Cutting coupons, for a lot of people, is something their grandmother used to do. They think it is old-fashioned and aren’t interested. Here’s a secret though: they are missing out on some great deals! Here are some ways to take coupons and use them to your advantage when buying almost anything.
In order to really get the most value out of the coupons you clip, be sure to keep them organized and broken down by product category. By maintaining distinct classes of coupons, you will have quick access to them while shopping, which can prevent you from being left with a large number of expired discount offers.
Combine coupons together when you make your purchase of products. Doubling or tripling your coupons will drastically lower the original price, which leaves you extra money for later. This way you can stockpile the items you use all the time. If you have many coupons for toilet paper, use each of the coupons during one shopping trip, rather than using them one by one during different shopping trips.
A good tip is to use coupons at your local store when they have a buy one-get one free sale. You can get the other item free, and you are also getting a discount on what you have to pay. Normally, it will come out to you saving upwards of 75% off the original price.
When you have a manufacturer’s coupon, you can stack that coupon with store coupons. This is a great way to get items for next to free or almost free. Use the store’s coupons from their weekly circular and match them up with coupons from the manufacturer off the Internet or from the newspaper.
A great tip when using coupons is to keep track of the expiration date. You don’t want to walk into a store, pick up an item and then present the cashier with a coupon that’s expired. Some stores might still honor the deal but most won’t, and you’ll be embarrassed.
Even if you aren’t planning on using all your coupons on your next shopping trip, you should still take all of them with you. You can commonly find in-store-only sale items that are such a great bargain with a coupon, that having the coupons readily available is prudent.
Whenever you go shopping, make a budget and stick to it. If you are using coupons to save money, you have to stick to your food budget and keep your money in your pocket, not on impulse spending. If you have extra money after shopping, put it aside so that you can stock up on something special another week.
Be sure you are using the best coupon available. Sometimes, a company will have more than one coupon available for their items. In the same newspaper, you might find a coupon for $1.50 off and another for a 50 percent discount. While you probably won’t be able to use both coupons at one time, you should save the other for future use.
Watch yourself carefully when you are collecting coupons and avoid clipping something just because it is a good deal. Just because you can get a large dollar amount off, it does not instantly mean you should use the coupon. If the brand is not one that you would normally buy, you can actually end up wasting money by using the great coupon you have found.
To make your coupon hobby run more smoothly, try purchasing a three-ring binder, and fill it with baseball card collector sheets. Each sheet contains 9 pockets that you can fill with your coupons. Coupons can then be divided into categories, such as cleaning supplies, beauty products and many other categories.
Do your research and use your coupons in the appropriate, approved fashion. Only try and use your coupons for the items which they were intended for, and don’t try to pass on expired coupons. Stores don’t take kindly when you try and game the system. Do the right thing and keeps things fair for everyone.
Make sure that you are aware of all the regulations for using the coupons that you have. Sometimes, you are not able to double up on coupons for the same item, or you may find yourself in a situation where a store will only accept a maximum amount of coupons for a particular purchase.
Before you leave the store, make sure that you have all of the coupons that you need with you. Even if you tell a cashier and they know that there is a coupon for a certain item, they won’t be able to help you unless you actually have the coupon when you are making a purchase.
Using coupons isn’t old-fashioned; it’s a great way for you to find out how you can save a few dollars here and there when you need to buy things. It doesn’t matter what you are buying, there is usually a coupon to help you out. Use the tips in this article to help you get smart about coupons.
