Do You Coupon?

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Do you coupon?  I'm not talking being featured on TLC for extreme couponing, I just mean - do you use coupons?  If you don't, I would strongly urge you to consider it.  And if you're considering it, this is a pretty good week to start... there are 6 (SIX!!!) coupon inserts in this week's newspaper - that's a great way to start!

Not only will couponing help you to save money on your groceries and personal products, but it will also help you save on your holidays.  How, you ask?

Valentine's Day - there's always coupons for Valentine's Day candy.  Pair those with a sale and you can get some very inexpensive candy. 

Easter - Same as Valentine's Day, you'll get great deals on candy.  Also, last year at Easter time we saw AWESOME coupons for some toys (I got the Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Dog for $3 with coupons last year at Easter time - no lie).  You can use these toys for Easter baskets or save for your gift closet.

Summer Picnics - You'll find great deals not only on the food you're going to serve at your picnics, but also on the paper products that you'll need.

Halloween - Again, candy!  I don't think I've ever seen a coupon for costumes, however, if you follow coupon blogs, you'll definitely see which stores/sites have the best deals on costumes. 

Thanksgiving - There will be tons of coupons for the traditional Thanksgiving fare.  AND... Black Friday at the drug stores is awesome!  You're able to score so many free items!

Christmas - Again, coupons for candy and food.  You may also find some coupons for toys.  But just like with Halloween, if you follow a coupon blog or two, you'll see the best deals on toys to snag them at the lowest prices.

I've been couponing for almost 3 years now.  But I'll be honest - I'm not very good at couponing at the grocery store.  Maybe it's just the area of the country I live in, who knows, but I could never be on Extreme Couponing!  But I am able to save a few dollar each time I go, so I'll take that. 

But where I really save money is in toiletries.  I rarely ever pay for toothpaste, tooth brushes, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, razors, shaving cream, body wash, mouth wash and the list goes on.  And when I do pay for those items, I pay less than $1, 100% of the time. 

So even though I can't get $500 worth of groceries for $0.89, I figure I'm still saving a ton of money on necessities by getting free toiletries!

If you are interested in getting started couponing and don't know where to start, here are the resources I used when I started couponing:

My Frugal Adventures:  Couponing 101
Couponing to Disney:  Getting Started
My Frugal Adventures:  Drug Store 101

If you do start couponing, remember that you aren't going to save 97% your first week!  Take it slow, and before you know it, you'll be seeing big savings!