You can save some serious money if you use coupons when you go shopping. Many people neglect to take the time to utilize them, but they are very beneficial and can make a huge difference. Until you try it, you’re not going to know. Heed the following tips for consumers and coupons.
Using coupons to save money on your grocery bills is a great idea and every Sunday in the newspaper there are lots of them. Sometimes if there are a lot of coupons for items you use frequently, you may want to purchase an additional Sunday paper for the extra coupons.
Consider utilizing your coupons during BOGO sales at your grocery store. You can get the other item free, and you are also getting a discount on what you have to pay. Many times, you are going to pay less than 25% of what is the original price
Go online. There are a lot of coupons on the Internet that aren’t available in your local papers. Not only that, but some companies offer Internet only deals that others are not going to get. Before you buy anything, check online and do a search to find any coupons available.
Before beginning any coupon strategy find and print a copy of the store’s coupon policy. Many stores limit the number of coupons that can be used on each transaction, while other stores may not accept internet coupons. It is therefore, important that you print a copy of your store’s coupon policy.
Think before you click the submit button! Always do an online search for coupon codes before making an online purchase. There are even whole websites dedicated to keeping databases of coupon codes. Visit retailmenot.com or couponcabin.com before making a purchase. It only takes a second and could save you a lot of money.
Organize your coupons in a way that makes sense to you. Maybe you want to keep all the coupons for baby things together, and you want to keep all the food coupons together. You might even decide to sort them by brand. However you organize them, make sure you can remember what you’ve done.
Request all the free sample offers you can find. Not only will you get the free sample in the mail, but often times you’ll receive a coupon for the item as well. Coupons that come with free samples tend to be higher value than others, so you’ll get a great sample and a great deal!
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.
Pair coupons with store sales. This will get you the most savings from your coupons. 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. You can save a tremendous amount of money when you do this.
Don’t let your coupon search take up too much time. Looking through circulars and clipping coupons can take up a lot of time. Think about how much you are saving for each hour of effort, and decide if it’s worth it or not.
To truly maximize your coupon benefits, you should learn coupon jargon. These are words that you will see on various coupons. Some popular coupon terms are “BOGO,” “MIR,” and “OYNO.” These terms mean, “Buy One Get One,” “Mail-In Rebate,” and “On Your Next Order.” Taking the time to learn these terms and many more can really boost your savings.
Target the smaller sizes on the grocery shelf to maximize your coupon. The reduction in size also carries a reduction in initial price. When you reduce your unit cost, you save more in the long run. This will let you control your usage of products better overall as well.
Having a coupon saving plan by organizing everything. A lot of people who save money with coupons are extremely organized. Get yourself a folder and start marking down all the different coupons you have and placing them in there. Make sure you pay attention to the expiring dates so you don’t miss out on those wonderful sales!
A great place to look for coupons are in magazines and newspapers. Sure people may not turn to newspapers and magazines as much as they used to, but they are still a great source for coupons so make sure that you go through them to find the best deals possible.
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.
If you shop at a store regularly, inquire about their customer loyalty program. All loyalty programs offer their members coupons and discounts that other people do not get. This is especially helpful at the grocery store, because that is a place that you do need to visit every so often.
A good tip you can try out if you’re into using coupons is to subscribe to the newsletter of all your favorite stores. This is a win-win scenario because the store is holding onto you as a consumer, and they in turn will provide you with special coupons that you can use.
Now that you know what to do, it’s your turn to utilize the information you’ve learned. Put a smile on your face when you see the bottom line on your next shopping bill. The power is in your hands to save yourself some money, so make sure you do just that.
