This is a Guest Post by Heather Sokol. Please contact me if you are interested in guest posting.

At first glance, taking the time to use coupons doesn’t seem quite worth it. 25¢ here, 50¢ there. It doesn’t look like much – until you master the true art of couponing. That’s when it starts adding up to $20 here, $100 there. By the end of a month, you’ll have cut your grocery budget in half.

Worth it yet?

Finding Coupons

Once you decide to join the ranks of extreme couponers, your eyes will be opened to a myriad of coupon sources. You’ve probably seen coupons in the Sunday paper each week, but that is only the beginning! You can also find coupons:

In stores – watch for hanging coupons, recipe booklets and coupons taped to products
In the mail – not all junk mail is created equal. You’ll find store coupons, manufacturer’s coupons and even free coupons in your mailbox.
Online – printable coupons, store coupons (like Food Lion, Kroger Shortcuts & Meijer Mealbox) and mobile coupons (like Target, Cellfire & Upromise) are plentiful .

Clipping Coupons

While clipping & storing every coupon you find will save you the most money long term, you’ll have to weigh the value of your time over the savings. There are a variety of coupon storage solutions to meet you own needs. One of the simplest forms of couponing is to leave all your coupon inserts uncut in file folders. You can cut out the coupons you plan to use at the store as you need them.

Of course, you’ll miss out on in-store specials, manager markdowns and unadvertised deals, but you’ll be spending 15-20 minutes cutting coupons each week instead of the hour or so it can take to manage large quantities of coupons. It’s my favorite system in terms of time saved. My favorite system for maximum money saved? A coupon binder, but it’s overwhelming even me right now. I just don’t have time to keep up on it.

When to Use Coupons

Now that you know where to find them and what to do with them before they take over your house, it’s time to talk about when to use them. Sounds easy, right? You go to the store and hand them your coupons. Okay, sure, but let’s talk about how to really use coupons!

You want to wait until your coupon will get you a product at the best possible price. This means saving it for a sale, combining it with a store coupon and watching for added value like double coupons. Our stores double up to 50¢ every day (and I live in awe of my Atlantic friends who live in the land of 99¢ doubles). Some stores offer promotional periods or require a coupon to receive the savings.

It works like this: You produce a 50¢ coupon for an item you have purchased. The store deducts $1.00 from your total. Beautiful, isn’t it?

Stocking Up

Coupon shopping is most advantageous when you get to the point of never buying anything unless it’s on sale and you have a coupon. Buy several of your family’s favorite brands, and you’ll always have a spare in the pantry to last until the next sale. And, trust me – there’s always another sale!

There is more, of course, as this is just an overview. I wouldn’t have an entire site dedicated to saving money, if I could teach you everything I know in 500 words. But, I hope I’ve provided enough basics & motivation to get you started.

Heather Sokol is the married mother of 3 beautiful girls who always ask for a coupon before they beg for something at the store. She shares her money saving advice, coupons, deals & grocery lists each week to help others live inexpensively.