Coupons are a great tool for saving money and stretching your budget. You may already use them once in a while, maybe at your favorite dining spot. On the other hand, you may invest your time on Sundays looking at coupons in the Sunday newspapers. Regardless of how good you are at using coupons, the tips that follow may help you do better.

Expiration Dates

Check expiration dates on your coupons. There are some coupons which have a very limited time to use. Some don’t expire for a month or more. Make sure that you watch the expiration dates of the coupons that you collect to maximize your savings. Always take a peek at what coupons are near expiration. By staying on top of these dates you can avoid missing out on the best deals.

TIP! Many places offer great coupons. The Sunday newspaper often contains one or more flyers with coupons in them.

You can ask your newspaper to send more coupon inserts in your edition of the paper. Some offer them for about a buck a pop if you order at least five copies of the Sunday edition.

Once at the checkout, be sure that your coupons scan properly. 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. Pay close attention to cashier as the person scans the coupons and make sure that the coupon was accepted.

TIP! Use competing stores to your advantage. Stores will often honor coupons from their competitors.

Many of the most successful couponers say they will “dumpster dive” for Sunday newspapers containing coupons. You do not actually have to dive inside of a dumpster. Just slap on some gloves and go through the local newspapers for what you want. You will be shocked to see that people throw the coupons away.

Buying Items

TIP! Many online coupon forums post deals. There are a lot of people who can help you, and you can find coupons online so you can really save money.

Concentrate your coupon-clipping efforts on items that you know will get used in your household. By doing this, you’ll prevent yourself from buying items you don’t need, which could actually decrease your grocery budget. Buying items that you do not need is the big reason why many people stop using coupons. This strategy also helps you to keep all of your coupons neatly collected and ordered.

Check to see if a brand you like has a Facebook page. If so, make sure you “like” the brand page When you like a company, it might mean you get special deals. The companies often reward their most loyal fans, and you want to make sure that you are one of them.

TIP! Make comparisons with store sales and the coupons that you find. That will help you save the most.

You should not feel embarrasses when you are waiting at the checkout stand with a bunch of coupons. This will save you loads of cash, which you should be proud of. You should just take a few minutes if you stay organized.

Find coupons online. There are a ton of sites that offer these, and you can print them out right at home. Many coupons can be printed on one page and then cut out. You can use these just like traditional coupons.

Coupon Codes

Utilize the coupon codes before you click purchase for an online item. Typically there are one or two codes available that will apply additional discounts to your purchase. Google is a great tool to use to find these coupon codes. Make searches using a current date and time, that way you don’t find out of date coupons. For example, search “Pizza Hut May 2012 Coupon” for coupon codes valid in May of 2012.

TIP! You might have the coupon but you might not need the item; in that case, don’t buy it. Some people buy products just because there is a coupon for it.

Look for retailers that accept double coupons. Doubling coupons means that a coupon worth $.50 is now worth $1.00. It’s great when savings are doubled on items you really need. Some coupons are not able to be doubled so read the fine print.

If you have a great coupon, it’s a great time to stockpile most-used items. Although you may not want to purchase items in bulk, you could save much more money by purchasing a greater amount of an item whenever it is on sale.

TIP! Think about making bulk purchases. Use multiple coupons to increase savings on items you use most often.

Some places will take coupons that are out of date. Ask the manager if they will accept coupons that have gone out of date. You may be surprised to learn that stores will, in fact, very often gladly accept expired coupons.

Try to find stores that offer double coupon days. Quite a few stores allow this, and it really can help. In fact, you could even end up getting an item at no cost. Things that are free are the best! As well, you may be able to test some products you’d never try otherwise.

Purchase Items

Try avoiding using coupons to purchase items you do not use. Don’t buy an item you don’t use just because you can get it at a bargain price. A lot of people figure they save money simply due to the fact that they are always using coupons. But you are only wasting money if you purchase items that you fail to use or that you do not need.

TIP! Do your shopping at stores that offer double coupon deals. A double coupon could turn a fifty cent off coupon on a dollar item into a freebie.

You might be a die hard couponer or you may just use one every now and then. No matter how much you currently dedicate to saving money, this article will educate you on best practices for using coupons. Feel free to revisit and share this article as you discover new ways to save money with coupons!