It is Friday! I know you are tired, because you have had a very busy week.
1. What was your hardest assignment?
2. What was difficult to understand:
3. What questions do you have from your assignments this week?
Leave me a comment below answering these three questions, and I will do my best to answer anything I can.
Because over 100 people are participating, please read through the comments and answers too. You never know when you might learn something or be able to teach someone else.
Great job this week! I just might give you the weekend off! 
I disclose : There may be affiliate links in this post.
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
The hardest assignment for me personally was to set the budget and get the newspaper. My husband is moving up in his job and we will be moving in a few weeks. This means a change in the budget for us in every way and I can't exactly get a paper until we get settled and have an address!!
I had already set up a coupon box method and so these steps were easy for me. I have been trying to get better at using the box, so it was helpful. I think that I pretty much understood everything this week. (I've done a lot of previuos research.)
I think my only question is that I"m struggling finding a blogger in the Western part of Pennsylvania. The main chain in the area where I will be living is Giant Eagle (which doesn't have many great deals) and its been impossible to find someone who covers that chain. (other than the link on moneysavingmom's website)
Amanda,
It is hard trying to set a budget (I still struggle with it sometimes) because situations change all the time. Pay changes (that is the hardest for me, especially when hubby is TAD) and it is hard to predict when those changes will occur. It supposable gets easier (haven't seen it get easier yet)
What about posting an ad on Craigslist to see if there are any other couponers in the area you are moving to? Try and set up a day were you all can get together, clip, talk and trade.
1.The hardest assignment for me is to figure out what organization method will work best. I already had a smaller coupon file set up ,but I'm thinking I need to upgrade soon. Having said that I bought a photo box and I can't get the coupons/tabs to stand up lol. Any suggestions?
2.I am still not sure exactly how stockpiling works ,but I know that will come later in the course. Otherwise you did a great job explaining!
3. I have my grocery budget set and I think it's reasonable for us..However, I would love some feedback. Is $35 a week a good budget for 2 ppl and 2 hungry dogs? Also, will that work for me to build a stockpile as well?
Thanks for all of your hard work!
I really enjoyed reading and researching this week. This is something I have needed to to for a long time, but have not for one excuse or another. I have my budget set, but we shop every other week because of when we get paid. I do make a VERY small trip on the off week to get the essentials like milk and bread that spoils, but that's it. I read several places that some people froze their milk and stuff like that. Has anyone tried that? Doesn't it explode?
I have a plan for my coupon filing, but as I said we get paid every other week so I will be getting the supplies and putting it together next week. I also am interested in the stockpiling. I can't wait until the next assignment.
Thank you for doing this for us. I'm grateful to have people to go through this journey with!
I have to be honest the only thing I did was make a budget. I am nervous to jump in and do it. I am afraid I won't be good at it. On the plus side, I had already had a box that we would put coupons in, though I don't know if this is a system that will work for me as I can be forgetful sometimes.
I think I'm ready for the stockpiling part, since I always assumed that coupons were good to use on the things you need right now. But I think I much rather the way you are teaching! I am new to all of this so I am taking everything in as best as I can!! Any tips and suggestions from any veteran coupon ladies would be very much welcomed!!
I've been couponing for almost a year, but this week was the first time I have heard to have one paper per person in your household. The hardest part for me this week was securing 3 papers (we have 4 people but one is still in baby food, so I'm not counting her).
We already have a super-tight budget for food, so my hardest thing to understand is how we're going to save much more than we are now as well as how I'm supposed to pay for toiletry items from that money!
No questions…thank you for doing this!
This has been a very thought provoking week for me. I would say that the hardest part of this week's assignments was creating a budget. I think I have always had something in mind, but never really put it into words or numbers.
Here is my post: http://jollygreenmommy.blogspot.com/2010/06/become-savvy-shopper-in-12-weeks-week-1.html
I think the hardest for me is finding space for my stockpile. I have cleaned out an area in my garage for some itens which has opened up a bit more area in my laundry area and in my pantry. It's not a ton of space, but I will see how much I can fit in…
I'm going to try the cash method for the next month. I'm going to try $150 every two weeks,so $75 per week. I have been wanting to try the cash method for awhile.
Budgeting will be my hardest assingment for the next 12wks. Can we can our budget if needed?
Hey you all! I am finally home from work, so I can work on answering some questions. First, let me tell you what I try to stick to. It works for me, but I hear that most people prefer the separate budgets. I "give" myself $100 each week. I use this for all my shopping (food, clothes, household items, eating out, entertainment, etc.) When I have money left over (not very often), I put it into savings. I will admit though, we eat out too much. Honestly, I probably spend an average of $20 per week on groceries and $10-$20 on other household items. That is very doable with a stockpile like mine.
