Coupons are a great way to save extra money when shopping. You can find some great deals, and you can save yourself a pretty penny. You just need to know where to look for coupons and how to utilize them properly. Consider the following helpful tips concerning coupon usage and the average consumer.
When you plan on being an extreme coupon clipper you must make sure you know exactly what the rules and policies are at your favorite store. There may be one store that will double coupons and another one of the stores that you frequent that do not double the coupons.
Be on the lookout for “Buy One Get One Free” deals. These are some of the best bargains around. To make the deal even better, see if there is an additional manufacturer’s coupon you can use with the store offer. You can practically get items for free with these rare opportunities.
Ask friends, neighbors and relatives to save their coupon circulars and newspaper inserts for you. Many people throw coupons away or recycle them with the rest of the paper, not realizing how much they could save by using them. This is a great, free way to acquire extra coupons for the items you use most.
If you are into couponing, chances are you have some friends and family who are not; so, to save even more money, ask them for spare coupons. Often, companies mail out great high-value coupons or include them in inserts in the local newspaper. Ask friends and family to set them aside for you if they won’t be using them.
A good tip when clipping out coupons is to place them in a pouch or somewhere you can easily keep track of them. This will prevent you from creating a mess and you’ll have your coupons readily available when you need them so you won’t have to dig around to find them.
If you carry a loyalty card for a particular store, check the store’s website for coupons. Many retailers offer manufacturer’s coupons on their website and allow you to download them to your card. Your stored coupons are automatically deducted when the cashier swipes your card at the cash register.
The best coupon websites will give you a list of all of the major stores and tell you where you can find the best coupons to go with their weekly deals. You need to pay attention to these and do not forget about your chain drug stores that always have good coupon deals.
Do not forget about your national chain drug stores. These places have a ton of their own in store coupons every week and stacked with manufacturers coupons you will be saving big. Alot of these places also have rewards cards that will give you dollars back to spend there once you spend so much.
Start your coupon collecting with only one store. Coupons may seem like an easy thing to collect and utilize, but there are many complexities. Some coupons have multiple policies. Some stores allow coupons from competitors. Some stores will even accept coupons that have expired – even months after the expiration date.
Use that coupon to buy a bunch of items that you use all the time. Your gut instinct might be towards making smaller purchases, but combining coupon savings with limited-time sales often makes it worthwhile to buy in bulk.
Read the fine print for all the coupons that you use. You do not need to be embarrassed in line when you are trying to use coupons. A simple read can help you figure out if there is anything you should consider when you are going to buy anything with a coupon.
To make finding your coupons easier, try sorting them by a similar attribute. For instance, you could sort them by brand, by product type, by expiration date, etc. There are so many ways you can keep everything together so that you can easily see and use them to maximize your savings.
Don’t use coupons to buy things you don’t usually use. If you’re not going to use something, don’t get it even if it’s on sale. A lot of people think they’re getting a good deal just because they have a coupon for it. Actually, if the item is something you do not normally use, buying it is a waste of money.
Only use coupons on items that are on sale. You can get the most out of your money this way. If an item is not on sale and you buy it just because you have a coupon, you could be wasting money. Hold on to your coupons until the next week when sales change and the item you want is on sale.
Sign up for the mailing lists of your favorite stores and brands. Many companies send out coupons to people subscribed to their list that aren’t available otherwise. Stores also send valuable store-specific coupons like a percentage of your purchase or a dollar amount off a purchase of a certain amount.
Stay away from coupon clipping services. These people claim to charge you only for the time it took to clip coupons, but some manufacturers do not see it that way. It is illegal to buy or sell coupons, and if you are caught, you can be charged with coupon fraud.
Try to do your shopping around the coupons that you have. When you have a good coupon on item that you use a lot, stock up on it. You will save tons of money this way.
Find store coupon policies online and print them out. Keep these hard copies in the front of your coupon binder. Every once in a while, or perhaps often, you will find a cashier that is either misinformed of their own policy or just does not feel like dealing with all your coupons. Know your rights in advance.
Coupons are very important when it comes to shopping and saving money. You don’t want to overspend just because you don’t have the right knowledge about coupons and how to cut your spending. Remember the helpful tips and advice you’ve read here as you move forward with your shopping needs.