What is your family's food budget?
I currently spend $50 per week on food, paper goods, cleaning supplies etc... I set aside $35 every two weeks for our CSA and wheat (which I buy in bulk to grind for bread). So the short answer is that our tota budget for food, toiletries, and cleaning supplies is $270/mo.
How do you get started with couponing?
If you are curious about how couponing works and what all the abbreviations mean, go here and here. This is the most concise guide to couponing that I can find. In addition, check under Couponing Primer in my categories.
Hopefully, I will have the chance to share more specifics about how it works over time. If this is not enough information, be sure to try the other links listed on the right hand side of this page.
What if we are in the middle of a personal fiancial crisis and don't have time to build a coupon stash?
Liss at Budget 101 has a great grocery shopping plan for those times when you don't know how you're going to put food on the table. I recommend following Liss's plan or something similar while you work on building a coupon stash. In the long run, couponing will save you the most money. Don't give up!
I would also recommend shopping at Aldi and trying out Angel Food as great options for cutting back without coupons.
Do you think everyone should coupon?
Of course not. It's fun and very helpful for my family and many others. I do believe it is the cheapest way to raise a family (apart from self-sufficient homesteading). However, it's time consuming and won't work for everyone.
I do think everyone should be thoughtful in their spending. Everyone needs to be responsible in caring for their families and their communities, but there are a lot of ways to do that.
Is it cheaper to buy generics and what if you don't want to eat much processed food?
See here.
