Cindy's couponing story!

Cindy's story is the tenth couponing journey we are sharing in our weekly series about how couponing works at your house. She feeds a family of 3 and saves $100 or more every week! Wow! Here is her story and how she makes couponing work in her home.

My great thanks to Cindy for sharing her story. Her advice about not running to every store to get every deal each week is excellent. I met Cindy about 8 years ago when I taught a coupon class (at her house I think!). It's great to see that she is still so successful with her couponing.

I also want to thank everyone who has sent me their stories so far! I look forward to sharing them every week.

If you would like to share your couponing story, it's not too late. Just send me an answer to the questions below at saving@smartspendingresources.com.  We would love to read your story!  To see the previous stories, click the links in the box above. As long as you all keep sending in your personal couponing stories, I will post them on the blog for everyone to enjoy.

Three people, although with a teenage boy, you might as well say I feed four or 5 as he eats 6 meals a day. :-)

To save money. Be a better steward of God's resources.

Off and on about 20 years, but about 7 1/2 or 8 years ago I attended 1 of your classes and I have stuck with it. Your method made coupons easier to find, and just made more sense.

$80- $90

$100-$150

Around 2 - 2 1/2 hours although if there are triples or super doubles I spend more time with shopping and couponing.

In a binder, but not in the baseball card holder. I cut all the coupons and put them in an envelope in special files in the binder and then look in there to find what I need. I used to do it that way, but with the coupon expiration dates getting shorter and shorter by the time they were filed it seemed I was pulling expired coupons.

Usually Walgreens and CVS for non-groceries or at least a lot of them, and mainly for groceries, Harris Teeter, and sometimes Lowes Foods. I also have my hubby do Aldi's produce deals since he works near one.

Not really. I purchase what is on sale (with extras), and because I have a decent stockpile of items I use what I have to plan our meals. As far as when I shop, it depends on when I am going to be near the store, especially if it is HT or Aldi's as they are quite a distance from my home, so I plan those shops when I am in the area to save on gas.

My husband will do Aldi's runs and will help me if I ask, but both he and my son prefer to enjoy the fruits of my labor, and not the actual labor. :-)

Purging expired coupons, I think it is a combination of having to go through them, and feeling like you are getting rid of 'free money'.

Saving 50% or more (usually more) on anything I buy. I just can't stand to pay full price for anything.

Yes I have a stockpile, but it is a bit messy so no photos from me. I do know where everything is at. :-)

I plan pretty much at the beginning of the day what we are going to have, based on what my family wants and what I have time to cook. I always thought that if you figured out what you were going to have at the beginning of the day it really didn't count as 'meal planning'. However this is how I have done it all my life and it seems to work, so if it isn't broke, don't fix it.

I think some people think you have to run all over town to grocery shop and get the best deals. I generally do a CVS and Walgreens quick run each week if they have stuff for free or close to it. I generally try to go to Harris Teeter every week to get their best deals and I pick up veggies (or my hubby does) at Aldi's. That is generally the extent of my grocery and toiletries shopping unless there are triples or super doubles and then I try to go to the store with the special couponing event 2 or 3 times if possible.

When people start off because they don't have a stockpile they are not going to save 50% and greater right at the start, but any savings is better than none. As people get more use to couponing and getting a stockpile then they can shop only the best deals.

I don't save like a lot of people that post on WRAL, but that is okay with me. I am glad for the savings I do get. I could save more by doing more trips, but I chose not to use my time that way, I still save quite a bit of money.

Don't compare yourselves to others! Start small and work your way up, and be grateful for what you do save. Also use the tools that you have like printing off Faye's list and taking it with you shopping. (I do it ALL THE TIME!)