Using coupons is a great way to save money and make a serious dent in a tight budget. While everyone understands the benefits of coupons, not everyone understands how to use them right and really save. This article contains some wonderful tips that the average person can use to take advantage of all that coupons have to offer.
One method of securing coupons easily is taking advantage of the Sunday newspaper. Sunday papers almost always have coupons, unless it is a Sunday before a major holiday. Different newspapers have different coupons, so get a local one as well as the newspaper for the closest metropolitan city to ensure you have a range of coupons.
Keep your coupons in order and catagorized by different areas of the grocery store. You should keep a book that you will take to the store with you and also keep extra coupons ou will not be using in a different book or filing folder. You will not be overwhelmed when you go.
One way to save with coupons is to search online for coupons for your favorite shopping sites. Many times, you can find codes for free shipping, a percentage off or other deals from a website you were going to shop at anyway.
Before beginning any coupon strategy find and print a copy of the store’s coupon policy. Many stores limit the number of coupons that can be used on each transaction, while other stores may not accept internet coupons. It is therefore, important that you print a copy of your store’s coupon policy.
Let your friends and family know you are clipping coupons. What will probably end up happening is that everyone will save their “junk mail” for you. This mail can be a treasure trove of coupons and deals. If they don’t want to use them, they miss out–that doesn’t mean you have to!
Check coupons online to see if there are any coupons available for items you need. If you find a coupon for an item, you need, look at the store’s flyer and see if there are any sales on the item. If there aren’t, check the price when you go to the store.
Whenever you go shopping, make a budget and stick to it. If you are using coupons to save money, you have to stick to your food budget and keep your money in your pocket, not on impulse spending. If you have extra money after shopping, put it aside so that you can stock up on something special another week.
Get stacking! Look into your favorite stores’ coupon policies. Many stores, like Target, allow you to combine manufacturer and store coupons on one item. So, basically, you can use two coupons on one item. To figure out which type of coupons you have, look in the box located at the top of the coupon near the expiration date.
‘Dollar’ stores can save you big money on some items. Many times you can find the brand to match your coupon within a local ‘dollar’ store. Many times, overstocked items are sent to these stores to offset costs. You’ll reap some serious rewards when the coupon lowers an already heavily discounted price.
If you need more coupons, look in the neighbor’s garbage. Dumpster diving does not mean wading through garbage, you can simply find the newspapers you need and pull them out. You might never guess just how many coupons end up in the trash.
Some places will allow you to use double or ever triple coupons. Check the policies of all stores in your local area. They should be able to tell you which stores offer this service.
Buy the Sunday paper. This is one of the best ways to get coupons. If you know someone who gets the paper, but doesn’t use coupons ask them for their coupon inserts. Even though the newspaper costs money, the money saving coupons in it will more than pay for the price of the newspaper.
Buy more than one Sunday newspaper. Generally, it is recommended that a family should buy the same number of newspapers as they have family members. You can use these coupons to buy the many different items your family uses on a regular basis. If you don’t use all the coupons, share them.
Compare coupons of competing stores. This works great for things like food and office supplies. One store may offer bananas for 79 cents per pound, while another store offers them for 60 cents a pound. Compare and look around to make sure that you are getting the best deal possible.
Frequently use stores that offer the ability to double coupons. When you double up on a coupon it means you are getting twice as much off that the coupon states. It’s great when savings are doubled on items you really need. First, you must verify that the coupon’s limitations do not prohibit doubling or tripling.
A good tip if you’re someone that uses coupons is to use a coupon on an item that you’d like to try out. Sometimes we’d like to try out new products but don’t want to pay full price for them. Using a coupon will sweeten the deal, and you’ll get a chance to try out the product for yourself.
Don’t get heated or upset with a cashier if there is a problem redeeming your coupon. Simply stay calm and ask to speak to a manager. Even if they do not honor your coupon, many times they have a rain-check policy or work their hardest to make sure you are satisfied.
Check the packaging and contents thoroughly of everything you buy and use before you throw it away or recycle it. You never know where you might find a coupon. Sometimes they are hiding on the bottom of a box, or have slipped down to the bottom of the inside of one.
Coupons offer instant savings on the things that people use every day. While this savings is easy to understand, it is not always easy to understand how to find, effectively use and really save with coupons. The tips in this article provided a great starting point with some important tips. Use them and start saving today!
