Let’s face it—clipping coupons is a lot of work! You have to track down enough coupons to stock up on your favorite sales. Then you have to cut the coupons out and organize them into your coupon storage system. And, then you can finally go shop & save.

There are several coupon clipping services that will do the bulk of the work for you. You can’t buy coupons, but you can pay someone to find & clip them for you. You choose the coupons you want, pay for the service and neatly clipped coupons will arrive in your mailbox. Here are a few of the services I have used:

• Coupon Carry-Out
• Coupon Clippers
• Coupon Master
• Grocery Coupon Auctions
• Manufacturers Coupons Net

I know it’s a bit of a gray area when it comes to ethical couponing, but sometimes I just don’t have the time to track down the coupons I need. I either learn to budget without coupons or gratefully take advantage of the services these companies offer.

What do you think about coupon clipping services—do you use one?

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Photo Credit: Heidi Kennedy

I also take a quick peak at my favorite sites for printable coupons and print what I need for our other meals—cereal, pasta and other dried goods. It’s a simple way to save on the things we need, even when I don’t have the time to clip coupons every week.

With Red Plum, Smartsource and Cellfire, I can find coupons for a lot of the items we use every week.

And the rest, I stock up on at the warehouse store. I keep a running list of bulk discount bargains and make a trip to Costco about once each month for basics like seasoning, trash bags and lunch supplies for the girls. Not to mention a giant box of microwave popcorn! We’re totally out of popcorn right now—it’s kind of a staple around here.

And so, I’m headed to Costco later today to save a bit of cash—in the spare time I have between carpool, Girl Scouts and doctor’s appointments this week!

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If you’re already a coupon user, the idea of grocery savings is not new, but there is always room for improvement for an even lower budget. If you’ve scoffed at couponing before, I hope the last few weeks at looking at your finances has opened your eyes to new opportunities for budget savings.

From online coupon codes to clipping coupons to printable coupons, stores & manufacturers are constantly throwing free money to savvy consumers. Once you learn a few extreme couponing skills—no, not that extreme—you’ll be able to greatly reduce your grocery budget to free up funds for other spending categories, vacation savings or debt management.

When I first learned how to coupon, back in college, the savings became my entertainment budget. If I saved a few dollars on things I was already buying, I could afford an evening at the dollar theater. If I saved even more, I had the money to join my friends for dinner first. Eventually, my weekly shopping list came straight from the sales fliers, and trimming our grocery budget became a way to afford a better lifestyle.

But, even I have room for improvement. I get lazy, my coupons become disorganized, and I order from Amazon without a second glance at other sites & available coupon codes. This month, I’m getting back in the game—and I plan to win! I’ve cleaned out my pantry, organized what’s left of my stockpile and I’ll be regaining control of my coupon binder.

Your challenge for today: If you are already a coupon user, sort through your coupon stash. Toss expired coupons, organize recent coupons & bring awesome ones to the forefront so you won’t forget to use them! If you are a new coupon user, decide on a coupon organization system that works for you and start collecting coupons to use with your next grocery shopping list.

Then, decide what you’re going to do with all that extra money!

I’m not a financial planner or a budget expert. I’ll just be walking you through the steps I take each time my budget needs an adjustment. In fact, I’ll be participating myself!

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For $10, the Go Local Card offers great discounts on dining, shopping and attractions and is a fantastic way to support local businesses. The card can be purchased online or at any participating business and can be used immediately. Our card paid for itself the first day!

Any time we’re looking for something new to do or somewhere new to eat, we take a look at where our card is accepted. There are dozens of business that accept the Go Local card in Austin, but here are a few of my favorites:

• Alama Drafthouse Cinema – 10% off food & beverage
• Austin Canoe & Kayak – 10% off rentals
• Austin Museum of Art – 2 for 1 admission
• Hey Cupcake! – 10% Off
• Jo’s Coffee – 10% off
• Kerbey Lane Cafe – 10% off
• Torchy’s Tacos – 10% off
• Book People – FREE tea or coffee with purchase
• Toy Joy – 10% off and FREE vegan soft-serve ice cream

Go Local cards are also available for Atlanta, Boulder, Portland, New Orleans, Houston and several other Texas cities!

