Given the current state of the economy, most people want to save wherever possible. Coupons are a fantastic way for you to get a bit more bang for a buck. But, not everyone knows how valuable coupons can be. Here is some great information to help educate you about coupons.
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.
Be on the lookout for “Buy One Get One Free” deals. These are some of the best bargains around. To make the deal even better, see if there is an additional manufacturer’s coupon you can use with the store offer. You can practically get items for free with these rare opportunities.
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!
Make sure you understand and print off coupon policies for your local stores. Walmart, for example, has a printable coupon policy. Keep them in your coupon organizer for handy usage. On occasion, a cashier may not know the corporate policies for their stores, and having the policy may help you get the leg up in a disagreement.
A good tip if you like to use coupons is not to get carried away with simply clipping out coupons. Only keep coupons that you intend to use. If something is on sale that you’re unlikely to buy, then you should just leave it. Time is also money so you don’t want to waste more than you have to.
Be prepared to spend a few days a month getting your coupons together. This is necessary if you are going to do couponing and be completely successful at it. You will also have to visit several different stores on your shopping trip to get the very best deals that you can in your area.
Make friends with the cashiers. Particularly if you are in the same stores fairly often, it is important to be polite and thank them whenever possible. They can really help the process go much smoother if they aren’t annoyed at having to scan all your coupons. A little personality can go a long way.
Couple each sale at the grocery stores with your coupons. This will allow you to get the most savings. If the products you have coupons for are not on sale right now, it is O.K. to wait. Most coupons don’t expire for a least three months. When you use sale prices and coupons, you can save even more than 90% on your food bill!
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.
Learn the coupon policies for all of the stores in your local area. Check to see, which offer store coupons that can be used in conjunction with manufacturer coupons. This will prevent any shocks at the register because you misunderstood the policies of a particular store. You should also check their websites regularly for changes in policy.
Rewards cards are awesome to use because they give you a big savings on sales but also there are usually incentives to being a member. Sometimes you will save money on gas at your local gas station if they have a deal with them or you can build points to save on groceries and other sales.
Find out whether you can double up on your coupons. If you have more than one coupon, can you buy more than one item in one visit? That is the question you need to ask the store before you go shopping. Don’t make the mistake of waiting until you’re checking out.
If you are purchasing in bulk with coupons, create more space in your home for these items. While it’s important to stock up on items for big savings, it’s almost important to make sure that you keep your item stockpile organized well.
You may know to subscribe to the Sunday paper; however, you should also subscribe to magazines that offer coupons. Check online for circulars that are popular within the couponing community. Often, these magazines will have garnered great coupons that are hard to find, if not impossible to find, anywhere else.
Take the hassle out of using coupons by staying organized. If your coupons are flying all about your purse, it’s enough to stress you out. Buy a coupon organizer and use it. Coupon organizers have tabs so that you can separate coupons by category. If you don’t want to buy one, you can make one yourself.
To maximize your coupons from savings, take the time to check the prices on all the options when you shop. For example, if you have a coupon for $1 off a bottle of Windex, but the store brand glass cleaner is $2 cheaper than the price of Windex, then you’ll be ahead without the coupon.
Couponing has multiple benefits when done smartly. Hopefully, you now see how great they can be. Be sure to utilize all the helpful hints from above before heading out on your shopping adventures. Learning to coupon efficiently is an easy way to save big and have a bit of fun in the process.
