The First Step: Research!

I don't have a huge defining moment of when I experienced the epiphany that I should start couponing. That would make for a fantastic story though. I can't even really remember a 'light-bulb' moment. I do know that I used to clip the coupons that came in the Redplum insert and stash them away in a little plastic file folder and when I would go grocery shopping I would pull them out and see if I had any coupons for anything that was already on my list. The more I ask around, this seems to be how a lot of people start...and even where they stop. It's ineffective, time-consuming and isn't really worth the $.50 off the name brand when you can buy generic right?


Well I started doing some research. I goof around on the computer a lot and knew there had to be some knowledge out there, so I used my all powerful Google search and started looking through some coupon blogs. Whew...there are a lot. And it seemed really overwhelming at first. Then I came across this one: www.moneysavingmom.com and it really is the foundation to all my coupon knowledge. What I like the most about her blog is that it isn't cluttered, it's very easy to read and navigate, and she doesn't post every single deal that's out there. She has all kinds of resources and links to other blogs if you want details on the drug store game, other deals and even homeschooling resources. 


After finding this blog, I followed it for months and began signing up for freebies in my mailbox, started scoring some online deals and began reading the coupon basics. Couponing really is a game and if you play it right you win big.  But in the beginning it does require some time. As you get more into it, it takes less time and you become more efficient. But the first thing anyone should know when wanting to start their own couponing journey is to take it slow. You won't want to go to ten stores and a coupon binder won't sprout out of nowhere. 


So...the first step: Research. Visit some of these links and do some reading:
www.moneysavingmom.com
www.dealseekingmom.com
www.thekrazycouponlady.com

Explore their deals. Read about different stores. Check out their Couponing 101 tabs. Then google coupons and see what you can find. There's an insane amount of knowledge, but once you sort through and find some blogs you're comfortable with, it makes the rest of the journey a lot easier. 


Next step....Choosing your stores!-Coming tomorrow! :)


Oh the joy of couponing!