So what is it exactly that I do?

After posting a couple results you may wonder what exactly it is that I do?  Well first off I have been doing this for about 5 months now and your savings go up the longer you do it since your stockpile allows you to spend only on things that are truly on sale.  Before your stockpile you will need to use a combination of buying sales items and shopping at everyday low price stores (Aldi's, Sav-a-Lot, Wal-Mart, Dollar Stores, etc).  But up until then you can still save 30-50% and have more groceries than you had before.  After about 3 or 4 months you can start saving 50-60% regularly and on good weeks even more. 
Either way right now I am doing the same as when I started out.  I am still a newbie couponer (you're not really an expert until you have gone through a whole year, thus completely a full year cycle and/or do your own match ups.)  I am still in what is called "copycat" mode, so you can start doing what I'm doing today!

First if you haven't already subscribe to the newspaper.  This will be your regular base for coupons.  On Sunday morning when the newspaper arrives I start clipping coupons.  How long does it take?  It depends.  It takes about 10 minutes to cut an organize per insert.  So really the insert size and partially myself determine how long it will take.  If there are 2 or 3 inserts piece of cake only 30 minute time investment.  But if there are 5 inserts and I want to take advantage of it and buy two extra papers making it now 15 inserts, well then that's tons of time.  According to the calculation above realisticly it could take me 2 1/2 hours to get through big stack.  I know right now you are thinking I don't have time for that! Well neither do I really, I work 40 hours a week, have a 50 minute commute to work Sept - May spend another 20 hours a week in volunteer service, do all the cleaning, grocery shopping, washing of clothes so on and so on.  So I clip coupons while doing other things.  We usually rent a movie once or twice a week.  I'll clip coupons during that.  Ta da 2 hours right there and I don't feel like I'm sitting just doing that.  Also part of my 50 minute commute to work is a 30 minute bus ride (each way).  Before I would nap or read a book.  Now if I need to I'll clip coupons.  I can knock out 2 - 2 1/2 inserts.  So be creative and come up with ways to fit it in.  I don't shop until Friday so I have to get it done by Friday not all in the same day.

 I cut all my coupons.  The ones I cannot use (dog food, diapers) I send to ecoupons.  (Check the link on the side to sign up.)  It is a coupon trading site, that later I grab coupons I need from them.

Next I check for the store match-ups.  As you guys already know I use http://www.macombmoneysavers.com/
Actually Saturday usually Meijer's is up so I grab that one if I have time on Saturday.  Usually by Sunday Target is up, Monday morning Kroger and sometime Monday VGs.  I don't always go to all of them but I do check out the match-ups.  I cut and paste the whole list on to word.  I delete the ones I know I don't want.  I keep everything I do want without checking yet about coupons.  I shop at both Meijer's and Kroger's weekly, most of the time VGs as well, Target maybe once a month.  I also shop at Aldi's (which there are also price list for, not match ups since they do not have coupons.)  Like this week Aldi's will have their Salad at a rockbottom price of $.49 so I'll be going there.  Then I go back to the match ups and print off all the printable coupons.

Next I go to ecoupons and see if any of the other coupons are available and order them from there.  They have been pretty sparse lately and you can order 25 at a time so I also stock up on coupons I like such as my yogurt coupons etc. 

After I make sure all the current electronic coupons are loaded on to my card Kroger's shopping card. (I'll post later a reference to those.) (Be sure you have a Kroger's shopping card it is necessary to get their sales prices.  If you don't have one request one at the service desk.)

I also will search on a search engine for that particular products coupons. You never know when there are printable coupons on the official website or some where else.  (Be sure to search using Swagbucks to gain points and prices for your searches, click on the button on the lefthand side.)

I then look in my own stash for the rest of the coupons.  If I have an older printable coupon from the Internet I will use that instead and file the other one.  If there are items I may have wanted but don't have a coupon for, it comes off the list I will have to do without.  If it is a need I will buy generic in the store (if cheaper) or defer to a everyday low-price store for the item.

Then some time before I go to the store I put the list and the coupons in an envelope I've marked for that store.  I also try to put the coupons in the order of the layout of the store.  Then Friday I go shopping!

I also check http://www.macombmoneysavers.com/ daily for other deals.

I check http://www.hip2save.blogspot.com/ 3 or 4 times a day for free samples and deals. 

And that's about it!