Using Coupons to Save Money is Worth the Effort
Clipping coupons can be time consuming, and keeping up with them can be a hassle. Using coupons the right way, however, can truly help you save a lot of money. Food items, cleaning supplies, baby gear, and more can be purchased at a great price if coupons are used correctly. Try these tips to get the most bang for your coupon buck.
First of all, don't ever buy a product just because you have a coupon for it. Sometimes another brand may be cheaper than the brand you have the coupon for, even after the discount. Always compare prices even when using coupons. The best way to decide what products to use your coupons for in a given week is to check sales advertisements. This does take a little time, but can be done while watching TV in just a few minutes. Check through the ads and see what items are on sale that you have coupons for. Only use your coupons for items that are also on sale, and save the rest for another week.
Check for store specials. Often grocery stores will offer double coupons. This makes all coupons $.50 and above double in value. Occasionally stores will even offer triple coupons up to $.50, or super double coupons when coupons up to $1.00 are doubled. When a store offers programs like this, take advantage of them. Using $1.00 coupons that are doubled on some products will get your products for a very low price or even free. Just using five $1.00 coupons during this special sale would save you $10.00!
Many grocery stores have a "shopper card" program. Make sure you always use a shopper card. These cards offer in-store discounts, and often stores will send additional coupons through the mail to consumers based on the products purchased.
A way to help keep the amount of coupons you clip under control is to avoid coupons that give a discount on multiple products. If you clip a $.50 coupon good on two boxes of cereal, for instance, it will hardly be worth your effort. You can likely just find a generic product for much cheaper. Coupons on multiple items are rarely worth the effort to cut them out.
If you know someone who gets the Sunday newspaper, or perhaps you get one at your workplace, don't be shy about asking for the coupons from it. If you find a great coupon one Sunday, it will be even better having two.
Coupons are worth the effort to save and use, if saving some money is a priority for you. Implementing these simple tips will make using coupons to save money easier and more effective.
Sources: