Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Everything You Want To Know About Coupons

By Steve Rian


In tough economic times, everyone is looking for ways to reduce their spending and save money, and you are probably no exception. One way of cutting your expenses is by using coupons. If you need help learning how to find the best coupons, the following article can show you how.

To get the most possible value out of the coupons you clip, it is important to shop at the right stores. Do a bit of research to find out which stores in your local area are willing to double and sometimes triple your coupons. Taking advantage of such offers in conjunction with in-stores sales can lead to huge savings on every shopping trip.

Keep your coupon organizer up to date. At least monthly, you should go through your stock and toss any expired coupons. If you wish, you can donate the coupons to overseas military families. Coupons can be used for several months after their expiration dates, so even if you cannot use them, they could.

Before beginning any couponing strategy, review your budget and spending habits. Do you spend more at the grocery store than you can afford? Make a log that tracks how prices fluctuate weekly and when stores offer in-store coupons. By making a log of this information, you can effectively save at least one-quarter of your grocery budget.

Save twice as much money by stacking store coupons with manufacturers coupons. This is the best way to get the most money off when couponing. Look at the weekly ad circular's to see what's on sale, then go to the manufacturer's site and see if they have a coupon. This way you can "double-up" and save the most money!

In addition to clipping coupons, sign up for the bonus or loyalty cards at the stores you shop at most. Many stores will offer additional discounts to individuals who sign up for their cards, and this can amount to a great savings over a short period of time. The sign up process is usually easy and free, so it is very much worth your while if you shop somewhere often.

To easily organize your coupons, get a binder and fill it with baseball card collection pages. Most coupons will fit within these pockets. You can easily flip through this binder weekly and find coupons either about to expire or for anything you are about to go shopping for that week.

Look at your list before you go to the grocery store. Check over the items you need and see if there are any coupons available online. You can also check the flyer from the store you visit most often to see if any of the items you need are on sale.

Saving money with coupons is great, but you can save even more by shopping at more than one store. Get the weekly circulars from the paper and find out where the things you need are on sale. Just be sure to account for the cost of gas when figuring out your savings, so you can truly know if the trip is worth your while.

Now you should have an idea of just how much money you can save by the intelligent use of coupons. Many people have already greatly slashed their spending by mastering the use of coupons. Just start applying the tips from this article and you will be astonished at how much you can save.




About the Author:



No comments: