getting started - the very beginning

Kim said: I have come to a crisis in my life with spending. We are just not making ends meet around here. I would love to know just exactly what you did when you first started couponing. I am a bit overwhelmed with everything and I have been reading your blog trying to figure things out but if you could give me some pointers on where to get started and what to do I would greatly appreciate it.



Kim is a mom in much the same situation I was when I started couponing. She's a SAHM who didn't necessarily plan on being one ahead of time. For me, the only place in the budget that had any wiggle room was on groceries, so slashing that amount was a necessity.

Since I stay home, I feel like my job is to make our money go as far as it can go. Our kids know that Daddy makes the money and Mommy makes it stretch 'til it screams.

If you're just getting started couponing, here are some things to remember:

• Nobody is watching you. Don't stress out about "getting it right." Saving any money at all over what you spend now is success.
• Don't feel like you have to turn into a couponing queen overnight. Just take things one step at a time.
• Don't feel like you have to run out and start a stockpile immediately. Gradually build to that point. (More on stockpiling later)

Couponing is really just a part of saving money on groceries. It's another way to stretch your dollars. So, let's start with your grocery budget and ways that anyone can save at anytime. We'll tackle the actual couponing part in a bit.

1. Pick your number. Sit down with your spouse and make a budget. If you're in a place where you're running out of money before you run out of month, this won't be much fun. However, once you have it all down on paper, you have a plan. That plan is power - really.

When we started budgeting, I literally had to budget paycheck to paycheck. I may have had $250 to spend on groceries, but I certainly didn't have all of it at the beginning of the month.

Once you know how much you have to spend on groceries, decide if you want to break that down into weekly or bi-weekly amounts.

If you already budget and already know about how much you spend on groceries, decide how much lower you want that amount to be.

If you have the wiggle room - pick an amount that requires you to stretch a little, but not too much. Then gradually whittle it down.

We didn't have the wiggle room when I started. $250 a month was what I had - period. I had to work to learn how to make that amount buy the types of foods I wanted to feed my family. This may be where you are - and that's ok.

2. Shop your home. Before you hit the store, check your fridge and your pantry. See what meals you can put together from what you already have. Start a list of ingredients you might need to make other meals featuring what you already have.

Check your non-grocery items, too. If you only have $40 a week, you don't want to be in the store trying to remember if you need toilet paper or toothpaste. Make a list of things you'll absolutely need before your next shopping trip.

3. Grab the sales ads. If you don't get copies in the paper or in your mail, check the ads online. Plan your meals around what's on sale. Seasonal produce will be on sale. Some meats will be loss leaders. There may be great store coupons printed in the ad.

I'm not a weekly meal planner, but if you're just getting started - you may want to plan weekly. I usually plan our meals a day or two at a time based on what we have in the house. When you're making your meal plans, try to plan for a couple of meatless meals and/or meals where meat is just an ingredient and not the star of the show. Breakfast for dinner is also an option for a cheap weeknight meal.

When I peruse the ads, I'm usually looking for organic produce deals, meat prices at Whole Foods, and things for the kids to snack on. Snacks around here are usually fresh fruit or veggies, Cheerios, cheese cubes (that I cube myself), or trail mix type things that I make from nuts, raisins, etc.

If you have coupons, this is when you want to pay attention to what is on sale that you also have a coupon for. If the combination of the sale and coupon is a great price, try to add as many as you can to your list after you account for the things you need for meals while remaining within your budget.

Remember step #1 and keep your number in mind as you make your list. If your budget is $40 - then your budget is $40. I try to make my list with a little bit of extra room for marked down produce or dairy. So, you might try making a list that represents $30-$35 to leave yourself a little room for unexpected markdowns, or extra stockpiling. You can always roll money you don't spend to the next week, or save a little in case you need milk in the middle of the week.

I try to make my list in the order I shop the store. It keeps me from back-tracking and helps me to avoid extra spending. I use an envelope and write my list on the outside of it. I put any coupons I'm using in order inside of it. If I have any E-coupons loaded on my shopping card, I also have a piece of paper with those listed inside of my envelope. As I'm doing my shopping, I keep my eyes peeled for coupons - blinkies (the one's in the little red boxes with blinking lights), tearpads, and booklets. If I find any, I put them in the back of my envelope and sort them when I get home.

4. Hit the stores. If you're just getting started with shopping this way (with a budget, coupons, etc) then if at all possible, shop alone the first couple of trips. Kids and spouses have a way of increasing grocery spending if they're along for the ride. However, once you feel comfortable with this way of shopping, I think you should try to take kids along. Learning how to stick with a budget, looking for the best value for your money, and just plain old math are all valuable lessons for your kids to learn while they're young.

Go to the store with your list, your coupons, and a calculator. Really, a calculator. You'll feel like a nerd, but you'll be the nerd in control of her money. Take your budgeted amount in cash. Leave your debit card and your credit cards at home. Remember - you only have your number. If it's $40 - you don't want to realize you're over when the cashier tells you the total. If you only have your budgeted cash with you, you'll be forced to take something off. Use your calculator and know your total before you even get to the check-out.

In the store, I try to mainly shop the outer edges. Produce, meat, dairy - fresh, whole foods. These are generally where you get the most bang for your buck in quality nutritionally dense foods for your family. We make most of our food from scratch. That may or not be an option for you depending on your time constraints, but when possible try it for definite money saving.

I don't go up and down the aisles. I only go down the aisles for items that are on my list. If you've planned before you hit the store, you don't have to worry about forgetting something you might need.

Before you check-out, take a sec to look over your basket and get your coupons in order. I usually do one more quick total check, too.

After you check-out, look over your receipt before you leave the store. Make sure that produce prices and sale prices rang up correctly. Make sure that any promos (buy x amount to get y amount off of your total) have come off correctly. If you keep track of what your total should be before checking out, you'll usually know if there's an issue on your receipt. If anything is wrong, go to the service desk and have them fix it. Many stores have a ring right guarantee - if something rings up incorrectly, you get it free.

Once you get home - use what you bought. Use the produce that spoils more quickly first, incorporate leftovers into your next few meals, and freeze things for later.


I hope some of that helps. Please let me know if y'all have any questions or tips on how you got started saving $$ on groceries. We'll look at the actual getting started with couponing itself, tomorrow.