Coupons are great for saving money. Perhaps you use them occasionally at a favorite eating establishment. Or maybe you spend some considerable time clipping coupons from multiple Sunday paper inserts. There is valuable information in this article for the novice couponer and pro alike.
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.
Read the small print of a coupon. For instance, you may get a coupon for a dollar off your favorite food. But when you see the fine print, you may realize you have to buy two to save the dollar. It can be hassle to get to the checkout only to figure out it is not such a good deal after all.
Ask for coupons when you are out and about. Many businesses have flyers that offer discounts to people, but employees forget to provide them or simply do not. When you’re in a store where you shop regularly, ask about coupons or deals so that you can get a shot at saving money.
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.
Keep in mind that you can’t double the coupons you receive upon checking out. It is always wise to check and see if you have a higher value coupon or one that is eligible to be doubled.
Sometimes your grocery store will let you stack coupons with others from the manufacturer. This will get you double the savings and potentially have the grocery store owing you money at the end of the transaction! Of course you will not get this money because of the coupons but it is funny to see.
When using coupons, it is important to recognize that small amounts of money add up over time into large amounts. Coupon savings of only 10 or 25 cents may not seem like very much, but you would be surprised at just how much money these small value coupons will end up saving you over your life time. Save little to save big.
Whenever possible, stack your coupons to get an even better deal. Layering your coupons like this isn’t always allowed, but when it is, it can result in significant savings. For example you could combine a manufacturers coupon with the stores coupon to great the greatest savings possible for you.
The first thing you’re going to need when approaching using coupons for shopping is to build yourself a coupon binder. This binder will help you stay organized and have an ongoing supply of coupons for each visit. You can stock up on coupons that don’t expire for awhile, and you can also stock up on coupons that you use consistently.
It is important to have your coupons with you whenever you are out shopping. If your coupons are at home in a drawer waiting for a shopping trip, then you will miss great deals when you shop on the spur of the moment. Keep them in your glove compartment or handbag so you can pull them out at any time.
Look at coupons the same way you look at cash. Many people do not realize that each coupon used results in actual money in their pocket. For example, a twenty-five cent coupon does not seem like much, but when you start viewing coupons as actual money you will realize that those twenty-five cent coupons add up quickly to dollars.
Make sure you’re not purchasing items simply because you have coupons available for them. You want to make sure you’re planning your grocery list ahead of time first. If done correctly, the coupons will save you money. If done incorrectly and in improper order, the coupons will actually cause you to spend more money.
To minimize conflicts when you go shopping, keep a hard copy of the store coupon policy in your coupon binder. This way, if a cashier or manager says that your coupons can not be combined, you have the store words to back you up. You may choose to review the policy beforehand, to ensure you understand it.
Find a friend or two who also likes to clip coupons, and get together for a coupon swap. You’ll find that you can give them the coupons that you don’t need in exchange for the ones you use. In addition, if each of you purchased a different newspaper, you can meet to sort through the different coupons found in the inserts.
Use a system for keeping your coupons tidy and organized. Envelopes, binders or expandable files are all great tools. Not only, being organized keep you from forgetting to use your coupons, but it saves time at the register. Preparing ahead of time keeps you from having to dig for and sort coupons while checking out, leading to quick grocery trips.
Use coupons in a smart way. Getting discounts is great, but you don’t want to start spending money on items that you wouldn’t normally purchase. Keep a checklist of things you really need and then go through your coupons. This will prevent you from overspending on unneeded items.
Find the coupon sites that you can utilize to make the process faster for you. Time is a commodity in today’s world, and you don’t want to lose the opportunity of finding coupons just because you’re short on time. There are many sites that can have you matching coupons to your list and be printing within 15 minutes.
No matter how often you have used coupons in the past, it is possible to improve your level of savings. Try your best to at least use some of the tips you got from this article. Keep this article as a handy reference in case you forget some of the details.
