If you need to save money, but are no sure how to do it, consider cutting coupons. You needn’t go to extreme measures. Using a moderate amount of coupons is enough to save you tons of cash. Read the following article for some great coupon ideas, and you’ll have more money to spend each month.
If you get heavily involved in using coupons, but don’t like to spend money printing or buying newspapers, talk to your friends. Many people throw out the coupons from their Sunday papers, and will hold on to them for you to come and collect. Do not try to collect them out of the trash, as this can be illegal.
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.
Let your friends and family know you are clipping coupons. What will probably end up happening is that everyone will save their “junk mail” for you. This mail can be a treasure trove of coupons and deals. If they don’t want to use them, they miss out–that doesn’t mean you have to!
Don’t rely on just one paper or website to get coupons from. Try subscribing to several sources if you can. You can even ask friends and family for their unused papers. The more sources you have in your arsenal, the more deals you have access to so that you can save money.
When you go shopping, leave the children at home. Children will get you off your shopping and coupon list and try to get you to buy impulse items for them. They are a distraction and difficult to keep entertained while shopping. If you can leave them at home with your partner, that is your best choice.
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.
Make sure you have the room for all of your newly bought items. Couponing will fill your cupboards and have you buying multiples of one product to get them for free or at a very deep discounted price. You will be stocked up for a long time on some very specific items.
Don’t only look to print papers, look to the Internet as well. Many websites contain coupons that you can print and bring with you. Some even have digital coupons that you can scan from your smart phone while in the store. Or if you are online shopping, they may provide a coupon code for your use.
Dollar stores are a great source of savings. When shopping at this type of store, you can usualy discover the brand that matches your coupon. These are usually products that are overstocked and delivered to “low end” retailers to recoup production costs. This will help you a great deal in maximizing your overall savings in the long run.
Locate coupons on the Internet. A lot of coupon sites will just let you print out the coupons at home. You can print multiples per sheet and then cut out. They act just like publication coupons.
Try to shop at stores that double coupons. Many grocery stores do this, and it can make a big savings difference. Sometimes, doubling of coupons could make purchases free. Free items are the best! Coupon doubling can also make it affordable to try out new products without risking too much money on the effort.
Before beginning any couponing strategy, review your budget and spending habits. Do you spend more at the grocery store than you can afford? Make a log that tracks how prices fluctuate weekly and when stores offer in-store coupons. By making a log of this information, you can effectively save at least one-quarter of your grocery budget.
You may know to subscribe to the Sunday paper; however, you should also subscribe to magazines that offer coupons. Check online for circulars that are popular within the couponing community. Often, these magazines will have garnered great coupons that are hard to find, if not impossible to find, anywhere else.
Make sure the cashier is scanning each and every one of your coupons. Although the mistakes may be unintentional, you could end up overpaying for items unless you have a diligent cashier. You always want to get credit for every coupon you turn in, so watch carefully and make sure they’re all listed on your receipt.
Pick out your coupons carefully. Though free merchandise is always good, you do want to avoid spending extra cash on items you would not have otherwise needed. Create a list of whatever you do need before going shopping and prior to looking at the coupons you have. Doing this will help you abstain from overspending.
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.
As you can now see, using coupons can help you save a lot of money. That’s money you’ll have to spend on something else. Apply what you’ve just learned here, and soon your monthly budget will not be so tight. And who doesn’t want more room in their budget?
