Couponing

First things first. You're gonna need one of these; an ice cold beverage. With caffeine. ;)

I get three newspapers weekly. One from a subscription, two from the Dollar Tree.  My favorite grocery store (Fry's) values all coupons at $1 (up to 3 of the same, that's why I only get 3 papers. Coupons over $1 are worth face value) so if I use 3 coupons total in a week, the papers pay for themselves. At least that's how I figure it. You could even do more if you wanted because it really doesn't take much more time.

 Pull out your coupons inserts and group the pages together from all 3 papers. So, you'll have 3 of each page stacked together.

 Check folded pages for coupon layouts before cutting all 3 of the same page right down the middle. I use a paper trimmer, it's very time efficient.

 Make a pile of coupons. Your 3 like-coupons usually stick together pretty well.

 Make a discard pile. I DO NOT clip/save all coupons. For me, it's all about getting it done quickly. If I have no need for an item (like Depends or Centrum Silver...) there's no need to keep it, in my opinion. Some people would argue that sometimes products come up free with coupons. If you have the time to shop for and donate free items, more power to you.

Start putting your coupons in your binder. I will thumb through each category as I go and pull out old expired coup's. I also keep like-coupons (same product) together despite their expiration date, but the newest will go behind the others. Some coupons will need to be folded, just try to keep the product and expiration date visible.

This is a baseball card binder from Target. However, I have thought about switching to a regular 3- ring binder with pockets in the cover because it would be useful. If I were to do it over I would just buy a 3-ring binder and the card refill pack.

Here are my categories (divided by cheap Staples dividers).

Baby
Baking
Beauty/Fem
Bread/Tortillas
Breakfast (excl frozen)
Candy/Gum
Canned (excl soup)
Condiments
Dairy
Drinks
Freezer
Hair Care
House Care
Office supplies
Oral Care
Paper products/food storage
Pasta and sauce
Pets
Pharmacy
Produce
Refrigerated and Meat
Shaving and Deoderant
Sides and Rice
Skincare/Lotion
Snacks
Soap and Bodywash
Soup

(in the back)
Rain Checks/Store Credits
Restaurants

As for shopping there's not much of a strategy since most stores' coupon policies have become more strict.  The main thing is to try and use your coupons when an item is also on sale, thus maximizing your savings. Once again, my favorite website to reference is www.thecentsableshoppin.com for AZ peeps. She will help you match coupons to sales.

Yes, couponing takes a little time. BUT my friend who showed ME the ropes (thanks Lanae ;)) told me that when you're saving money it's like a job. Not spending=earning. Kinda.