How to get started couponing

I was talking with some other moms today about how addictive couponing has become for me. When they heard how much money I was saving, they wanted to know how to get started. One even told me she had tried and gotten too frustrated. Boy, do I understand that feeling. I spent a good year reading other mom blogs, drooling at their savings, but feeling completely overwhelmed with getting started.

Couponing can be as much or as little work as you want it to be, but you will obviously see more rewards with more work. I spend as much as 5-10 hours a week organizing, clipping, and creating grocery lists. I clip from the Sunday paper (and I get 3 sets of those coupons from family), print coupons online, and cross check sale lists for all 4 major grocery stores in my area as well as CVS and Walgreen's.

Now it wouldn't be very ecomomical of me to spend a lot of time explaining the basics of couponing when many others have written detailed accounts on the same topic. So my first set of links will take you to a variety of articles on how to get started.

The second set of links are legitimate coupon printing websites and forums that can help you get started couponing.

Lastly, always check company websites for coupons and promotions. Just because you are budgeting doesn't mean you always have to go without! I'll often check a website for a new product, get a coupon, and watch for it to go on sale to get the maximum deal.

How to get started couponing:
http://www.mrsmoneysaver.com/getting-started/
http://momsloveshopping.com/easy-steps-for-grocery-savings-show-21/
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2008/03/cvs-101.html

Great sites to get coupons/get started:
http://www.afullcup.com/
http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com/forums/
http://coupons.target.com
http://www.coupons.com (this site provides many of the same coupons you can get in the Sunday paper)

If you want help matching your coupons to store sales, I recommend the following websites. If you are interested in local and organic couponing deals, I try to post the best deals every week. However, I no longer buy non-organic, non-natural groceries.
www.thegrocerygame.com
www.moneysavingmom.com