How To Get Started Couponing

So you have decided that you want to start couponing but you have no idea how you are supposed to get started... Don't worry every couponer out there has been there! We all had to start from somewhere to get where we are today and couponing can seem confusing at first.

The first thing that you are going to need to do when you decide to start couponing is to make sure that you are able to set some time aside each week dedicated to the specific tasks you will have to do associated with couponing. These will include:

• Organizing and clipping your coupons.
• Planning your deals
• Actually going shopping

When you think about the time that you are going to dedicate each week, you should know that if you really want to save the most money possible, you are going to have to put some work in. This means you are going to need more than 20 minutes a week 

Some couponers are going to tell you that they don't spend more than an hour a week on anything that has to do with couponing and I am going to tell you that while that may be true, they really are not getting the best deals. 

Personally, I dedicate at least one to two hours per day for couponing. This includes putting all of my scenarios together, writing up a plan, shopping, getting my coupons, and literally everything that has to do with coupons. That means that for 14 hours a week, I am focused solely on couponing. 

Is It Worth It?

I have had so many people tell me that they did not have time to coupon. The truth is that I don't have time, not to coupon. Most people who know me know that I am a freelance writer. I make really good money and my partner works at a prison so we do okay. However, we do a whole lot better when I coupon. 

For me, when it came to determining if couponing was worth it, I thought of it in terms of what I was getting "PAID" per hour. If I was saving at least 350 dollars per week, I was "earning" the same as I would at my job! 

To me, couponing is almost like a job because while I may not be bringing home 350 dollars, I am bringing home 350 dollars worth of products which keeps our money in the bank! 

It is important that you know how to manage your time when you start couponing but once you see the benefits, I can almost guarantee that you are going to agree with me. 

It is definitely worth it!

What Else?

You will need to think about where you are going to store the items that you get with your coupons. Getting 10 bottles of Tide is not going to do you any good if you don't have a place to keep them all. 

You should also make sure that you have some sort of device to work on. A laptop, a tablet, or phone will work. You may decide that you need a printer if you plan on taking advantage of printable coupons. Of course, you are going to need some way to store your coupons. 

Personally, I use a binder with plastic baseball cardholders to hold all of my coupons. They go everywhere with me. Some people only take a few coupons when they go shopping but that is how you miss out on deals!

What About Coupons?

Of course, you are going to need to start getting some coupons. In order to take full advantage of the deals out there, you want to make sure that you are getting coupons every week. What you are going to find is that the week that the coupon comes out is not always the best week to use it! We'll talk more about this later but you need to start getting your coupons now.

You can get your coupons from many different places. Of course, you can purchase your local Sunday paper. If you purchase the paper, you will want to check them before paying because some of them do not have inserts in them, or they have been taken out. 

You can order them online through a subscription service, where you are not paying for the coupons but for the service. Or you can find a supplier yourself. Personally, I have my own supplier. She does not provide coupons for very many people but she always makes sure that I have them. You want to find someone that you can trust and that you know will get the coupons on a regular basis. You do not want a flakey person in charge of your coupon supply. 

Getting a provider of your own is going to be the cheapest option while purchasing the newspapers is usually the most expensive. 

That's what you need to do in order to get started couponing! Next up we are going to talk about understanding coupon terminology.