Lots of people who are just starting out get super excited about all of their coupons and want to use all of them right away... and I advise against that! If you start off too strong, you will get burned out, frustrated, and may even give up on using coupons. If you ease into it gradually, though, you will quickly learn the ropes and become a confident shopper!
The best way to start is... small. Find a store in your area that does price-matching. Walmart stores, for example, will price-match any store within 50 miles. Choose a few items to price-match and be sure to bring in the competitor's ads, in case they give you a rough time. Walmart workers are notorious for giving customers a hard time with price-matches and coupons. (Tip: when price-matching, tell the cashier as soon as you begin checking out that you are price-matching certain items. Then, as they scan each item, tell them the price-match price [or show them the ad, if they want]. It may also be helpful to separate the price-match items from the other items!) (Tip: when doing price-matches and using coupons, try to find a young cashier. They seem to be much more understanding and patient!)
I did price-matching for several months before I began using coupons. It's a great way to save a few dollars and time running around town! Be aware, though, that even if Walmart is matching other stores' prices, you will begin to save lots more money when you use coupons and shop at stores that double them! :)
When you're ready to use the coupons you've collected clipped, and filed, go into a store that you know well, armed with only a few coupons. There's no need to go to every store in town with every coupon in your Sunday paper! The first time I went to Kroger with the intention of really using coupons, I had 2 coupons for small tubes of deodorant, 2 coupons for bigger tubes of deodorant, and 2 coupons for body wash. I didn't know whether they would double or if they would even work. (I was very skeptical after many failed attempts to "coupon.") To my surprise, they all worked (and doubled to $1!) and I walked out with all 6 products for under $6! I called my mom and told her about my GREAT shopping trip and my new tiny stockpile, and I was hooked!
If I had started with many more coupons, I know I would have been super stressed out and maybe not even tried to use them. But, since I started small, I was able to handle it! I still don't have a ton of things in my stockpile (and still call it my "tiny stockpile,") but it's slowly growing! I love knowing that I have enough deodorant to last for several months and that my husband won't have to use my shampoo when his bottle runs out.
[I'm trying to upload a picture of my tiny stockpile... it isn't working!]
Stay tuned for more tips for your first trips! :)
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