single mom couponingI am a coupon newbie. I’ve used them before here and there, but never as a primary means of saving money on my grocery bill. The first time I started I saved about 25-30%. It was very earth shattering to me but I know that continuing the challenge will yield better results.

In the beginning it seems overwhelming. I spent hours scouring sales papers and clipping coupons. It was not entirely fun but I kept at it. A trick I learned was to collect coupon inserts for many weeks. This is so you can use coupons from the distant past, but haven’t expired, for products that are on sale today.

The coupon craze is serious. There are entire websites and forums as well as book that explain how to cut grocery cost by using coupons.

Most of the people who use coupons are married and stay at home moms. They seem to have more time to devote to the process. When I looked at all the work involved and the limited time I have I was discouraged.

The reason I decided to move forward was because I have financial goals I want to reach. I can reach them faster if I cut expenses in different areas. The reality is my kids are growing and eating more, especially my son. He is always hungry and I have to buy more food. Unfortunately the more I have to buy the more money I’ll have to spend.

I will not deprive my children of food so I must take advantage of the new knowledge I have. I will make using coupons work. So even though I feel coupon clipping is a time consuming task, I will work it in my schedule.

I can clip coupons while I watch television. I can get the kids to help clip and organize them. I can pay my daughter a few dollars from the savings. I’ve determined that coupons can be the single mom’s best friend, especially as the years go by and the kids grow and demand more food. In the grand scheme, coupon clipping is a necessary part of life these days and to help grow my bank account.