Using coupons is a smart way to stretch your budget. Compare your new grocery bills with people you can save. You’ll be amazed at how much you can save with coupons. This article has some helpful information to get you started in your coupon endeavor.
Make sure you’re familiar with the coupon policies at every store you frequent. Does the store allow for coupon doubling? Do they accept coupons from competitors or printed coupons from the Internet? If you aren’t familiar with the policies, you won’t be able to take advantage of all the savings you have gathered.
Try using coupons when there are buy one get one free sales at your store. You can get one item free and then save big on the other item.You could end up paying less than even a quarter of retail.
Use the grocery stores’ competition to your advantage. Coupons for one store can often be used at a competitor. This can help you save money. You could actually neutralize your cost savings do to the gas costs by driving around too much.
Before deciding to use a coupon, be sure that you’re getting a great deal. There are various times when a store brand or generic version of that product is cheaper than the brand on the coupon. To be a smart shopper, you need to look at every avenue of saving money.
Set aside one day each week to go “couponing.” This makes the most use of your coupon time efficient and organized.
Sign up for an online community that posts deals and discounts. There are many coupon sites and some have email reminders that offer coupons or where users post about deals.
Do a general Internet search for coupon codes valid at online stores that you use. Many times, you can find codes for free shipping, a percentage off or other deals from a website you were going to shop at anyway.
Make sure you understand that coupons do not last forever. There are coupons that expire in only last for 24 hours. Some of them will be good for a month or more. Make sure you watch the expiration dates of the coupons that you collect to maximize your savings. This technique will help ensure you save the most amount of money with your coupons.
They may have deals in place that you subscribe and order a certain number of Sunday papers each week.
Bring all of your coupons when you go to the store even if you don’t plan to use it. You may come across a sale that is in-store only, and you want to be able to use the coupon on the sales item at that moment.
If an item you want to use a coupon for will be going on sale, try using coupon clipping servicesso that you can order multiples of a coupon. There are many clipping services available via coupon websites, and you can save big money by using their service.
Spend sufficient time searching for coupons. Schedule time when you are truly serious about the endeavor. Allot at least 30 minutes per day to finding and clipping coupons.
Join a deal forum. In these forums, you can find many postings on coupons that you can use to save money. Besides connecting you directly to great coupons, these forums will also let you swap information on whether or not a particular coupon is a good bargain or whether or not the coupon / code in question worked.
Keep in mind that coupons you receive at the store can not be doubled.
For instance, “BOGO” means when you buy one, get 1 free. Or that ‘MIR’ means mail in rebate”? There are a lot of acronyms that are used with coupons. You may miss opportunities if you do not use them properly by following what the acronym well.
Dollar stores often offer great values. Many of these dollar stores will allow you to use your coupons on already-discounted items. These are usually products that are overstocked and delivered to “low end” retailers to recoup production costs. This is a great thing for coupon users because the price is already low, meaning greater savings for you.
You’ll be glad that you read these tips to help you use coupons when you shop. Pick and choose the best tips for you, and start saving. The best part about using the coupons is how much you are actually saving.