh?

I know I am not your extreme coupon diva like on TLC, but hey I was once a mom who just dreaded going to the store to buy what my family needed (food is a big deal around here).

So my above purchase without coupons or register rewards from Walgreens would have been $64.00 ( tax not included, because tax in Arkansas is high and really makes me angry). My grand total for all the above items was $16.68. I know sounds crazy but so true!!

Domino sugar on sale $2.19 each I had two 40 cent coupons

Poise pads were $5.99 I had $1 off Wags coupon and $1 off Manufacture Coupon

2 Dry Idea
2 Right Guard ALL FREE! Walgreens was running a buy one get one free
on these deo s and I had two B1G1 free coupons so CHA CHING they are mine for nothing! They rang up that way! My fav cashier had two put back for me before I got there ( she love's me) and told me of the amazing deal!

4 bottles of AXE body Wash and one deo (my son's FAV) 1 deo was 4.49.$5.49 for each wash , BUT I had buy 1 get 1 free coupons . I was only charged for the deo and 1 wash . Cha ching $9.98.. My friend has all girls, she gave me her buy three AXE walgreen coupon which printed me out a $3.00 Register Reward. These four babies cost me $.6.98. Not to mention each bottle of wash came with a trial size bottle of wash on back.

4 pkgs Oscar meyer wienners which I had a rain check on cause last week they were by one at $2.99 get one free, of course I had coupons which brought them down to .99 each .

2 pkgs of Oscar meyer deli meats in store sale price 2/5.00 plus I had a $1 off coupon.

When I used all my coupons and my $3.RR from my AXE transaction plus I had two $3 RR from FRIDAY. brought this transaction down to $6.98 .. INSANE!! Just this transaction should have been way over $43.00.

If you are not doing this, you need to start! My grocery bill is shrinking and we are getting to buy name brand items not generic! And I am spending my money elsewhere NOT WALMART! I get so tired of giving them my money! MY HUBBY is SMILING because I am saving him money. AND he gets to Fish more, too!

BEFORE I Coupon Shopped!

AFTER I started Coupon Shopping!