The immense popularity of couponing these days has a lot to do with the economic downturn experienced by so many. It is important to note, however, that without a good knowledge of how coupons work and how to extract the most value from them, coupons may simply end up at the bottom of your purse or wallet, never to be used. Review the advice below to make sure you get real value from the coupons you clip.
Another method of getting coupons is to stop by your local cafe on Sunday. Many coffee shops provide their customers with free newspapers, and will often hand over the coupons to the first person who asks. Do not be afraid to ask for what you need! People are often willing to help out.
Go couponing one day each week. This an efficient method for finding time to put your coupon collection together. There is always something to be clipped, but one day each week should be set aside for strict devotion to finding coupons that you can use for the upcoming weeks.
Put your scissors down! Instead of spending time clipping coupons that you may or may not ever use, just keep the whole circular. Organize them in a file chronologically. There are many blogs and databases online that will match up coupons with in-store sales and refer you to the dated insert with the corresponding coupon. When you find a deal you want, just look up the inserts and clip only the coupons you’ll need.
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!
Learn a store’s policy for using coupons. Some stores limit the number and type of coupons you can use. Before you cause a commotion and ask to speak to the manager, learn about your rights as a customer. It can save you a lot of time and trouble if you do a quick overview of store policy.
Coupon clipping services are a great way to save more. These services allow you to access coupons throughout the country, and may have a higher value than those offered in your area for the same products. Research services that are consumer friendly and offer a quick turn around on your coupons.
Be sure all your coupons get scanned right once you get to the checkout. Frequently, coupons fail to scan in properly because of a problem with the coupon or the register. Watch the display as each coupon is scanned to be sure you are getting all your discounts.
Find reliable coupon sites on the Internet. There are a lot of options out there, but a lot of sites do not update their coupons or provide all the ones available. That can waste your time and end up costing you money. Make sure that the sites you visit update regularly and provide you with suitable information.
If you want to take advantage of all of your coupons, you have to shop every week. Shopping weekly will help you get all of the best deals. You can increase your savings by using the weekly coupons offered by your local stores.
A good coupon tip you should use is to do all of your shopping at the end of the month. Most stores have it so that their coupons expire at the end of the month. Shopping during this time will make it more convenient for you to get the best deals.
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.
Before you buy anything, look for a coupon. Oftentimes, there are coupons available online that are not advertised elsewhere. Use a search engine to see if there is a coupon you can print for that next purchase. Do this even if that purchase is small. Even the small savings add up quickly.
Set up a dummy email account and sign up for all those coupon sites! Most of us don’t like getting spam in our regular mailbox, so have an address just for the purpose of collecting all those amazing coupons, along with whatever else you might get. Your savings will be phenomenal, but your email won’t be over-loaded with junk.
Do not forget the internet for coupons. There are hundreds of websites that will have coupons listed on them that are available to print for free. These coupons are totally legitimate, but you have to make sure that your store will accept them. There is some coupon fraud in the world and some stores will no longer accept internet printed coupons.
Try to remember that couponing is not free. You do have to invest your time and organization into the ordeal. Also, never just buy something because you have a coupon. Stay within your budget. If you spend money just because you feel like you are saving money, you are in fact wasting money.
Coupons are extremely popular nowadays, and they really can produce serious savings for those committed to using them regularly. The best way to maximize the impact of coupons on your grocery bill is to gain a good understanding of strategic couponing. Apply the ideas in the piece above whenever you shop, and you will be on the road to big savings.
