Couponing 101: Advanced Coupon Tips
It seems like there just isn’t as much money to go around as there once was, especially with the constant flux in our current economy. These challenges can make it tough to meet the fiscal needs of your family. Considering the use of coupons to save money is a smart consumer choice to effectively boost your bottom line. Using coupons isn’t always enough though, sometimes it takes making smart shopping decisions in conjunction with using coupons to get true savings.
We’ve compiled some easy to follow steps that can provide some real value going forward in your shopping endeavors and to maximize your coupon savings.
Keep Your Coupons
It pays to keep your coupons for as long as possible until you can use them to double or even triple your overall savings after the expiry period. Many times you’ll notice that grocery stores proffer triple coupons sometimes and as such will allow you to achieve some impeccable deals and prices. Aside from triple coupons you’ll note that double coupons are quite common and are frequently available from your retailer or grocery store. Definitely take the opportunity to get these coupons redeemed to save the most money possible.
Combine Your Coupons
Another great couponing opportunity is when you can combine a manufacturers printable coupon from someplace like an online offering with the retailer or grocer’s coupon for that exact same product. The same applies to triple couponing. The benefits of these kinds of opportunities are almost unmatched in the savings world.
Subscribe
A really simple and easy way to get coupons frequently is to get on the e-mail lists from all your favorite retailers and manufacturers. Tons of companies are sending out their best coupons virtually via e-mail instead of paper mail these days. Often times this happens at regular intervals and provides you a great opportunity to get the best deals possible for any particular week. Aside from online subscriptions you may also check out subscribing to your local newspaper if you don’t already get it. Manufacturers often work with local publishers to get their coupons in the daily and Sunday papers.
Stay cool
You need to be patient when using coupons sometimes. Cashiers and other customers may be hastily trying to rush you through your transactions. Don’t let them. You also need to be patient while gathering your coupons to make sure you are getting the best deals possible from a certain store and avoiding accidently overlooking a better sale at another store. At the end of the day you may just end up saving more money buying a matched brand that wasn’t your first choice, but makes more financial sense.
Join the club
Lots of community have clubs specific to couponing that can really help you find the coupons you need. If your community doesn’t have one, you may consider forming one yourself. Pretty frequently you’ll see people chucking coupons in the trash that they decide they don’t really need. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. You might even engage in coupon trades to get rid of the coupons you don’t really need or want.
Get creative
There are a lot of ways to use coupons so think about all the different ways you may be able to use them and select them. Maybe you don’t want to spend money on a newspaper, but you know your friend has one and doesn’t use their coupons. Ask them or your other family and neighbors for their coupons (but only if they don’t intend to use them of course). You might even be able to find these coupons at a nearby library.
Double the trouble
In order to really maximize your coupons savings, it’s essential you double up on your coupons whenever possible. This basically means that you are using two coupons to purchase one item, combining their overall savings. Maybe it’s a combination of two $1 off coupons for a total of $2 off the total price of the item. You’ll see this tactic employed by a lot of extreme couponers in order to get items for next to nothing, free, and sometimes even receive store credits.
Know your facts before trying to double up your coupons:
• Be the first in line to have a list of best possible deals.
• Get the best deal with double coupons by trying to get a discount that is similar to the item’s total price.
• Try to save your extra coupons for times when double coupons are not offered.
It’s important to note not every store will take double coupons. Double check your stores policies so you are prepared, otherwise you might be let down at the cashier when your extra coupons are rejected. Be prepared!
There are a just a few simple ways to work in that extra savings and to have extra money for those bills or other expenses. With a little bit of simple planning, your grocery store savings can go a long way towards saving you hundreds and even thousands of dollars a year at the checkout aisle.