Living in a fast paced society where time is money, people often ask if coupon saving tactics are really worth it. Can one truly save enough money after sacrificing the time it takes to coupon? Below are 7 tips for coupon saving success that I believe, if followed, could lead you to agree that couponing is so worth your effort.

Watch the deals. All it takes is a little broadening of your scope to discover the best deals around. Simply review the sales ads from your favorite stores each week to find out which items have dropped their prices. The key to successful couponing is to purchase a product at its lowest price point and then extend your saving amount on that product with a coupon. Take advantage of your Sunday newspaper ads each week and begin to devise a "plan of attack" based on items that interest you. Quick Tip: Look beyond your horizon to more than just one store, if possible. While one stop shopping may be a tad more convenient, it could limit your saving possibilities.

Organization. You cannot save if you cannot find your coupons, right? The key to successful couponing is to find a means of organizing that works best for you-- a system that is manageable and not overwhelming. My time is short, so I’ve found that the clipless method of writing the Sunday’s date on the top corners of the newspaper inserts works best for me. Then I simply go to the Internet (more on this below) when I need to locate and clip a specific coupon. Some find that cutting all of the coupons and organizing them into a baseball card carrier-type of filing system works best for them. Others like to clip coupons and use an accordion folder to categorize and locate their coupons. Quick Tip: Decide which method will provide you with the most efficient layout and strategy for couponing success.

Research policies. The trick about couponing is that different stores have differing coupon policies. Some stores will not accept Internet printable coupons. Some stores will double a coupon up to a certain dollar amount. Some stores do not accept coupons at all. Some stores will allow you to "stack" a manufacturer coupon with their store coupon for increased savings. Some stores will allow you to use expired coupons up to a certain date. Some stores have coupon limits. Knowledge is power, so it’s crucial to know all about "the animal" you’re dealing with before you march into a store with a pile of coupons. Quick Tip: Don’t be afraid to approach a store’s customer service department to get the 411 on their coupon policies, or investigate store policies via their Internet sites as well. It’s worth a look or an inquiry to save!

Trial & error. I wish I didn’t have to tell you that I messed up a deal or how it took me waaay too long to formulate a grocery list with coupon match-ups when I first started out couponing. I became easily discouraged. However, I stuck with it and in just a few weeks I was able to put my weekly coupon saving plan in order in just under an hour. Practice makes perfect, and as you work and learn you’ll discover the compiling method that work best for you. In the world of couponing, some deals are missed, items may be out of stock, rainchecks may not be accepted and the shopper in front of you may swipe the last bag of potato chips you’ve been craving. This is life. Quick Tip: Just as with every new thing, couponing may seem overwhelming at first, but gets easier with time. Try to remain positive in spirit and simply remind yourself to "go with the flow." Most likely there will be a "next time" for that missed deal.

Hunt for coupons. For me, hunting for coupons is the most fun part of the coupon game. Other than the obvious Sunday newspaper coupons, you can discover coupons on store tear pads or on those "spitting blinkie" machines, in flyers, through mailings or in or on products themselves. You may also receive coupons by requesting some straight from your favorite manufacturers. Just keep your eyes peeled at all times for coupons and you’ll be surprised how they just show up! Quick Tip: Save all coupons until their expiration date. There may not be a deal this week, but there may be one next week! Or maybe a product that you don’t use much will show up FREE, on sale (when you use a coupon). These kinds of items are great for donation purposes to family, friends or for the needy.

Internet help. The Internet is my biggest friend when it comes to couponing. There are countless coupon sites that inform of high value coupons that emerge and which stores to go to at a certain time to get the best deals. A couple of my "www.com" favorites are Money Saving Mom, Hip2Save and Mojo Savings, among others. For specific weekly store deals with coupon match ups in the South, I go to Southern Savers. This site previews upcoming sales ads from numerous stores so that you can plan your shopping trip accordingly with coupons. They have tutorials to get coupon "newbies" started too. And to locate a certain coupon…I head on over to HotCouponWorld.com, click on ‘Coupon Database’ and type in a product name to see if a coupon exists. If there is a coupon in one of my dated inserts, the site will tell me where to look. Quick Tip: Internet printable coupons are wonderful. Many sites such as coupon.com, redplum.com and smartsource.com have databases that you can print coupons from. Manufacturer sites usually have promotional printable coupons as well. By taking advantage of coupon printables, you have the fastest, most up-to-date access to the best money saving coupons around.

Timing makes perfect. Once you have all the "systems" in place (i.e. coupon gathering, organization, policies and deals), you’ll have to keep in mind that couponing is all about timing. Just because you have a coupon for your favorite product in hand doesn’t mean it’s time to use it (unless, of course, it’s for a FREE product). The couponing practice is all about patience and moving in at the right time. Quick Tip: You love yogurt, for instance, but you see that your favorite brand isn’t going on sale until the following week. Hold on to your yogurt coupons and wait until the price drops. Then gather as many of those yogurt coupons as you can and stock up. In doing so, you’ll most likely have saved big money by waiting a bit, paying less while getting a whole lot more!

Final thoughts: Coupon redemption has risen by 27% since 2008, according to the Wall Street Journal, most likely due to the recession (and the fact that couponing is becoming trendy again, I believe). At any rate, why not give couponing a try and see if it can be worth it to you? To check your "coupon efficiency rate," divide your total coupon savings on your next grocery bill by the estimated number of hours you spent clipping, printing or planning your coupon strategy for the week. The result is your hourly "wage" for your efforts. This past week my coupon savings at one store was $97.17. If I did not coupon, I would have lost this money. Essentially, couponing is worth my time and effort, as I get to keep nearly $100 in my pocket each week for an extra hour’s worth of work. Not bad for a stay-at-home Mom’s gig, huh? To me, it’s so WORTH IT!