When I first started couponing and saving, my eyes were a little bigger than my wallet. I figured as long as I was getting a deal (or steal!) I would be fine. Fact: THIS IS TOTALLY UNTRUE. Setting a budget is key to saving money in your home. Sales will come around again and so will the coupons. You dont need every little deal out there to make couponing a success.
For me, there is great satisfaction in finding a deal, going to the store with my coupons and walking out feeling like I just legally stole all their stuff! This high can lead to overspending and undoing all the hard work you put in.
I recommend Dave Ramsey's system when implementing a budget. Not only will he help you watch what you are spending, he helps you pay down debt and save for more important things in life (house, baby, giving everything away to other people, retirement).
We have multiple levels to our budget. First, have your regular food budget. Second, if you plan on stockpiling, create a stockpile budget. This will include the price of the papers you buy, your binder or other organizational system and your baseball card protectors. Figure out what is reasonable for you and then get to clipping!
You will see that after a while, you might not need a huge stockpile budget! After you make the one time investment to get started, you'll just be stocking up on free and cheap items.
Speaking of one time investment...I'll be telling you all the items you need to get you couponing like a pro on my next post..so check back!
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