I found an amazing website online that captivated me, primarily because, while I love to save, collecting coupons has not been my forte. I was fortunate to interview Amy, the owner of a great savings site called TheOriginalCouponCoach, with the intention of having a better grasp of just how to tackle the stigma of "couponing"!

I started couponing years ago and now have it down to a science. One day my neighbor was complaining about her very high grocery bill every week. I asked if she used coupons and she said, “No.” I showed her a some ins-and-outs of couponing and she was thrilled to save almost $100 on her next grocery store trip! I knew right there and then I needed to become a teacher of couponing to help others! I’m combining what I love to do with helping others. It doesn’t get much better than that!

Coupons are everywhere! Here is a list of some from my website, where more can be found TheOriginalCouponCoach:

Sunday Coupon Inserts
Coupons.com
Smartsource.com
Redplum.com
Product Websites
Store Websites
Inside packages
Magazines

Absolutely! There are many store cashiers who don’t understand how coupons work or who don’t want to see others save money. Whatever the reason, they’re out there and they will try to stop you from using some of your coupons. To handle this, first and foremost is to be prepared. Make sure you are purchasing the exact item called for on the coupon (including any specified size, color, flavor, variety, number, etc.) Also make sure you are not trying to use expired coupons. So if you’re sure the coupons are valid, stand your ground, but do it nicely. Try showing the cashier the products and point out that you did purchase the correct number or size as stated on the coupon. If that doesn’t work, I would ask for a manager. Managers are very knowledgeable in coupons and will most likely try to appease the customer. If nothing works, simply let it go. It’s not worth getting into a fight over (which, believe me, has happened to people I know).

By combining sales with coupons, a person can potentially save up to 50% or more on their grocery bill! I used to spend $450-$500 per month for my family of 4 (one still in pull ups). Since I have sharpened my couponing skills, I now spend only $200-$250 per month!

My favorite money-saving resources include Thrifty Fifty, Hot Coupon World, Ebates.com, and Coupons.com.

I collect coupons in 2 piles (food and non-food) on my desk until I have the time to put them away. Then I put them away in an organizer I invented and will be selling next year. It has sections for each category like Baking, Canned, Pasta, Snacks, etc. Then within each category, I have each type filed separately. For example, in the Baking category, I have filed separately Baking Ingredients, Spices, Baking Mixes, etc. Filing the coupons takes about a half-hour per week while I am catching up on my DVR. I usually do this while I am making out my grocery list for the week so I can get a feel for what new coupons I have. I have actually written a post on organizing coupons, which you can find here.