How to Get Started-Part 4

Wanna save money but not sure what to do to get started? This is the place for you.

If you need to catch up on this series, you can find the previous posts here:
Start Reading
Start Researching
Start Finding Coupons

On to Part 4: Start Small

When I start something I tend to go all in right away. I decided I wanted to give this whole saving money/clipping coupons/blogging thing a try and I jumped in head first to the deep end. It worked out OK for me, at least because I have a husband who was very understanding and gracious during this learning period. But I don't recommend doing it this way.

Don’t try to go out the first week and get every deal that is mentioned. The people who write about all the deals don't even go out and get them all, they are just trying to inform their readers of all the possibilities.

Start with one or two things that you know your family will use and you know (because you have a fairly good idea of normal prices from regular shopping trips) is a good deal. In my area, CVS and Walgreens often have very good deals where I can work "the system" to get things for very cheap to almost free. It's a little tricky at first, but again, this is why you want to start small. Find out more about how drugstore deals work from Deal Seeking Mom here or Surviving the Stores here and here.

Don’t worry if you can’t find a coupon for everything. Eventually, you probably will be able to find a coupon for almost anything you want to buy, but don't overwhelm yourself in the beginning, just find what you can.

Don’t worry if you throw away an expired coupon. I am not the most experienced ever, but I have noticed that I usually throw out expired coupons a day or two before I get the exact same one in a paper or on line. It'll come around again.

Don’t worry if you only save $1 on your first try. That's $1 saved! Every dollar counts, and eventually you may be able to save more in coupons than you spend. This is a good goal, but eventually, not right away.

Don't be afraid to take some time to learn the systems, find all the coupons, find the best deals... and eventually you'll be a pro!

Tuesday's Tip

I am new to couponing and fairly new to blogging, but I feel as though I am picking up on things quickly. One tip I could give from what I have been learning is that just because a store has a product on sale does not mean that it is the best deal you can get on that product. In the same way, just because you have a coupon for a product does not mean that it is worth using the coupon on that product.
As you start trying to live a more frugal life, hopefully you will start shopping around more, learning to find the very best deal. As you do this, you will soon begin to have a pretty good idea of the average price of things at various stores in your area. Once you become familiar with these prices, you will know what stores offer the best price, and you will know whether or not a sale on an item at a store really makes it the very best deal.
For instance, if you find out that Walgreens is having a sale on you favorite shampoo this week, you may decide it is best to stock up while you can. But if you have done some research and you know that this brand of shampoo is always cheaper at Wal-Mart than the sale price at Walgreens, you will know it is not as good a deal as it might seem at first glance. In the same way, if this shampoo goes on sale at Walgreens, and there is a store coupon, and there is a manufacturer's coupon, and you can get the shampoo pracitcally for free, you should be ok with stocking up on something you know you can always use. But again, only if it is an amazing deal and only if you can get it cheaper with all the sales and deals than you could at the other store with a regularly lower price plus the man. coupon.
In the same way, just because you have a coupon does NOT mean that you should definitely use that coupon. When it gets to the end of a month and I have coupons expiring, I don't want to feel like I have to use all the coupons, no matter what, just because I have them. This does not necessarily mean I am saving money, but instead means I am spending money I would not otherwise spend, I am just spending less because I have a coupon. Sometimes you can get s store brand that is just as good, but for a much lower price than a name brand product with a coupon.
Do your research, know your favorite products, know when to use a coupon and when to store a coupon, and know when it is best to just throw the coupon away.
Do you have a tip that you'd like to share with us?

More about spending more to save more

This is part 2.
We are trying so hard right now to save money, and yet, it seems we are spending more than usual. It seems like we have to in order to get on track with our spending. I was watching someone in front of me check out at the grocer store yesterday and looked like she was buying just enough for one meal at dinner and a banana. I was wondering if she was coming to the grocery store to buy one meal because it is cheaper than fast food, but could still only purchase enough for one meal at a time.
I know that, most of the time, buying in bulk can help in saving money. It is more initially out of pocket, but in the long run it can help as far as making meals. This is what I try to do to help save money, cook in bulk and put some in the freezer for later, so I know I have quick meals without spending money on fast food or more expensive pre-packaged food at the store. But if I was really hurting for money I wouldn't be able to do this. I wouldn't have the ability to buy in bulk, and therefore to save money. It all seems so backwards. When you really need to start saving money, you have to spend more to get the process going.
What are ways that you start saving money without having to initally put a lot of money into the process? I would love to hear your ideas.

Trial Week 2

This was my second week trying out the whole coupon thing...getting the Sunday paper, clipping internet coupons, reading blogs and other web sites, etc. and I think I have done much better! I left Sunday almost immediately after church to go to PA to visit family with my husband and 3 month old. I took all my lists and coupons, etc, especially for the wgs diaper sale and was so excited, only to find very few (and none near where I was) wgs!
We got back in town Wed afternoon and after my husband fixed a flat we had on one car before we left, i proceeded to go to a couple of stores...got one set of diapers and a few other cheapies/freebies at wgs, and I was satisfied (especially since I thought all the diapers would be gone!)
I left work on Thursday with my 3 month old in tow and hit 3 stores, and when my husband got home later I went to 2 others. These pics only show what I got on Wed and the first 3 stores on Thurs, but I am a proud shopper.
I know my spending is still more and saving still less than many I see in the bloggosphere, but I saved more than I spent (a first ever) and have $40 to use at wgs and cvs next week!

Huggies

I did my first great buy yesterday at Wgs by getting 2 packs of diapers and 1 pack of wipes @ $26, then turned in my $15 in coupons everyone has been printing and then had $10 in RR from dove products last week, so I spent $1 and tax out of pocket...starting to get the hang of it...looking to make another trip to get more stuff today...