I am a pretty organized person (good with numbers, too!), and I have never been able to use coupons effectively. They are never for the things I buy, and even if I get a couple of good ones, the savings are so small, they are not worth the time to fuss around it. DH does keep them (never-ever uses them - ha!) around, I HATE THEM because they are just clutter that needs to be managed. We did throw out a pair of hockey tickets ones because DH put everything in one pile. Since that day I think coupons are a menace. 
What I find most effective is simply not buying things we don't need. Sounds easy, but it's not. There is a lot of "you never know" situation. Some things work out, some don't, and turn into clutter
For example, I only buy clothes and shoes online now - big UPROMISE fan here! 
It's easier for me to decide what to keep and what to not at home. For some reason, things look too good at the store, plus you always get distracted and buy things you don't need. I also have to force DH to eat what we have in the fridge. He usually shops for groceries and cooks, and he would buy vegetables and then let them sit in the fridge and blame me when they go bad! 
Another big article is mani-pedi and haircuts. I did my own mani-pedi and grew longish hair while we were saving money, but when I went back to having them, it's so damn expensive!
We are not planning to buy DVC - we are just starting on WDW, but it looks like we will be there a lot in the next few years - but I like the idea because you can get larger accommodations at a lower price. We like not to be on top of one another on vacation, so we rented DVC points for our first trip to cover 1br. Even with renting it was a good deal. However, it would be foolish to buy DVC and then offer accommodations to family or friends for free.
What I find most effective is simply not buying things we don't need. Sounds easy, but it's not. There is a lot of "you never know" situation. Some things work out, some don't, and turn into clutter
For example, I only buy clothes and shoes online now - big UPROMISE fan here! It's easier for me to decide what to keep and what to not at home. For some reason, things look too good at the store, plus you always get distracted and buy things you don't need. I also have to force DH to eat what we have in the fridge. He usually shops for groceries and cooks, and he would buy vegetables and then let them sit in the fridge and blame me when they go bad! Another big article is mani-pedi and haircuts. I did my own mani-pedi and grew longish hair while we were saving money, but when I went back to having them, it's so damn expensive!
We are not planning to buy DVC - we are just starting on WDW, but it looks like we will be there a lot in the next few years - but I like the idea because you can get larger accommodations at a lower price. We like not to be on top of one another on vacation, so we rented DVC points for our first trip to cover 1br. Even with renting it was a good deal. However, it would be foolish to buy DVC and then offer accommodations to family or friends for free.
