Sorry that I am a day late, in this case I am hoping that it is better late than never 😉
Here are some Couponing Tips:
- Be on the lookout for coupons everywhere you go – I am always on the lookout for coupons, newspaper, online, stores.
- Choose Your Stores – Select 1 or 2 stores that you will shop most frequently and pay attention to deals there. If you try to get every deal at every store you may drive yourself crazy.
- Print / Clip Coupons when you see it, not when you need it – Most printable coupons only have a certain number of prints available per campaign. So if you hold off on printing them, you may never get the chance too. Get any coupons when you see them, and set them aside until you’re ready to use them.
- Create a Stockpile – Whenever there is a Great Sale, buy a few of that items so that you can stock up on it. If you do this, you won’t ever have to pay full price for it. This may be difficult to do with perishables but it’s great for canned goods, cleaning products, toothpaste, paper goods, etc.
- Change the way you shop – Learn to shop based on the coupons you have available. I sometimes hold off on a particular item until I get a coupon for it (this is why creating a stock pile is so important). Check out the sales and match them with coupons (this is basically done for you when you click on the shopping lists of weekly deals), and buy those items. This will be hard at first, since you don’t have a stockpile to use from until the next sale. But hold off and wait until there is a good deal and a coupon, you will see that it’s worth the wait.
- Do NOT feel you have to use every single coupon you clip right away – If you use a coupon when a product is not on sale, then you’re usually not getting a good deal at all. So do your best to wait for a sale and then use your coupon. You will be spending less and getting more for your money.
- Learn the Store’s Coupon Policy – If you do, it may save you time and frustration if there is a problem at the register. I print a copy of the policy and leave it inside my coupon bag just in case I need it.
- DON’T be brand loyal – Be open to Trying & Purchasing New products you wouldn’t normally use. In my opinion, if it’s FREE it’s worth trying it out. If you do not like it, you can give it to a friend or family. You can even purchase the FREE items to donate to someone in need.
- Buy the smallest size possible that the coupon will allow – Sometime you will walk away with a smaller version of the item, even the trial size (when not excluded) for FREE and if you have enough of those coupons you can get a bunch for FREE that may equal to the bigger item that would have cost you $$$.
- Stick to your budget – There are going to be some great deals you are going to want to take advantage of. However, unless it’s FREE, if it’s not in your budget, it may not be worth it to buy it. There will always be another deal down the road. I tend to this alot and it can get pricey. Coupons are meant to help you save…so Save!
- Use rain checks if necessary – If you are out shopping and the store is out of an item that is on sale or has a great deal, ask the customer service desk or manager for a rain check. They are usually only valid for 30 days. if you are planning on using a coupon with it, make sure you redeem the rain check prior to the coupon’s expiration date.
- Get a Facebook Account – If you don’t already have one you should consider getting a Facebook account because there are many coupons that are available to only Facebook members. I actually have a personal one and one I use solely for coupons. But, you don’t need to do that, alot of people simply use their personal account and that is fine.
- When clipping coupons ask yourself these questions–Will my family use this product? If we can get it for FREE will we use it? Can we give it to someone we know? Can we donate it? If you answered NO to ALL those questions, then you don’t really need to save the coupon.
Do you have any tips you would like to share?
Have any questions? Feel free to email me
