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Everyone loves to save money! Couponing is a great way to do it! Couponing means using vouchers to buy items at lower than usual prices.
Women and men have been using coupons for years. The traditional way to get coupons is to clip them from newspapers. However, in the 21st-century, there are many more ways to obtain them. Here is a beginners guide to couponing:
Where Can I Get My Coupons?
Today you can get coupons from a wide variety of sources. These include:
- Online
- Apps
- Physical papers such as the Sunday paper
- Store receipts
- Store flyers
- Store coupon dispensers
- Store bulletin boards
- Social media groups such as on Facebook
- Sent to you from companies
Of the sources listed above, we’d like to expand on the first two:
Online:
Getting your coupons online is the most popular way to do it in the 21st-century. Online coupons are available from a wide variety of sources include at store websites, at websites devoted solely to coupons, and more. These sources provide you coupons that you can print or use directly from your smartphone.
Some notable websites are:
Printable Coupons
e-coupons
Apps:
One of the hottest places to use coupons is with apps provided by stores. In this case, you download the store’s app on your smartphone or other devices, and then you can either print the coupon or, in many cases, use the coupon right off your phone. Stores will have machines, typically located at checkout, that allow you to place your phone on the device to get the savings.
How Do I Organize My Coupons?
When you need a coupon, the last thing you want is not to be able to find a coupon when you need one. If you need a coupon for eggs, you should know exactly where to go to find a coupon for eggs. Otherwise, you’re wasting time, and that should not be part of the goal.
For physical coupons, a coupon organizer separated by product categories, that you either buy or make, is an excellent way to organize print coupons. Categories could be dairy, meat and seafood, frozen foods, breads and pasta, canned goods, etc. You can make these categories broad, or you can tailor them specifically for your needs. Whatever you do, ensure that your categories coordinate well with the coupons you use.
Store your coupons in a binder, coupon wallet, recipe box, or a shoebox.
Organizing online coupons is not as straightforward. However, one way is to have a list of places where you get your online coupons, and then check the list as needed. This could take more time than organizing print coupons, but the savings could be substantial. If you give yourself a half-hour a week to check online coupons, that’s a good rule of thumb.
Overall, spend one to two hours per week to acquire and organize your coupons, including your online coupons. This may seem like a lot of time, but with practice, it will become an essential part of your week.
Choose the same day to do this activity every week, such as every Sunday. Always check the policy of a coupon before you store it away for use.
For example, if a coupon says, buy two and get one free, determine if that particular coupon is worth the savings. Do you need three of an item, or does it make more sense to use a coupon applicable for one item?
It helps to buy products with coupons when you are working from a list. This way, you can organize your coupons against the list, thereby saving time in the store and ensuring that you cover everything. It also helps you to be organized at the check-out. The goal of couponing is to save money, but saving money with coupons should not be an arduous task.
What Should I Buy First With My Coupons?
Start using coupons by purchasing what you would typically buy. You probably won’t save a lot of money in the beginning, but the more you practice the use of coupons, the more you’ll save.
Will Stores Honor My Expired Coupons?
Some stores will accept expired coupons if you bring your receipt. However, not every store will do that. It will depend on the store. So make sure you check the store’s policy to, once again, make good use of your time.
Will Stores Price Match My Coupons?
Price matching is when a product is listed for a price at one store, and you show another store the amount, and they give you the product at the first price. There are various ways to price match. You can show an ad from another store to the store that will price match. Some stores will match coupons, as well. Not every store will price match, but you end up saving lots of money with those who do. Also, price matching usually only works with local competitors.
When Is the Best Time to Buy Items With My Coupons?
Purchasing an item that is already on sale with a coupon is the best time to use one. For example, let’s say something typically $4.99 is on sale for $3.99. You buy it, but you buy it with a $1 off coupon. So you get the $4.99 product for $2.99.
Can You Get Rain Checks When I Use My Coupons?
A “rain check” means that you’re not getting the discount now, but you can get it later. Not every store will offer a rain check; however, if you have a coupon for a product, but the product is out of stock, it’s worth checking to see if they’ll give you the item at a discount when it’s back in stock.
Top Tips
Don’t get out of hand with couponing.
If you don’t need an item, buying it with a coupon doesn’t make sense. You’re not saving money, because it’s not an item you would buy.
Be careful with brand names.
Brand names are typically more expensive than non-brand names. Therefore, if you use a coupon with a brand name, you may not be saving money if you had just bought the non-brand names. Of course, if the brand name is of better quality, the savings could be significant.
Be willing to shop at different stores.
There may be stores where you always shop. Your loyalty to a brand is strong. However, if you find coupons that apply to another store and save you money, you should check it out. Be willing to branch out to save money!
Couponing can be a lot of fun if you are organized and have a system. You can save lots of money every week with the right approach.