Allison, Do you have any stockpile at all? If not, I would bump it up just a little to start with, maybe $40-45 per week.
I am going to read through the rest of the comments and respond as I can!
Amanda,
We will start with you. Here is the link to Deal Seeking Mom who features Giant Eagle each week. http://dealseekingmom.com/tag/giant-eagle-deals/ and here is the forum at Hot Coupon World http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/giant-eagle/ . Don't fret, I have actually heard Giant Eagle does have some deals to be found!
Also, make sure you read the article I linked to on finding ways to get cheap coupon inserts. If all else fails, for a while you can order them. CouponBeat.com offers full inserts for reasonable prices and shipping.
Allison,
When you get as many coupons as I have, you won't have the falling down problem
. Until then, I would use something light, but sturdy to take up the space (maybe a small empty box).
I will get a lot more into stockpiling, but the idea is to buy things when they are the least expensive, so you have them on hand when you need them. That way you rarely have to pay full price for anything!
Like I said above, if you can afford it, I would do $40-$45 per week until you get a good stockpile built. I think $35 is possible, but it will take you longer to stockpile.
Jill,
Thank you for your positive outlook! I haven't tried freezing the milk, but there are all sorts of things you can freeze (even eggs without the shell).
I would recommend separating your grocery money into two parts, although you get paid biweekly, if you have the time to shop once a week. Here is why: each week stores have different items on sale for the lowest price. If you shop once a week, you will be able to take advantage of more of the lowest price items. Does that make sense?
Jessica,
If getting the extra paper puts a strain on you, maybe a neighbor or family would be willing to save their inserts.
Don't worry too much about household items. Once we get into shopping at the drug stores, you will see that many of these items will be cheap or free.
Also, starting a stockpile will eventually drop your grocery bill tremendously. I couponed for years without a stockpile and I saved some. Now that I stockpile, I save at least twice as much!
Kara,
You can always change your budget, as long as you can afford it. I just wanted you to have a goal in mind, so that you don't get too excited and overspend. Once you really get into couponing, it is easy to chase after every deal. My goal is to save you money in the long run!
Drmomof2,
Here is one of my favorite sneaky ways to fit more in. This is the back of my pantry door, but you could use this on any door. http://www.mycouponteacher.com/2010/01/saving-money-101_12.html
1. What was your hardest assignment? Budgeting was hard for me as this is the first time I have used a budget.
2. What was difficult to understand: Estimating how much we will need. I think it will take some time to really find that out.
3. What questions do you have from your assignments this week? None yet.
Thanks for doing this series! I know we will all be better for it.
By the way, Shelly, I was fortunate to host a review and giveaway for Savvycents so I will be giving away 2 Savvycents Wallets (great for coupons) next Thursday. I hope you and your readers will come and enter to win.
Amanda,
Here is another blogger with some Giant Eagle Deals. http://www.thecouponhigh.net/2010/06/giant-eagle-best-deals-for-week-610-to.html
I got my July issue of All You today, and it includes an article on stockpiling.
Thank you Shelly for the wonderfull support. I have been fully couponing for about a year. I just recently found out what paper carries the inserts and where to find it within the past 3month or so.
Thank you so much for answering my questions! We don't buy a lot of meat ( only 1 meat eater in the house and it's not me lol) ,so I may try and keep the grocery budget @ $35 for now…Also, I really thought just doing an "overall" budget for grocery,household items,going out to eat,dog food,food to give away,coffee,and entertainment like you do. We have tried to set aside $110 per week for all of those things and that way if I needed to spend more at the grocery store one week I wouldn't feel like I'm blowing the budget…We would just cut back on something else that week.How does that sound?
Also, I wanted to let you know that I will be doing a video blog on YouTube about my progress with your class as well. I've been doing a weight loss vlog on there for over 2 years and I thought it might be a great way to share my progress…I will include the link below.
1. the hardest assignment was. how to set up my coupon book. I don’t have many coupons I can use and couldn’t find baseball card holder.
2. The most difficult to understand is stockpiling. I am still kind of confused on it. I never get coupons for more than 1 item. I guess as I go I will learn. This seems so hard but I love every penny I can save.
3. How long does it take to get to using coupons to save money?
I actually don’t use a coupon binder myself!
I buy more than one newspaper each week. That way I have more than one coupon for the items I like.
You will see yourself buying more and spending the same for about 6 months, then your bills should drop.