With the new Extreme Couponing show that’s airing tonight on TLC (9/28), I thought it would be a good time to bring back some posts I’ve done from the past for new coupon users!! I also want to remind you all to remember that this show is indeed “EXTREME” and couponing is so much better on a more sane level and easier too! Just start out slow, get the deals you LIKE and remember….you are trying to SAVE money, not spend it!

If you are new to couponing you can see my videos here to learn how to use and organize coupons.

Coupon Insert Organization Video

How to get shopping lists ready Video

My Stockpile Video (please keep in mind, some of these items have already been donated or given away)

Coupons: Questions & Answers Video

Walgreens Filler items explained Video

How to organize weekly coupon inserts Video!

I received this message below from reader Stephanie:

“Hello, I have been couponing for four months now. So far just using coupons for my regular groceries. I am now interested in starting a stockpile. How much $ should I budget per month to spend on my stockpile? How long should it take to get a decent stockpile going? After my stockpile is established how much will it shave off of my regular grocery shopping? Sorry for all the questions. I want to have realistic expectations before I get started. Thank you.”

What are your answers?!

Here are the questions again and my answers:

How much money should you budget per month to spend on a stockpile? I don’t really set a budget amount because depending on the sales for that week/month I will most likely be lower than any budget (although some months sales are not as good as others) so it really varies. I find that if I set an actual “budget” I end up getting extra items just because I have an extra $30 to spend. Does that make sense?!

How long does it take to get a stockpile going? Really not that long….especially on items like toothpaste, deodorant, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo/conditioner etc (at least one of these items is free almost every week).

After established, how much will is take off the regular grocery shopping bill? Would love to know other peoples thoughts on this. It’s good to have a good stockpile because then you only have to buy the “staples” to meals. For example, if you’re making pasta for a meal, you can almost always have a great stockpile on pasta and sauce but I like to make my sauce with fresh garlic, so I will just need to purchase garlic as a staple for that meal….see how that can drastically reduce your grocery bill??

*You can also go here to see my stockpile video (please keep in mind, I have since donated some of the extra items (toothbrushes, lip balm, smaller diapers, etc).