Coupons, Coupons, Coupons!

Dave Ramsey has a way of stirring up people to change their lifestyles. His plan for getting out of debt works, but it really takes work.   It means cutting down on expenses, living on (and sticking to) a budget, and doing things that you might not have considered doing before...like using coupons.  Yep, that's what I said...COUPONS.  If we are going to succeed at this then we need to change the way we live and couponing is a GREAT way to decrease my monthly grocery/household expenses.

To be honest, I was pretty reluctant to enter into the world of coupons.  I had many misconceptions and quite frankly, pride that had to be overcome.  But thanks to Extreme Couponing TV show on TLC (that show is crazy!), the encouragement of friends (including my husband), and most importantly some EXCELLENT blogs, I have taken the plunge. I did some research and took a class.  And I have found that, yes, it takes time, but it is also very fun!  I have enjoyed watching my items add up and then watch the total plummet as my coupons and club card savings are entered.  It's AMAZING!

I started out by having three Tacoma News Tribune newspapers delivered to my house every Sunday (this is where I get a majority of my coupons) and have begun scouring the internet (sites like coupons.com, couponnetwork.com, Target.com, Safeway.com, etc) at every opportunity to find coupons that I can print. Then I watch my favorite local blogs (Queen Bee Coupons, Frugal Living NW, Thrifty Northwest Mom) for the "match-ups" that link the weekly store ads/sales with the coupons from the paper.  Then i make a list, pull my coupons and head to the store.

I am currently in the process of building a "stockpile" of items that we will actually use (that's the key) and buying them they go on sale.  The best time to stockpile an item is when the item is on sale, you have a store specific coupon AND a manufacturer's coupon...I call this Coupon Nirvana. This is how you get things for really, really cheap!

I am going to begin sharing my escapades as they happen hoping that it will encourage all of you as you plan your shopping trips.

Do any of you use coupons regularly?  What tips do you have to the newbs out there?