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.
You should develop a list before heading to the store. You should also have your coupons readily accessible so you can stay organized while you shop. You will also want to write down how many of each item you will buy.
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.
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.
Find a store that offers the value of doubling your coupons, to save some serious cash. Even if you need to drive a little further, the money you spend for gas will be well worth the savings you experience at the register when those coupons give you twice the discount.
To know where you can use certain coupons, write down a list of the coupon policies at your local retailers and grocers. Some of them are not going to accept the Internet printed coupons, or competitors. Check their websites for their policies, and consider trips to stores you might not currently visit if they are more coupons friendly.
Be sure that you have the coupon that gives you the best deal. Many companies have a variety of coupons available. You might have a coupon for 50 percent off one item and another coupon for 10 percent off you entire purchase. You will find that you will know what you need to do to suit your budget and time constraints.
Buy more than one Sunday newspaper. Generally, it is recommended that a family should buy the same number of newspapers as they have family members. You can use these coupons to buy the many different items your family uses on a regular basis. If you don’t use all the coupons, share them.
To get the most out of your grocery store coupons, know which stores occasionally run double or triple coupon weeks. Talk to the managers of those stores to find out how often they do them. See if you can get wind of when the next one is and be ready.
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.
Set coupon saving goals each week. Try to come with a dollar amount you need to save every week and use that as motivation to help you find those money saving coupons. By working this strategy it puts you in the mindset of always looking for those great coupon deals.
To make sure you can use your coupons when the time comes, never leave them laying out in sunlight. Coupons laid on a counter or table near a window, or even worse-on a car dashboard, are going to receive a lot of radiation that discolors them. When the time comes to use them, they may be so faded that they are refused.
A good coupon tip you can use is to sort you coupons by their expiration date. Organizing your coupons this way will make it so that you get the most out of your coupons and you won’t waste any of them. It will make your shopping get done much smoother.
Use a baseball card holder to keep your coupons organized. These holders are transparent, so you’ll be able to find, organize and read them more easily. You will be able to read the coupons information without having to remove it. They are also a convenient size, making them easy to take along on every shopping trip.
If you spend a lot of time cutting out coupons, ask the clerk at the store if you could sign up for a program to have them mailed to you. This will reduce the amount of time that you spend, as you can have the coupons that you desire the most at your instant disposal.
Learn to adjust your grocery list based on your coupons when it is going to help you save money. It makes sense to stock up on sale items that have a long shelf life. This is a way to save money over an extended period of time.
Know the store coupon policies before you try turning in coupons. When you are extreme couponing, you can run into some cashiers and managers who push back on the practice. They may tell you that you can’t use certain types of coupons or that coupons printed from the Internet are not taken. It’s your responsibility to know if they are before you try so that you can fight back.
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.
