Many people are advocating the usefulness of coupons. Everything from “Coupon Queens” on TV to “Deal Seekers” online focus on the joys of using coupons. Though it may look simple, the process does require a fair amount of work. This article has what you need to know to become a coupon queen, or king, yourself.
Always double check to ensure that you are scoring the best deal possible with every coupon. It is not uncommon for a store brand or generic item to be cheaper than a name brand, even with a coupon. Don’t always assume that coupons are the key to savings.
Go couponing one day each week. This increases your efficiency. It is always possible to grab a coupon you run across accidentally, but by taking a complete day to scour your sources, you can collect a great deal of useful coupons.
An easy way to get additional coupons from newspapers is by subscribing to the Sunday edition. Ask the newspaper agency if they offer a special for people who just want coupons. Lots of offices offer newspapers for $1 a piece by subscribing to them and ordering a minimum of five copies each week.
Before you cut out any coupons shop for a bit, then cut out the coupons that match what you are buying. There maybe a different store you can visit and get more out of shopping than your regular place.
At the checkout counter, you should ensure that each of your coupons is scanned and deducted from your total. Many problems can occur at the checkout that can prevent your coupons from scanning properly. Sometimes, the problem is with the cashier, while other times it is with the coupon itself. Watch to make sure the cashier properly scans the coupon, then look on the display screen to verify it applied.
Do not spend too much time cutting out and researching coupons. It is easy to let the coupon quest take up a big chink of your free time. Figure out how much money you are saving with coupons with the time you are putting in, and see if this time spent couponing is worthwhile.
Limit your coupon collecting to products you already use. Buying products solely because you have a coupon will destroy your budget. Ending up with a pile of items they will never use causes many people to stop using coupons. When you do this, you’ll also have less clutter around and can keep your coupons successfully organized.
There are some websites where you can buy or trade coupons. You never know what you can get for super cheap or for free. Paying a dollar for multiples of this item will still get you a very deep discount at the checkout counter.
Weekly Specials
Shop on a weekly basis to make your coupons stretch further. If you only purchase the weekly specials, you will save quite a bit of money off of your grocery bill. Many stores put out weekly specials and by taking advantage of these you can maximize your savings.
Become familiar with the terminology utilized on coupons. Are you aware that the meaning of “BOGO” is that you can buy one item and get another free? MIR, which states for mail in rebate, is another term you should know. There are a lot of acronyms that are commonly used with coupons. If you don’t understand the terminology, you might be losing out on the deals.
Anybody who’s really serious about getting the most out of their coupon usage can benefit significantly from storing their coupons in a convenient, easy-to-locate place that makes them easy to grab on the way out of the house. A lot of people always forget they have these coupons and end up leaving them at home. Help yourself to remember by making them visible as you are walking out the door.
You already knew that coupons were a great way to save money, but now you have learned how to really maximize coupons and use them to their fullest potential. Take all that you learned here and incorporate it into your coupon plan to help you begin saving money today.