My thoughts on Couponing

I have recently heard from a few different friends that find the whole couponing thing to be to overwhelming and time consuming so they just give up and go back to their old way of shopping. It makes me sad! I look at a lot of different couponing blogs out there and I see women in the store who are so obsessed with couponing and with "She who gets the most for the least wins" syndrome that they let it rule their lives! I want you all to know that it does not have to be that way!

• So many people think that if you want to do this you have to get 5 Sunday newspapers and spend every moment looking for the deal! YOU DON"T!! I will let you in on a secret! I DO NOT GET EVEN 1 SUNDAY PAPER!!! My parents don't coupon (even though I try to get them too) so my dad sets the ads aside for me and I pick them up when I am in the area, sometimes if my inlaws don't want theirs they will also give them to me! You would be surprised how many people out there get the paper and never even look at the coupons! Just ask around to friends and neighbors, I bet you can find at least 1 or 2 that would give you the inserts!


• I get most of my good coupons from the computer. There are soooo many internet coupons out there! If you have more then 1 computer use both to double them! If you need more call around to those same family and friends and I bet they can print some out for you and you can pick them up along with the inserts!


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  Now that you have your coupons just find a few blogs you like and check them while you are on the computer, it doesn't take long because honestly you will find lost of duplicate info, so just scan them for things you are looking for, print them out or just write it out on a pad. I like to write it out like below just so I know what I am looking for, I match it with the coupon and I know how much it will cost, then I am not flustered in the store. Then I put the list with the coupons in a clear page protector in the front of my binder so it is all together and ready to give the cashier.

Store Name
Item & Price
Use this coupon or coupons
Final price

• If I were shopping at Albertsons using a sale I would go to

-Pinching Your Pennies then click on
-State Forums- select
- select your state then go to
-Albertsons sale for current week then go to
-Printable Grocery Smarts shopping list once there you want to go to the upper right and hit the “Start” button, this will allow you to click on what you want to get from the sale,
-once you have gone through the list hit the “shrink” button which will shrink the list to only the things you selected.
-Now just print out your list
-Match it with the coupons and you are ready to go!

Really that is all there is to it! I may be the only one with a blog that does not tell you that you have to get 5 papers, you don't have to dedicate hours of your day to the hunt of the sale. I have 3 kids with one on the way, I have a part time job let alone the job of being a wife and mother. I know many of you are in the same boat, you just want to take care of your families for less and I hope that I can help you do that! I hope these tips help! I am happy to help anyone out with any questions you may have, just email me at www.hookedonsaving.blogspot.com and I will do my best to help you! I would be happy to do an informal class if anyone would be interested, just email or leave a comment. Please don't give up on the savings! You can do it! You don't have to cut your grocery bill in half but every penny saved is a penny earned!