Coupons are a great way to save money. Many people clip coupons from their newspapers and print them out from the internet. It doesn’t just save you pocket change. Clipping coupons can save you more money than you might expect. If you are on a budget, give the following tips a shot.
Just because you have a coupon does not mean that it will give you the best price for a product. It is not uncommon for a store brand or generic item to be cheaper than a name brand, even with a coupon. Don’t always assume that coupons are the key to savings.
If you get heavily involved in using coupons, but don’t like to spend money printing or buying newspapers, talk to your friends. Many people throw out the coupons from their Sunday papers, and will hold on to them for you to come and collect. Do not try to collect them out of the trash, as this can be illegal.
Use the Internet to your advantage. As couponing has become more popular, more and more websites are offering coupons that you can just print out at home. Frequent these sites, and check them often. These coupons are free and snagging them often does not require a large time investment either.
To maximize your savings when using coupons, use them to purchase items that are on sale and at supermarkets that offer double or triple coupon savings. When you buy an item that is on sale and use a coupon that is doubled or tripled, you may find that you pay pennies for the item or even get it for free!
Double your savings by using two coupons when purchasing more than one of the same item. If your store is having a sale and you have two coupons, consider purchasing two of the same thing to maximize your savings. This can be especially beneficial if your store is having a buy one get one free sale.
Find out how much your store will double coupons to a certain amount. Find out about the rules at your local store. Sometimes they only do it a certain day of the week or some stores have specials in which they double coupons up to any amount. These are the deals to look for!
Once at the checkout, be sure that your coupons scan properly. Frequently, coupons fail to scan in properly because of a problem with the coupon or the register. Watch the screen to make sure that each coupon scans for the proper amount, and that none are missed.
If you are clipping coupons, add a binder to your list of supplies. A binder is a great way to store and organize your coupons, and you can carry it with you every time you shop. Having it on hand will help to ensure that you use the coupons you clip and save money.
Think about buying in bulk. Items that you really needs should be stocked up on when you do have that coupon. The majority of coupons do expire at some point. The products you purchase will often have a much longer shelf life. Use up extra coupons when you have them. This will produce lasting savings.
To get the most out of your grocery store coupons, know which stores occasionally run double or triple coupon weeks. Talk to the managers of those stores to find out how often they do them. See if you can get wind of when the next one is and be ready.
One key tip for anyone who collects coupons is to never throw away those coupons you get in the mail. You can actually get some great value in these coupons, particularly with fast-food restaurants. Make sure that you at least glance over them before throwing anything away in the garbage.
If you’re serious about couponing, get organized! Struggling to find the most recent coupons in a messy pile is problematic. If you don’t find them quick enough, they can expire. Try keeping your coupons inside some binder-sized sleeve protectors or baseball card holders. These can keep all of your coupons tidy so that you can easily see them and take them to the store with you.
Be a conscientious coupon-clipper by never wiping the shelf clean, especially for-sale items. Buying the last two of a given item is understandable, but purchasing twenty of an item with limited stock is frustrating to other shoppers. If you know that you will be purchasing several of the same item, call the store a few days in advance to see whether they will order extra.
Talk to your friends or neighbors to see if you can trade coupons with them. Go over all of the coupons that you have found and ask someone else if they can trade with you. By doing this you can help each other out and save a bunch of money as well.
Make your coupon search faster by adding a toolbar to the Internet browser you use. Make sure you look for valid coupon codes whenever you make an online purchase. You can often find coupon codes for things such as Amazon purchases, free shipping and even free items as well.
Don’t just go after the advertised deals when making use of your coupons. Check other products in the store for reduced prices that may not have made it into the sales flyer. These can either be small price changes or, in the case of overstock or discontinuation, drastic cuts to the cost.
A good coupon tip you can use is to sort you coupons by their expiration date. Organizing your coupons this way will make it so that you get the most out of your coupons and you won’t waste any of them. It will make your shopping get done much smoother.
By following the advice above, you should now have a better understanding of how to best find and utilize coupons. Everyone loves to save money. What are you waiting for? Start clipping those coupons. In no time at all, you are sure to start saving quite a bit of money.
