My family has always been accomodating of my desire to scrimp and save. They never complained about my bringing home generic brand groceries or making dinner every night instead of going out to eat at nice restaurants. Before we got married, my husband and I mutually agreed that our goal was to become debt-free, from credit cards to cars, to our home (eventually!). I researched ways to save more money, even going as far as making my own laundry detergent!

In my desperate search for extreme frugality, I began thinking about how I could save money on our ever-growing grocery bill. I had grown up clipping coupons for my mom, but I realize now that her method for using them was just average - anyone could save $.25 on a box of cookies or get a $3.00 box of cereal for $2.50.

It was when I began thinking about maximizing my savings and shopping a different way that I found that coupons (as well as store specials and product manufacturer perks) were gold mines!

I have changed the way I shop; I know exactly what I need and how much I will spend before I even enter a store. Now I buy name brand groceries, and my family loves it! Not only can I get the products they want at an incredible price (or free), but I can keep stockpiles of these things in the house, so there's never really a need to make an emergency or impulse purchase and pay full price for something that I have stocked up already.

We are getting closer and closer to our original goal of becoming debt-free. We do smart shopping, and even my daughter checks to see if I have a coupon before she even thinks of asking for something in the store! The Coupon Handbook shows you fool proof ways to multiply the amount of groceries you get for your dollar. Give it a try.  Saving money is just the beginning!

Click to view some pictures of my current stockpile!