Saving money with coupons may seem easy, but you have to know what you are doing. It takes a lot more than just getting a few coupons clipped and saving a ton of money. You have to know the right locations to collect the coupons, and then you need to align your coupons with the right stores and items. Read this article to get started saving money.
A great tip when using coupons is to keep track of the expiration date. You don’t want to walk into a store, pick up an item and then present the cashier with a coupon that’s expired. Some stores might still honor the deal but most won’t, and you’ll be embarrassed.
Keep your coupon organizer up to date. At least monthly, you should go through your stock and toss any expired coupons. If you wish, you can donate the coupons to overseas military families. Coupons can be used for several months after their expiration dates, so even if you cannot use them, they could.
A great tip if you’re someone who likes to use coupons is to look into whether specific stores have an online coupon that you can use. All you have to do is log onto their web site, and you can usually tell within minutes, whether they’re offering their own coupons online.
A coupon clipping service can get you more of an individual coupon that might be very useful to you. They are on many websites, and buying newspapers for coupons is more expensive.
Prior to getting an item online, look around for a coupon first. Search for the retailer and “coupon.” You will be able to find any deals that they may be offering, along with the proper code to redeem them. Also, you may find that there are other deals, such as free shipping of the purchase that you make.
Know your coupon lingo. You may not be aware of the things that you can do with your coupons. Look out for “coupon deals.” These are store promotions where the stores double the savings. Keep an eye out for ‘stackable’ coupons. These are coupons that you can use multiple of, stacking up the savings. When you know the lingo, you’ll be ready to take advantage of the opportunities.
Keep in mind that sometimes stores will not double coupons given by the checkout register. If you have a different coupon for the same item, use that one rather than the one you got when you checked out.
Become a fan of your favorite brands and companies on Facebook. When you like the company or brand, you will gain access to special coupons and offers which can really add up. Loyalty is one of the best ways to gain access to more discounts.
To have a basic filing system for your coupons, it’s a good idea to put them in a shoe box stacked in chronological order or just arrange them by an expiration date. In doing this, you do not have to waste a ton of time organizing. However, you always know which coupons are about to go out of date and become useless.
Match your coupons up with sale items. Once you get the ad for the grocery store’s weekly sale, find items to buy that you use and have coupons for. Using a coupon on a sale item saves you even more money than just using the coupon on a regular priced item.
If you arrive at a store, and they are out of a sales item, ask for a rain check! This is one of the least utilized coupon secrets out there. Most grocery chains will offer rain checks for items that have been advertised. This will allow you to come back and purchase items at the sales price when the store receives more stock.
If you want to use coupons efficiently, try to save extra money for when you shop. If you have no money to invest in stocking up, you won’t be able to take full advantage of the best deals. You can use coupons on your routine groceries to save money, but you will miss out on stocking up on non-perishables.
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.
If a product has a mail-in rebate offer, make sure that it is worth the postage and your time. If it is, make certain that you mail it in quickly. Some stores will offer you a special receipt, specifically for rebates. If your store doesn’t, pay for the item separately so that you have your receipt for other items.
Buy two or more Sunday newspapers. If there are coupons for items you use, then you will have double the coupons for those items. This is a good way to stock your cabinets with items you use if they are on sale. You can save a good bit of money this way.
Always read a coupon carefully so you are sure of what the product is and what the terms for using the coupon are. Many times there are coupons for a product and people make the mistake of thinking they are for another product. Always be sure of what the item is and what the quantity is you need to buy.
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.
Many people have become very successful at redeeming coupons and realizing big savings. Those who are most successful at couponing are people who spend time and energy with their collection. Apply this advice to all your purchases, and you’re sure to get the most out of your budget and your coupon experience.