Single Mom; New to Couponing

[Gettingouttahere]

OP, suggest you go to the Drugstore/Grocery forum at slickdeals-dot-net.

It can be VERY intimidating to start doing this on a regular basis with the goal of getting free stuff. I used to go in with my heart pounding, certain that it would never work and cashiers would accuse me of trying to steal. But that fades after a while, once you learn the ropes, find the coupon-friendly cashiers, and get more confident in your strategies. The thing about that SD forum is that nobody is going to encourage you to use coupons incorrectly, and the scenarios that are outlined there are vetted by the best couponers around.

There is a sticky at the top of the drugstore/grocery forum titled "New couponers, don't be scared, you can do this!"
READ IT all the way through and don't be afraid to ask questions.

Then find the local grocery and national drugstore chain threads for the ones you use, and subscribe to them. READ first. Until you've got a few weeks under your belt, just read. Go back to the "new couponer" thread and ask questions if anything is confusing.

There is a coupon train on SD, I think, but I don't participate so can't be more helpful there.
There is a thread listing online sites to buy coupons.
There is a thread listing every coupon in every upcoming insert, and it's posted in advance so you can know what Sundays to stock up on papers (or scrounge for extras somehow)
There is a weekly thread for every major drugstore.
There are continuous rolling threads for Target, Wal-Mart, and all the grocery stores.

You will be overwhelmed by the information at first. Again, just read, go to the new couponer thread to ask your questions (SDers don't take kindly to new posters asking basic questions in the weekly threads - they are too fast-moving)

It's better to start there and learn right than to go to the mommy blogs, where incorrect coupon usage and impossible-to-duplicate scenarios are the norm.

[Starr.R]

Thank you for the information about slickdeals-dot-net. I may check them out.

[howard555]

Originally Posted by LadyCoupon321

I live in the Triad area of N.C. and want to really save money at the grocery stores due to being a struggling single mother. I have a college student son living at home and a middle schooler daughter who plays sports. I only survive off of disability and a "few dollars" on my food stamp card (literally). I need all the advise I can get in how to start and continue to extreme coupon in the local areas. I need to know what local stores (especially in Greensboro, NC) allow double couponing, what are the best ways to get the coupons without buying them or dumpster diving, and what tips do you have? Thanks in advance.

LadyCoupon321

a. Food Lion does not double.
b. Lowes Foods and Bi-Lo double up to 99 cents and Bi-Lo has ZVR's you can use on top of a manufacturer coupon.
c. Harris Teeter doubles up to 99 cents and has Super Doubles or Triples, about once a month. They also have ZVR's where you can stack coupons.
d. Publix does double up to 50 cents and has store coupons that can be used on top of the manufacturer coupon.
e. Walmart and Target.....well why shop there when you have b. and c. above?

There are coupon sites where you trade paypal handling fee, stamps, concealed, or BTFE, or coupons you have on hand, for coupons that you need. Or get family, friends, and neighbors to save you their Sunday inserts.

All stores have limits now, so extreme couponing (as implied by the TV show) is not real.

Ask any questions you have.

You do live in (or live on the edge of) Coupon Heaven whether you know it or not.