TIME TO SAVE

  Just like everything else, there are different stages people go through when they find out just how much they can save from couponing.  I have went through all of them.  I first heard about couponing strategies from an old show called Extreme Couponing. 

  As a heads up, there is no way in our area to get the deals you see on that show.  We only have 1 store left that doubles coupons; & that has a limit of up to 50 cents.  Dillons was the last place that had those wonderful 10 for $10 sales; & they are gone.  But even if they had remained, they had limited the number of similar coupons you can use down to 6; so that you couldn't get all 10 for free.  I don't know of a single store here that will give you cash back.  I think it was Piggly Wiggly that did it in the show.  I used to be able to use overages toward another product; but even there some store's computers will not allow that.  It seems a bit silly to me that stores try to discourage couponers with new restrictions, since they actually make more money when someone uses a coupon (they get back the coupon value, plus a few cents over it); but that is what happens.

  So the first stage I went through was the 'I have to get EVERYTHING free!!' stage.  I spent SO much time cutting every coupon, scouring every sale & getting tons of stuff that I either did not need or couldn't use.  I figured it would be good to donate to others, etc.; & I did a lot of that, but it burns you out very quickly.  There's more to life than just getting stuff; & it was all rapidly overtaking my home.  We will talk later on storage ideas. When you are in this phase, there never seems to be enough storage; because there is always more stuff needing to be put somewhere.

  The next phase was the "OK, maybe I only need the stuff I actually use" phase.  This was a LOT better than the first phase; but still took a lot of my time, due to not having the added 'cheats' that hopefully will stick around for future couponers to use.  Again, more on that later.

  I am still partially in the next phase, which is the "I am too busy, & too worn out, to bother much with this stuff; but I will do it once in awhile when something catches my eye" phase.  Also, you quickly find out that the type of foods you get from couponing are at complete odds with the whole foods you need to stay healthy.  I think I will probably end up finding a happy medium between phase 2 & 3; because this phase drastically depletes the things in storage, that you think will never run out.  Plus, the thought of actually paying full price for those things is just not rational to me. ;) lol 

  So let's dive into the world of couponing:



  COUPONING BASICS

  CLEARANCE HELPS

  STORAGE