Coupons : Coupon Tips To Keep Money In Your Wallet

Coupon Tips To Keep Money In Your Wallet

The immense popularity of couponing these days has a lot to do with the economic downturn experienced by so many. It is important to note, however, that without a good knowledge of how coupons work and how to extract the most value from them, coupons may simply end up at the bottom of your purse or wallet, never to be used. Review the advice below to make sure you get real value from the coupons you clip.

Bookmark two or three reputable coupon websites and visit them regularly. You can find thousands of coupons online if you just take the time to look. Make sure to check a coupon site you trust, at least, once a month. Try to collect these coupons early in the month to find the best deals.

Remember how long it takes to drive home from a grocery store. You might only be used to a five minute drive from your usual grocery store, and the cold foods are fine. However, if you drive across town for savings on ice cream, it might be melted when you get home because you are used to a short drive with groceries.

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.

Do you have more than one of the same coupon? You can usually use more than one coupon at the same time. Just make sure you follow the rules on the coupon and buy the amount of product that your coupons are for. For instance, if you have four coupons for one item, you can buy four items.

When you are clipping coupons always make sure you look on the front and back of each sheet of paper to make sure you are not going to cut into another coupon on accident. Often times the papers make sure that this will not happen by offsetting the coupons but you will want to double check.

Check the packaging and contents thoroughly of everything you buy and use before you throw it away or recycle it. You never know where you might find a coupon. Sometimes they are hiding on the bottom of a box, or have slipped down to the bottom of the inside of one.

When you are going to venture into extreme couponing you have to be an extremely organized person. That is the key to this game. You must keep all of your coupons on file and know what you have, even if you have to write down what you have or keep them on a spread sheet.

Look for a like-minded individuals to help you share in saving money with coupons. Sometimes a friend might have a coupon for an item that you really want and you can trade them for something you may have that interests them. This makes saving money on the things you want much easier.

Exchange coupons with friends. This is a great way to help you when you find you have coupons you might not use. Instead of throwing them away, see if you can talk a few friends into swapping with you. This is a good way to help each other while helping yourself.

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.

To save money try and stock up on certain items by using coupons. If you think something is a really good deal then go ahead and get more copies of any coupons that you like. Check to see how many coupons you can use and then have other people use the coupons as well.

Make sure you're not purchasing items simply because you have coupons available for them. You want to make sure you're planning your grocery list ahead of time first. If done correctly, the coupons will save you money. If done incorrectly and in improper order, the coupons will actually cause you to spend more money.

Find out how much others are saving with coupons. The reason you want to do this is because you will find that the stories from other people can inspire you and motivate you to stick your coupon regiment. Hearing that people saved money makes you feel more likely to do the same!

Organize your coupons according to the setup of the store. This is a great strategy if you aren't sure which items are on sale. You can easily check the price of the item as you pass by it in the store. If it isn't on sale, move on to the next coupon.

Try using competitor coupons at your local grocery store. Many grocery stores will honor competitor coupons to garner your business. This technique will not only save time, but it will also save money on the gas you would spend driving to multiple stores. If you do not know if your grocer honors competitor coupons, simply ask the store manager for a copy of their coupon policy.

Coupons are extremely popular nowadays, and they really can produce serious savings for those committed to using them regularly. The best way to maximize the impact of coupons on your grocery bill is to gain a good understanding of strategic couponing. Apply the ideas in the piece above whenever you shop, and you will be on the road to big savings.