Does using Coupons Save Money?   YES!  But there are rules to follow. 

1) Don’t buy a more expensive product just because you have a coupon.  If X brand of cheese is normally 2.99 and Y brand is 3.99 and you have a coupon for .50 for brand Y, DON’T BUY IT.  You’re still paying more than you would for X brand.

2) Don’t use a coupon just because it’s about to expire.  There are always more coupons.  Don’t spend money on something you’re not going to use just because you have a coupon.

3) Organize your coupons.  You can get a cheap plastic organizer at Wal-Mart or a drug store for about 99 cents.  Sort them into categories you commonly use.  You’re more likely to be willing to dig through twenty coupons for freezer products than 200 misc. coupons in the middle of the store.  It’s also easier to look through your coupons as you scan the week’s circulars for sale items if they’re sorted.   


Is it safe to print coupons online?  Yes.  People do it all of the time.  It will require you downloading a small piece of software, but as long as you are on a reputable site, you should be fine.  I’ve printed from at least a dozen different sites and never had a problem. 


How much do you save using coupons?  For our household of two, I save a little over $100 per month on average using coupons.  No, I’m not kidding.  For just the two of us.  For larger households, you can save more (obviously). 


What are good things to use coupons for?   I have a basic rule.  NEVER PAY FULL PRICE for anything except fresh meat, produce, and (maybe) dairy.  If it comes in a box or can, find a sale or find a coupon.  If it’s in the cooler or freezer and is brand name (Kraft cheese, lunchmeat, Red Baron pizza), find a sale or use a coupon.  If it is for personal use- toilet paper, razors, OTC medicine, toothpaste, find a sale AND use a coupon.  (See the drugstore “game” for making money or paying $0 for stuff at drugstores). 


Doesn’t it take a long time to actually save money using coupons?   No.  I spend about an hour a week clipping, sorting, and going through circulars.  That hour a week saves me over a $100 a month.  It seems like a fair trade for me.  And if you have kids and spend time in the bleachers waiting for them at games/practice, this is a great time to clip and sort. 

Where does a beginner start?  Someone who doesn't want to spend a lot of time to begin with.  With the following steps:

1) Buy a coupon organizer.  Make sure it has at least eight-ten dividers.
 I have my coupons sorted into the following categories:
Cooler
Freezer
Jars/Cans on shelves- such as spaghetti sauce, soup, and olives.
Boxes/other packages on shelves- such as Hamburger helper and packets of taco mix.
Misc. food-I put candy and other odds and ends in this one.
Personal Care- make-up, shaving gel, shampoos, etc.
Medicine (OTC)- aspirin, cold medicine, cough drops, etc.
Household- such as paper towels and cleaners
Laundry
Pet
Specific Stores- such as coupon that can only be used at Food Lion or Applebee's.  (You'll be surprised how many of these you'll find). 
(Feel free to customize for your household's needs.  Baby stuff would be a great category for someone with a baby- there are a ton of baby coupons, but I don't clip them as I don't have kids). 

2) Find a local Sunday paper that carries coupons.  Make sure it carries coupons before you subscribe!  We have three local papers where I live at currently.  Only one of them carries coupons.  I highly recommend subscribing to Sunday or weekend delivery.  It only cost a few cents more than picking it up at the newsstand, and with delivery, you never forget to buy it.

3) Clip coupons on items you already use.  Don't be afraid to try a different brand if it is going to be cheaper.  I fell in love with Prego spaghetti sauce after trying it when I had a coupon.  When I don't have time to make scratch, I buy Prego now.  Sort by expiration date into the different categories.  This allows you to easily throw away expired coupons, and notice when a coupon is close to expiring.

4) Take your coupon organizer with you to the grocery store!   Do NOT pull out the coupons you'll think you'll need and leave the rest at home.  If you're not scanning ads in advance, you'll notice them in the store.  If ketchup is BOGO (buy one, get one free), and you have a coupon, you don't want to discover you didn't bring it because you weren't planning on buying ketchup. 

5) Practice common sense.  A 50-cent off coupon for another brand is fine.  But if the other brand costs  75-cents more than your normal one, you're not saving 50 cents.  You're losing 25.