Clipping coupons is the perfect way to save money. If you have coupons, you can cut the cost of food, clothing and other things. You can always get a cheaper price, and using coupons helps you do that. These tips will help you use coupons the smart way.
Try to clip coupons for every item you find, even if you do not use that product. Sometimes you may have a neighbor who needs coupons for diapers, and you could trade them the diaper coupons for ones that you can use. This helps you and your neighbor as well.
Start by subscribing to newsletters that will offer you discounts from time to time. When you do this, you can find a lot of coupons from being emailed by different websites. You don’t have to use them whenever you get them, but if you find a deal, then you could be in luck.
Organize your coupons in a way that makes sense to you. Maybe you want to keep all the coupons for baby things together, and you want to keep all the food coupons together. You might even decide to sort them by brand. However you organize them, make sure you can remember what you’ve done.
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.
Go to the manufacturer’s site directly. Usually you can save a few bucks on your preferred brands by signing up online at your favorite retailer. All you have to do is supply them with your email address, and they will send you some coupons. Since it is a retailer you shop at, getting email from them is something you want.
Don’t clip everything. Whatever you do, avoid the trap of keeping all the coupons you can just because you “might” use them. If the coupon is for something you don’t like or can live without, forget it. Paying money for something you don’t really enjoy is not a good idea, even if you save a few bucks on it.
To find out about coupons you might not otherwise hear about, be friendly with your store cashiers. They see coupons of all kinds for hours a day. Chat them up a little, and you might just get some tips on coupon tricks specifically useful to the stores that they work at.
Start a coupon exchange club in your neighborhood. By meeting monthly with friends and fellow couponers, you can effectively garner the coupons you need most. For example, if you have an infant or small child that uses diapers, many of your fellow couponers will have no need for diaper coupons and would be willing to clip and trade diaper coupons for other coupons they would use.
Never buy an item simply because you have a great coupon for it. Only buy items you need. If a coupon offers great savings, you may feel tempted to go ahead and use it. Resist that temptation. You’re using coupons to save money. Don’t waste your income on things you don’t even need.
Purge old or unwanted coupons from your collection routinely. Keeping your coupon stash filled with expired coupons is a waste of time and money since the clutter keeps you from finding the coupons that are most useful to you. Make it a point to clean out expired coupons every week or so.
Do you have more than one of the same coupon? You can usually use more than one coupon at the same time. Just make sure you follow the rules on the coupon and buy the amount of product that your coupons are for. For instance, if you have four coupons for one item, you can buy four items.
Make sure you use the coupons you have in conjunction with a store that has good sales. Check the store’s weekly flyer before going there. No matter what coupons you use, if the store does not have good sales, you are not getting the best deal possible. If one store does not have good sales, check another store.
Never buy something that you don’t need just because you have a coupon. Don’t buy something simply because it’s on sale. Many people think that they are saving money just because they use coupons. If you are not going to use it, then you have wasted your money.
Keep an eye out for stores that accept competitor coupons. Some stores will match prices and take coupons regardless of the store the coupon was made for. Be aware of stores like these. If you happen to be at one, go ahead and use your coupons rather than going around to several different stores.
Save money and time by taking advantage of the price matching policies of using competitor coupons. Most stores do not want to lose your business and will gladly accept a coupon from a competitor. This is shopping wisely and will also help you save on gas because you won’t have to travel all over town to different stores.
Find out how much others are saving with coupons. The reason you want to do this is because you will find that the stories from other people can inspire you and motivate you to stick your coupon regiment. Hearing that people saved money makes you feel more likely to do the same!
Now that you’ve read the above article, you should understand that using coupons is an excellent money-saving idea. Look at how your savings add up over time. Use all the things you learned from this article to become a coupon pro!