Follow @GoLocalAustin for updates on participating businesses!

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2. Austin Holiday Sing-Along & Downtown Stroll
3. Austin Farmers’ Markets

I do have our geek department hard at work on a new system to make creating our grocery lists easier for our contributors, to make the lists more consistent for our readers. I am not abandoning you, but I do want to equip you will the tools you need to build your own coupon shopping list when you need it.

As it turns out, Dian from Grocery Shop for FREE has already created an awesome system for just that—Team Inexpensively is pretty much awesome! Print her coupon shopping list, and watch her video. Once you have ads & coupons in hand, you’ll be ready to compile your own coupon matching grocery list.

1. How to Create a Coupon Binder (Plus Coupon Clutch Giveaway)
2. Reusable Bags & Coupon Organization
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Thanks to the Coupon Clutch, I’m getting back to a binder—and already loving it! Here’s why you will too:

• The clear view of each coupon makes it easier to find what you’re looking for.
• Having each coupon individually separated helps you grab what you need quickly & easily.
• Plastic pages are easier to flip through than stacks of coupons.

If you’re ready to get started, our Coupon Clutch discount is good for a few more weeks—use coupon code inexpensively to save 10% on your purchase, through 10/31. And, check out Kristi’s video tutorial for tips on putting together your binder.

1. My New Coupon Binder: How I’m Making the Switch
2. How to Create a Coupon Binder (Plus Coupon Clutch Giveaway)
3. Money Saving Monday: Coupon Storage

Here’s how to find what you need:

• Coupon Code & Deal Sites: That would be us! We offer tips on finding the best deals and a list of current coupon codes.
• Twitter: Follow your favorite brands & stores on Twitter to be among the first to hear about their special offers.
• Facebook: In addition to early notice of deals, as on Twitter, many companies are offering special deals exclusively for their Facebook fans.
• Daily Deal Sites: Do you Groupon? If you haven’t already discovered the massive savings available through online daily deals, you are about to enter a whole new world. Savvy Source is my current favorite as they focus on family-friendly deals, donate to preschools and have recently launched in the Indy area. I also receive daily updates from EverSave, Adility & Juice in the City.

Here are a few of my favorite coupon codes & deals this week:

• Eclectic Grocer: Save 10% on any order with coupon code fox59 through 10/31. They sell kitchen items like pans & clay bakers—Romertopf bakeware is a great way to save money on meat. It retains the juice so well, cheaper cuts of meat will turn out pretty tasty!
• Restaurant.com: Use coupon code fall through 9/30 to save 80% off already discounted dining certificates! This is one you’ll never have to pay full price to enjoy—they keep us in great coupon codes to enjoy dining out on a budget.
• Our Handmade Gifts: Save 10% on your purchase with coupon code ColtsFansRock created just for us during my last visit to Fox59. I have a pair of their handmade earrings myself, but I covet a few more from the new Colts shop.
• Coupon Clutch: If you’re a grocery couponer as well, you deserve a hot storage tote. This stylish coupon binder is huge hit with our readers, and you can save 10% on any purchase with coupon code inexpensively through 10/31.
• Soap.com: With free shipping on orders over $25 & special offers, you can have your essentials shipped straight to your door. Use coupon code AFFBB to save 20% on your bath & body purchase or AFFHAIR to save 20% on your hair care purchase.

At Inexpensively, we believe it is possible to live the life you want, for less. We also teach saving techniques on basic household expenses, provide tips for finding the hottest deals and share free grocery lists for sales across the country. Our team works to save you money on everything else as well! Check out a few of our favorite basic savings:

• Utility Savings at Home
• Menu Planning Basics
• The Art of Couponing
• How to Use Our Grocery Lists

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