A little history...
A few months after getting engaged, I left the corporate world, got married, and moved to Phoenix. New state, new husband, and new....life. How quickly times have changed! Not only did the economy take a 180 degree turn on me, but our combined income was reduced dramatically...and unfortunately, my outgoing expenses had to accommodate that, as well.
So I started cutting back...
..and started clipping coupons.
At first, I started cutting back. I got rid of the cleaning lady, got rid of the chef who coddled my kitchen once a month, and eliminated the monthly shopping sprees to keep up with the "corporate image". (Ed McMahon's wife--God rest his soul could have learned a few lessons from me). I soon learned it just wasn't enough. I had to cut back further.I started a subscription to the Sunday paper and began the brutal task of coupon clipping. I had NO idea what I was doing and quickly became really frustrated. I was unorganized, confused, and had no idea how to file them so I could find them easily when I needed them. As I read through the Lifestyle section, one of the "saving money" articles mentioned Couponsense.com. I figured there would be something out there online, but I just hadn't gotten a chance to surf the web yet.
This isn't your mom's method of clipping.
It's an intelligent website that is absolutely revolutionary.
I took a look and I was hooked. CouponSense let me create a personal profile easily, plugging in where I shop along with other preferences so it's tailored to my shopping habits. The system is very simple. In a nutshell, I create a shopping list, and the system matches the Sunday coupons to the stores that currently have my items on sale. Therefore, I can "stack" my deals and get the best possible prices.They also have a unique filing system. I don't actually clip the coupons until I need them. I log into the system, create my shopping list, and with the click of a button, CouponSense will match a Letter and Number to the item, (if there's a coupon that week). Each week of the year is assigned a letter. Week one=Week A. Each coupon insert is assigned a number range. Redplum ranges 1-199. Therefore, coupon A20 would be located in Week 1, Redplum Insert, coupon #20 from the front.
Finally, someone figured out a way to make it easy. I clip nothing until I'm ready to walk out the door. My mom is stunned and fascinated, and is now convinced that everything can be fixed by a website somewhere.
CouponSense overview on Channel 3 News
...by Jennifer Clarke, Couponsense Instructor
You can get your first month's trial for only $4....
.....by clicking "Referral" and entering in my Referral Code #1712809.
You'll need some sort of a Pendaflex A-Z file to get started, but nothing else really. You can create your own hanging files somewhere, or buy one below, if you need to. My mom told me about the EZ Coupon Organizer below (to carry my clipped coupons and list to each store so they don't fly away). It's made quite a difference, and makes purging the expired coupons a LOT easier, too.
The CouponSense Tool is just one way I have found to save money in this economy. I quickly became a savings guru among my friends, and they kept encouraging me to write everything down in one place and sell my "secrets" (which weren't very secret, by the way) on the web. Because they bugging me until it was done, I was finally able to get a website built, and---after much ado---"The 7 Steps to Savings" was born, and is now up and running. The EBook is 30 pages--with pictures--describing 7 different methods to cut household expenses, save money, and help the environment...all at the same time. And you can have a bit of fun doing it, as well. The EBook's on my website, so have a peek when you're done perusing the products below.
Thanks for letting me share my story, and if you have a good deal to share, or a way to save money, please leave a note below. I think we could all use some helpful tips this year!
~CouponCathy
Cheap Coupon Organizers
..you'll only need something small for the store, but will need a main file for weekly Sunday coupons.
EZ Coupon Organizer - Taupe by Jokari
Again...cheap and easy to take with you.
Amazon Price: $4.79 (as of 12/23/2009) 
21 Pocket Expand File, With Flap, Labeled A Z, Legal, Red (ESS11911) Category: Expanding Files
This is nice, as it conforms to CouponSense weeks by letter, and there's room for some "extras" in here, too...just in case you decide to subscribe to more than one weekly paper (thus double the coupons).
Amazon Price: $20.87 (as of 12/23/2009)
Snap-N-Store Snap Together File Box, Letter , 9.75 Height x 12.375 Depth x 15 Width Inches, Glossy Black (SNS01533)
This is a bit nicer as the lid will hide contents. However, you need your own hanging files labeling them accordingly.
Amazon Price: $11.41 (as of 12/23/2009)
by save-cash-online
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