How much time and effort do you spend on this? I hear people talking about getting $100 worth of groceries for just a couple of $, but it seems like so much work!!! Also, do you have to change your eating habits to accomodate what you have coupons for?

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~Happiness is a large family~

When you first get started it's extra work, but once you get a system set up that works for you then it's not so bad. I do spend 2-3 hours a week between cutting them out and organizing but I try to do this while watching tv or I get my kids to help-they get to find the matching coupons. We actually eat more brand name and convience foods now because I would have never paid full price for what I get now. Example I got four tubs of I can't believe it's not butter for .15. Not for each but .15 for All of them. They were BOGO plus I had four coupons that the store doubled. This past grocery trip (I go every two weeks) I paid $200 for $386 worth of groceries.

Personally I think the key is grocery stores that double and triple your coupons. We don't have stores that do that around here. I have only ever saved $10-$15 per trip (3-4 per month) which I think is great, but it's not anywhere near your $186 mark writermommy4. LOL

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I am my son's mom & my husband's wife.

It does take some time - and I don't spend as much as I should - but it's hard for me to get a system that works for me here. I had my act together in my old area, but have really been struggling since moving. One reason is that I am not currenly get coupons regularly - just some here and there. When I do use them, I would say I spend about the same amount of time as writermommy4 and mostly in front of the TV or when the kids are doing homework I sit with them. You do have to have the resources available to use to review sales and such ~ and you need to go with a plan. If you are just carrying them with you when you go, and fly by the seat of your pants, it tends to be more frustrating.

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There are no stores around here that double coupons and I only have a HyVee and a WalMart to shop at. Where do you guys get all the coupons from. Even when I get a Sunday paper I only ever see a couple of coupons for things I actually buy.

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~Happiness is a large family~

I agree I tend to find coupons for things I dont need and to me why save money On things I dont need! anyhow I was wondring too how to find the coupons for things I might actually use!!

What do youuse to Organize those coupons?? a book or a puch thing?? or what ever?

I get coupons from the Sunday paper, if it's a good week I buy more papers.

I have also in the past purchased from eBay, but not often. For some products I contact the manufacturer and request coupns, 9 time out of 10 I receive coupons in the mail from them, including for things like organic beef, etc.

Now in my family we do not eat much boxed, frozen, ready to eat stuff so sometimes it seems as if I'm not getting many coupons just because my family doesn't eat that stuff.

However, just because a coupon comes out this Sunday doesn't mean I use it now, sometimes I might hold a coupon for months before I "play" it.

I belong to a pay site that tells me when the right time to play my coupon is, when it matches up best with an in store deal.

I might not walk out with $100 of food for $3, but last week my savings was 70% and the week before that it was 78%. I love watching the cashier hit total and see the shelf amount and then apply store sales and my coupons and watch that total drop, drop, drop, and drop some more!

As for the time... maybe 20 minutes a week? I clip coupons I want each Sunday morning and have two smallish coupons holders and file them into my holders. They are both small accordian style folders, each with 13 slots. One is for food & beverages and the other one is househols (hair, teeth, lotion, pcleaning, plastics/ paper, etc).

However, since I belong to that pay site, I don't have to spend the time to match up my store ads with coupons, they tell me, so that saves a ton of time. For me it's well worth the money I spend for the service, I still am way ahead in the game of saving money.

I get mine from the Sunday paper too. Sometimes I get them off manufacturers websites. You can print them off and use them. I list mine on a spread sheet also, because sometimes stores have good sales on things that they don't advertise. Right now mine are separated into categories-dairy,frozen,etc in seperate envelopes. I'm trying to come up with something even easier, but this works for me right now.

I think the best way to save is to only buy things that you use... not extra items... or buying items just because you have a coupon. Try to use coupons if you can double or triple them and when those items are on sale. Those are the keys to saving the MOST.

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Mommy to Bailey 10/02, Brooke 9/04, & DJ 6/06

Check out my scrapbooking blog!
http://nevillland.blogspot.com/

Join a coupon train!! We have some here at mommysavers, you can make up your wish list and people can send you the ones YOU need, if they don't already use them. And same for you, get rid of the ones you don't use, and keep the ones you do. the coupon trains have really helped me out!

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~Missy~Mommy
Meghan7.Samantha6,Cameron4

Back together!! Sept 28th Boston TDCenter!! Woohooooo!