Today’s guest post is courtesy of Jessica, otherwise known as The Debt Princess.  Jessica shares her secret to managing her grocery coupons – something I’ve never been able to accomplish!  Enjoy!

I would guess that we are all similar in our road to frugality. When our budget got tight, we brainstormed ways to save money. We stopped getting those glorious drinks at Starbucks each day. We cut out a gym membership; you can get fit without one, right? We even started clipping coupons. For various reasons, however, many of you stopped using coupons after a period of time. It was just too complicated. You were too disorganized. You always forgot to bring them with you. So many different reasons yet I’m sure we’ve all been there a time or two.
In the beginning of my frugal lifestyle, I clipped the coupons each Sunday morning and then used them that week at the store. I saved some money, sure, but I didn’t really utilize the coupons to their maximum potential. A few years later I began following a website that showed me how to match up my coupons with the sales in order to save the most money. I was saving so much and got so many great items that I wanted to do it more. This led me to exploring the many different coupon systems one can use to stay organized.

First I used the regular spiral organizer. This was a decent method, if I only occasionally shopped but I quickly filled it up and needed to branch out. Next was the file card box. This was a bit sturdier than the spiral organizer but if I dropped the box, it would pop open and I would end up with coupons everywhere. Picking up 150 coupons twice in one shopping trip was enough to end that system. Third was the binder method. This method kept me tremendously organized which is a difficult feat. It was a good system, however, my binder was heavy and I would tend to leave it in the car because I just didn’t want to carry it. In the end that method was abandoned for something else. There were probably 4 more systems or products that I bought and made that did not work for me. It was very frustrating. Eventually I gave up on coupons sighting my inability to stay organized as the reason.

About a year ago, I sat down and listed everything I needed in a coupon system. I came up with a very short list. It needed to be easy to transport, easy to organize, easy to use inside the store and if I were to drop it, I needed the coupons to be refiled easily.  I came up with this:

It is a combination of all the methods I have read about on the Internet but adapted to fit my needs. What I have is a plastic accordion folder that I purchased for $4.00. It is separated into 13 sections that I labeled with my label maker according to sections of the store that made the most sense to me. My sections are: Baking, Beverages, Breakfast Foods, Cleaning/Laundry, Perishables, Personal Care (actually gets 2 sections), Shelf Stable, Snacks, Pet Supplies and Other. I have envelopes in each section for the sub-categories. For example inside the Perishables section I have envelopes for “Dairy,” “Meat,” and “Produce.”

When I cut out my coupons on Sunday night, I place them in the appropriate envelope (I just used the 3 1/2 x 6 inch envelopes for the sub-categories.). When it’s time to plan my shopping trip, I will pull the coupons I want for each store I’m going to and place all the coupons into the envelope for that store.

This system has worked very well for me for the past year. I have not gotten frustrated and stopped using coupons. It is light weight and fits into most of my purses. I buy 2-3 newspapers each week and have yet to find it too full. This coupon organizing system has brought me success and I feel confident that it could work for you as well.

For a more detailed description of my coupon system, please visit my blog, The Debt Princess.

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Just who is The Debt Princess anyway? Jessica, a 30 something (ok mid 30′s, but it’s the internet who’s counting) single mom of two young boys. She is financially challenged aka she’s flat broke and has a mountain of debt that she is trying to conquer. Taking the half full approach while swallowing her pride she discusses the challenges of being unemployed and forced to return home to live with her mother, she uses the negatives to motivate her to move in the right direction to financial freedom. The Debt Princess Blog is not only intelligent but humorous with a heaping dose of reality. She has inspired others to reassess their own financial situation to make a change for the better.

Today begins the first of a few guest posts you’ll find here over the next two weeks while I am on a mini tour of the country.  Thanks so much to Rachel for writing this super informative post!  When I read the post I honestly thought “Hmmm… why aren’t I doing these things?!”  Enjoy!

Hi Fantabulously Frugal readers! I’m Rachel from Diet Starts Monday!, and I’m beyond excited to be your guest poster of the day. Lisa asked me to write about something near and dear to my heart – you guessed it, FOOD. Of course you are all well-versed in fashion steals and deals, but I thought I would share my favorite quick tips for saving time and money in the kitchen. Let’s begin, shall we?

Tip #1: Shop the Front Page of the Grocery Ad

You know those grocery store circulars that clog up your mailbox every week on Wednesday? Don’t toss ‘em  - they’re actually your key to savings. I’m a coupon addict, but even if you would rather punch yourself in the neck than think about clipping coupons, this will work for you. Generally, the front page of that weekly ad showcases the “best buys”, and planning your recipes or dinners around those items will save you money. When I see a favorite ingredient on the front of the ad, like say, salmon or pasta, I’ll buy enough for that week, plus more to throw in the pantry or freezer for another time (more on freezer magic later). Grocery ads can also be found online. Many stores will require you to have a frequent buyer card or “club” card to get the sale price – these are free, so sign up and start saving!

Tip #2: Seasonal = Sale

Speaking of the grocery ads, another item that shows up often on sale is produce. Typically, produce is the least expensive (and tastiest!) when it is in season. True, there’s no longer such a thing as a “season” for fruits and veggies at the grocery store – you can buy anything, anytime. But, it’s worth noting that it’s cheapest according to the time of year in which it is traditionally harvested. For instance, ears of corn are dirt cheap in the summer; pumpkins and squash are on super sale in the fall. A harvest calendar can be found here.

Same goes for produce found at your local farmer’s market. I’m a big proponent for buying locally if you are able to…or in my case, can get your lazy behind out of bed on a Sunday morning to get to the farmer’s market! Fresh, local produce just tastes better, and in turn, will make your cooking taste better – and you can take all the credit (that can be our little secret)! Cooking and trying out recipes that include in-season fruits and veggies will make for a money-saving, delicious meal.

Tip #3: The Freezer is Your Friend

My freezer and I are buddies. My television is my bestie, but that’s another blog post entirely. I buy multiples when items are on sale, and store in the freezer to use later so that I always have a few inexpensive options on hand for dinner. No more running to the grocery store to grab an overpriced steak – I already have a couple I bought on sale in the freezer. It’s not just Hot Pockets and Eggos anymore, folks! Items that freeze beautifully: all meats and seafood, including lunchmeats, bacon, and sausages, shredded cheese, tortillas and breads, pesto, butter, uncooked casseroles, and chocolate chips. Depending on the item, food can frozen for up to a year; just follow this handy freezer storage chart from the USDA.

Another tip for using your freezer: make your own frozen dinners. Let’s say you’re making lasagna for dinner. Why not double the recipe, and throw half of the uncooked lasagna in the freezer? You’re already dirtying up pots and pans. Make it even easier and buy the cheap disposable foil pans from the grocery store and use those, cover the lasagna (or casserole, or enchiladas, or baked ziti, you get the picture) in a few layers of foil, and freeze immediately. Then in a month or two when opening a bottle of wine is all you can muster for dinner, you can literally grab the lasagna out of the freezer, place it directly in the oven, bake, and give yourself a high five for being awesome.

I hope these tips were helpful – you can find more info and recipes at Diet Starts Monday!