Using coupons is a great way to save money and make a serious dent in a tight budget. While everyone understands the benefits of coupons, not everyone understands how to use them right and really save. This article contains some wonderful tips that the average person can use to take advantage of all that coupons have to offer.
To help you get the most out of your coupon usage, you should strive to only use coupons on items that you actually use. Oftentimes people cut out the coupons and end up buying things they do not need. This ends up in you overspending on items that you would never have bought.
Be sure to use coupons when you find a buy-one-get-one-free sale. Besides getting the additional item free of charge, you’ll often get a significant reduction in the cost of the original item in question. You might pay less than 1/4 of retail.
Take advantage of grocery-store competition. Stores will often honor coupons from their competitors. You can exploit this opportunity, thereby sidestepping the need to make several stops. Shopping around too much can lead to hefty fuel expenses and spending even more than you’re saving with coupons.
Make sure you understand and print off coupon policies for your local stores. Walmart, for example, has a printable coupon policy. Keep them in your coupon organizer for handy usage. On occasion, a cashier may not know the corporate policies for their stores, and having the policy may help you get the leg up in a disagreement.
To get the most possible value out of the coupons you clip, it is important to shop at the right stores. Do a bit of research to find out which stores in your local area are willing to double and sometimes triple your coupons. Taking advantage of such offers in conjunction with in-stores sales can lead to huge savings on every shopping trip.
Devote time to clipping or printing out coupons. You will need to spend some time and make a little effort to actually save money. If you are thinking about taking this seriously, you will need to come up with schedule. Devote some time each day to looking through the ads and clipping your coupons.
Scan magazines at the doctor’s offices if they are new for coupons. Most places will not mind if you tear out a coupon if there is not any publications on the other side. Most of the time a magazine is good about only printing coupons on the other side of ads or using tear outs.
If you’re desperate to find coupons, don’t fear “dumpster diving.” This does not mean you have to dive into the garbage; simply put on a pair of gloves and search through papers to find what you are looking for. You might just be shocked at how many coupons wind up in the trash.
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.
Before getting your car serviced anywhere, check their website first. Many mechanics and service centers have a page for current deals and coupons that you can print out and use. These might be national deals, or just ones running at that particular location. It only takes a minute to check and can save you a few bucks.
You don’t have to waste costly color ink printing coupons on your home printer. If you have an inkjet printer, you can set your preferences to print in black and white or simply remove the color cartridge. This way, everything will print in black and white. Retail establishments will still accept these non-colored coupons.
Compare coupons of competing stores. This works great for things like food and office supplies. One store may offer bananas for 79 cents per pound, while another store offers them for 60 cents a pound. Compare and look around to make sure that you are getting the best deal possible.
Always have your coupons available. The truth is, you never know when you might need to stop and pick something up while you are out. By keeping your coupons either in your vehicle or in your bag, you will always have them readily available should the need to shop arise.
Buy two or more Sunday newspapers. If there are coupons for items you use, then you will have double the coupons for those items. This is a good way to stock your cabinets with items you use if they are on sale. You can save a good bit of money this way.
Print coupons from the Internet. There are many websites that offer manufacturers coupons for you to print and use at many different stores. Sometimes the manufacturer’s website even has printable coupons you can use. Different stores have different policies regarding printed coupons so be sure to check your store’s policy.
It is important to have your coupons with you whenever you are out shopping. If your coupons are at home in a drawer waiting for a shopping trip, then you will miss great deals when you shop on the spur of the moment. Keep them in your glove compartment or handbag so you can pull them out at any time.
Coupons offer instant savings on the things that people use every day. While this savings is easy to understand, it is not always easy to understand how to find, effectively use and really save with coupons. The tips in this article provided a great starting point with some important tips. Use them and start saving today!
