Coupons are my friend!

I don't know how many of y'all use coupons, but they are my new best friends! My mom always clipped coupons when I was growing up and I remember following her around the grocery store with her little coupon file checking prices and whatnot. I didn't really start using them myself until I was in college and shopping for groceries on my own. I use them more and more lately, especially since I cook most of the time during the week. And also, since I'm married to an accountant and we both love saving money.
If you take just a little bit of time and planning you can save a ton of money! Here's a few tips:

• Traditional Coupons: Each Sunday I buy the paper. Sunday is the best day for coupons and it really doesn't take that much time to clip them out, 15-20 minutes tops. Plus you get the sale papers for all the grocery stores and Walmart, Target, Walgreens, etc. so you can see who has the best deals each week.
• Online Coupons: I check online each week also for coupons. You simply check which ones you'd like and print them out for the store. My favorites are Coupons.com, CoolSavings.com, and CouponMom.com
• Store Savings Card: I don't leave home without my Kroger or BiLo card. You'll almost always save money even if you don't have your regular coupons. And if you do, you can save double with card savings stacked on top of your paper coupons.
• Online Coupons on your Store Savings Card: Sites like Shortcuts and Cellfire will send coupons directly to your store savings card once you register. You choose your coupons, they're sent to your card. You can even print out your shopping/coupon list to take to the store with you.

My best advice is to take a little time to plan. There are certain products I buy no matter what's on sale, but those are few and far between. I usually plan my meals and menus by coupons and what's on sale each week at the grocery. Where I live, Kroger has chicken breasts on sale every other week, so I buy enough for two weeks and plan ahead. That way I never have to pay full price. Kroger also doubles coupons up to $1.00! So if you have a coupon for .35 that's 70 cents off, and for .50 it's a DOLLAR off!
With a little work and planning you can save a ton of money and you might even find some fabulous new products that you love. Either way, it's a win-win!