The real deal on coupons and saving money:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2366439_use-coupons-really-save-groceries.html
(shameless plug to my eHow article :))

About 2 years ago my sister in law opened my eyes to the REAL way to use coupons. Wow. I was skeptical at first. I have never used coupons because of the time it takes to clip them, sort them and only save a few bucks on a namebrand when I could get the store brand cheaper. Well, I have changed. I read an E-book about this and it was amazing. The first month I wondered if it was worth it but the next month, I got a good system down and saved soooo much! Now, I have it down to less than 2 hours per week which includes clipping and sorting the coupons (which the girls love to do), matching the coupons with the ads, making my grocery list, AND doing my rebates. I also spend probably an extra 1/2 hour in the stores (total) to get everything that matches up with the specials. I have estimated that I save about $50- per week on groceries and get about $10- per week (or more) free from rebates or cash back so if I do the math, that would be about $30- per hour I am earning!
Here's the deal. Rite Aid and Walgreens are the two places I go (because they are on the way to the store I shop for groceries) and each month they offer several items for free (after rebate). The rebate is a single check you get each month. On top of that, you can use a coupon with the rebate and actually make a profit! For instance, this month they have a free haircolor (after rebate) it was on sale for $9.99 PLUS I had a $3.00 off coupon so I made $3.00 profit! There are always 100 or more items they offer a rebate on ($1-$10) so you get that money off plus using a coupon you can usually get quite a few things for .25 or .50cents. Last month between both places I got $64.25 in rebates and I spent $64.48 for that month so I got $64- worth of stuff totally free!
The next step is groceries. This was tricky for me but I have it down pat now. I am saving at least $20- in coupons besides what I save on what is on sale. This is all on things I would have bought anyway. Also, if something is on sale and you have a coupon, you can save big. For instance, last week Meijer had quaker oatmeal, granola bars, breakfast cookies, etc..."buy 2 get 2 free" AND I had 3 coupons (since I was getting 4 boxes I could use 4 coupons even though 2 were "free") which saved me an additional $4- so, I got 4 boxes for $1.25- can't beat that! So, if the store is advertising buy one get one free and you have a buy one get one free coupon on the same item, you get them both free.
It has been really fun to learn this! It does take some time and learning but I figure if I can save my family some money on household stuff, it is a way I can contribute to the family financially since I only work one day a week. Our heart's desire is for me to stay home and raise our children even when they are all in school full time, they still need their mom. We believe education works best for our family when it is the teachers and the parents. I so enjoy being at the kids school and being as involved as much as I possibly can in their education and I could not do that if I went back to work so this is one way I can help make that happen for our family.

I don't know where to start...

...So, I'll start right here. Welcome to my little corner of "Cyber Space". I will be posting hopefully daily or at least a few times a week. I have learned so much these past few years and I am excited about sharing with all of you!
Since I am itching for Spring, I am going to start with a few gardening tips. Last year was my first attempt at a 100% organic garden. I learned a lot through some success and many errors! :)
We live in the Midwest (Michigan). If the ground is thawed where you live, now would be a good time to start designing your garden, picking out your space, and even tilling your land where you will be gardening. If you want to solarize your soil, just cover the area with something dark (like a tarp) and make sure to secure your tarp. This will solarize your soil and make weeding MUCH easier in the Spring and Summer.
Also, if you haven't already, make sure you order your seeds or purchase them now.