Couponing 101 - Part 1

Would you like to start using coupons but don't know where to start? Or maybe you feel like it takes too much effort to clip and use coupons? In this post, I will concentrate on the basics of couponing and how to get started, with less than an hour of your time each week.

One of the keys to using coupons is not to be too brand loyal. You will be able to use more coupons if you are willing to buy different brands. There are only a few brands that our family is loyal to and will not buy anything else. But I am also able to find coupons and sales for these items. When I find a coupon for one of these items, I buy extra papers or buy the coupons online, and stock up.


If you want to start couponing, you will need some sort of filing system. Some people use large binders with plastic insert pages that can hold baseball or business cards. Others use a small coupon holder. I personally use a coupon holder that is a little bigger than the regular sized ones. It holds all my coupons and still fits in my purse. I bought it at Target for $1.
There are several places to get coupons. The place where I get the most coupons, is the Sunday paper insert. When the paper has a lot of coupons in it that are good, I will sometimes even grab another paper. You can also find a lot of coupons online at places like: coupon.com, smartsource.com, and more. I have also bought coupons on Ebay stores for around $2 for 10-20 coupons. This is a great deal if it's for a product you use often. Just make sure you can use a majority of the coupons before they expire.


I will continue with Part II soon, so look for it.