Crazy Couponing Part 1: An Introduction

I tried couponing a number of times over the years while I was in college and as a young newlywed. It never worked for me and I always ended up giving up after a week or two of trying. It wasn't until about 2 years ago when my friend, Michaela, directed me to Couponmom.com that the pieces started falling into place for me. I found a method that worked for me and I now regularly save between 50-75% of my grocery bill. Groceries!! and I'm not talking about junk food and all the stuff you can buy that you don't need and won't use. I'm talking about food that we EAT and USE on a regular basis. I also get many items for free and often even make money purchasing an item that I can then roll over to an item I need that I don't have coupons for. I'm going to try to share the basics of how I coupon over the next few days in a multi-part series. 

If you're new to couponing, please don't expect to save 50-70% the first week. Give yourself a smaller goal to start with. Couponing can be a bit confusing at first and will take you much longer in the beginning than it will later. Set a small goal such as to save $10-20 per week on your grocery shopping.

It's also pretty easy to actually SPEND MORE when you start couponing because you want to stock-up. It's exciting to find so many great deals and it's easy to overspend and buy more than you need or items you don't need because they're such great deals. Don't feel like you need to purchase every deal you find. Give yourself a budget and stick to it. Purchase what you and your family need for the week and then buy a few items at a time to begin to stock up. Eventually, you'll be able to buy most of what you need at the lowest price point and your grocery bill will decrease.


Couponing is not always the easiest thing to do but if you have the time, it can save you LOTS of money on your household items and groceries. Couponing is second nature to me now so if I don't explain something clearly or organize my thoughts in a way that makes sense to you, please let me know in the comments. Ask questions! I'd love to answer them.

Crazy Couponing Part 1: An Introduction

Crazy Couponing Part 2: Where do I get my coupons?

Crazy Couponing Part 3: Learn What to Do With Your Coupon Inserts

Crazy Couponing Part 4: What to Do With Clipped Coupons