If you, like many people, are struggling to make ends meet in this terrible economy, one of the best things you can do is to start using coupons. You may not believe it, but it is possible to save hundreds and even thousands of dollars per year by using simple coupons. Keep reading if you are interested in learning more.
Don’t rely only on your Sunday paper. Look for deals on several different weekend newspapers, and purchase them. This will help ensure that you get the widest variety of coupons possible. In addition, you may be able to get more than one coupon for an item that you use often, allowing you to stock up when it is on sale.
If you want to get the most of your couponing endeavors, check out some websites that are dedicated to helping you save big. From sites that offer to send you coupons for a small fee to those that send out coupons for free or tell you where to find them, there is no shortage of coupon websites out there.
Keep all your coupons in one place. Some coupons are really small, and you don’t want to lose them. You also don’t want to have coupons all over the house. When you keep them all in one place, you can locate them when you need them without too much trouble.
Get stacking! Look into your favorite stores’ coupon policies. Many stores, like Target, allow you to combine manufacturer and store coupons on one item. So, basically, you can use two coupons on one item. To figure out which type of coupons you have, look in the box located at the top of the coupon near the expiration date.
Don’t clip everything. Whatever you do, avoid the trap of keeping all the coupons you can just because you “might” use them. If the coupon is for something you don’t like or can live without, forget it. Paying money for something you don’t really enjoy is not a good idea, even if you save a few bucks on it.
Set coupon saving goals each week. Try to come with a dollar amount you need to save every week and use that as motivation to help you find those money saving coupons. By working this strategy it puts you in the mindset of always looking for those great coupon deals.
A good coupon tip you should use is to do all of your shopping at the end of the month. Most stores have it so that their coupons expire at the end of the month. Shopping during this time will make it more convenient for you to get the best deals.
To make sure you can use your coupons when the time comes, never leave them laying out in sunlight. Coupons laid on a counter or table near a window, or even worse-on a car dashboard, are going to receive a lot of radiation that discolors them. When the time comes to use them, they may be so faded that they are refused.
If you’re serious about couponing, get organized! Struggling to find the most recent coupons in a messy pile is problematic. If you don’t find them quick enough, they can expire. Try keeping your coupons inside some binder-sized sleeve protectors or baseball card holders. These can keep all of your coupons tidy so that you can easily see them and take them to the store with you.
Make sure that you pay close attention the expiration date on coupons you are interested in using. If you save them for too long, you may miss the opportunity to use them. It is a good idea to set a reminder in your calendar about a week or two before it expires.
Before you buy anything, look for a coupon. Oftentimes, there are coupons available online that are not advertised elsewhere. Use a search engine to see if there is a coupon you can print for that next purchase. Do this even if that purchase is small. Even the small savings add up quickly.
Make sure you use the coupons you have in conjunction with a store that has good sales. Check the store’s weekly flyer before going there. No matter what coupons you use, if the store does not have good sales, you are not getting the best deal possible. If one store does not have good sales, check another store.
Try and find any hidden costs that maybe associated when using a coupon. A coupon for $5 off some Chinese food for example may seem like a good deal until you discover that there is a delivery charge you have to pay, not to mention the fact that you must also pay a tip.
Do not make the mistake of not using as many coupons as you can to get discounts. For example, if you have four bags of chips, and you have a coupon for a discount on one bag, you can get three more coupons and get a discount off of everyone.
Get familiar with your chosen store. If you’re not shopping online, you are going to have to navigate store aisles and deal with cashiers. It will ease your couponing process if you can easily find the items you have coupons for, so that you’re not wasting time in the wrong aisles. It also helps if you can find cashiers that can deal with the whole couponing process properly.
As you read at the top of this article, using coupons is a terrific way to save lots of your family’s hard earned money. By carefully studying the coupon tips and advice discussed in this article, you can save big. Don’t let the economy drag you down, start using coupons.