A big challenge for many people is staying within a budget when couponing. Buying 30 cans of creamed corn, for example, isn’t really a bargain if you won’t be able to use them all before they expire.
There are a number of money-saving tips to keep in mind when couponing. These include:
Look for Sales
One of the most effective strategies for maximizing coupon savings is to shop when items are on sale. This is particularly true for items that you buy regularly or in bulk. Look for deals in your local ad circulars, online, and on the weekly sales flyer at your grocery store to make sure you’re taking advantage of discounts when they occur.
Many extreme couponers stockpile products when they’re at their lowest prices, and while this strategy can save you money in the long run, it requires extra storage space and a lot of time. If you’re unsure you’ll be able to keep up with an extensive inventory, try building a stockpile of the items your family uses most often. For example, if your family goes through a box of Old El Paso tacos every week, work on building a stockpile that will last about 3 months.
Another way to optimize your savings is to stack coupons with sale items. For example, if you have a manufacturer’s coupon that exceeds the price of a product, some retailers allow you to apply the overage toward other products in your cart. When you do this, it’s important to organize your coupons and hand them over to the cashier in a specific order.
Finally, it’s a good idea to stay up to date on the latest couponing deals by watching coupon update videos. These videos typically feature YouTube users who go through coupon inserts, ad flyers, and sales ads to highlight the best bargains for specific stores. Using these insider tips will help you become a savvy couponer, reduce your grocery bills, and stretch your budget further than ever before.
Use Multiple Coupons
The key to successful couponing is knowing how to use coupons in combination with store sales. Coupons that combine with sales reduce the cost of individual items, and if you plan your purchases strategically, you can save significant money on food, hygiene, beauty, and household essentials.
To maximize your savings, be sure to look for multiple coupons for the same product. In addition to online couponing apps, you can use multiple copies of the same newspaper insert and ask for additional copies from family, friends, or neighbors. Some extreme couponers even go so far as to buy multiple Sunday newspapers in order to secure a wide selection of coupon inserts.
Another way to increase your savings is to purchase non-perishable items in bulk when they are on sale. This can help you get the most out of your coupons, and it can also save you time in the kitchen by eliminating the need to cook separate meals for each family member.
Finally, be sure to know how to stack coupons when you shop. This can be as simple as combining a manufacturer coupon with a store coupon for the same item, or it can be more complicated. If you’re unsure about how to stack your coupons, make sure to read the fine print of each coupon and familiarize yourself with store policies before shopping.
With a little patience, organization, and trial-and-error, you can become a master couponer and dramatically reduce your grocery bills and household spending. By utilizing the effective strategies and insider tips outlined in this guide, you’ll be well on your way to saving big and enjoying the satisfaction of stretching your hard-earned dollars further than ever before.
Shop at Stores with the Best Deals
Couponing may seem like a full-time job and require an extreme amount of time, energy, and research, but if you use the right strategies, you can save significant money on essentials as well as bigger-ticket items. One advanced strategy involves stacking coupons, which is the process of combining a manufacturer’s coupon with a store discount or sale to unlock extra savings. This can be especially effective during sales and promotions, when you can score even better discounts on everyday staples or big-ticket items.
Another advanced strategy is to shop at stores with good coupon policies, which are the rules and regulations that dictate how you can use coupons. For instance, some stores offer price matching, which means that if you see a lower advertised price at a competitor, they will match it. This can be a great way to save on expensive electronics, appliances, or even designer clothing.
Lastly, look for coupons that apply to the specific products you want, advises consumer savings expert Woroch. For example, if you’re shopping for pizza, try using a cash-back app like Ibotta to find a coupon that can be applied to your purchase. This will help you get the best deals on food and other household products.
Another thing that many extreme couponers do is stock up on nonperishable goods when the prices are low. This can be a great way to set yourself up for emergency situations when you might not have the funds to buy something essential, such as toilet paper or baby diapers. This can also be a smart financial move when you spot a rare deal on an item that you know your family uses frequently, such as paper towels or canned tuna.
Keep Your Priorities in Line
When it comes to couponing, it’s important to stay focused and keep your priorities in line. This will help you maximize your savings without overstocking your home or spending money on items that don’t matter to you. For example, a $1 chip coupon may seem like a great deal, but it’s not worth buying three bags of chips if you already have plenty at home.
The key to staying on track is making a list of your top priorities and keeping that somewhere you can see it often. Using a Venn diagram or other visualization method can also help you clearly define your goals and get clear on what matters most to you.
Once you know your priorities, it’s a good idea to stick with two or three stores that you can use for all of your needs. This will prevent you from wasting time and gas driving to multiple locations in one shopping trip. Plus, it’s easier to focus your efforts on those stores if you know you can always find the deals that you need at them.
You should also consider trying the sale-plus-coupon-stacking technique to maximize your savings. This involves using a manufacturer coupon in conjunction with a store coupon on the same product to generate substantial discounts. This is especially effective during product sales or when coupons are used to purchase bulk quantities of an item. As you become more comfortable with this strategy, you can begin to experiment with other advanced techniques, such as using Catalina deals or price matching. By taking the time to learn these advanced strategies, you’ll be able to unlock the full potential of couponing and save more money than you ever thought possible.
Stay Organized
When you first start couponing, it can be overwhelming. The key is to take it slowly and learn the basics. You can always expand your couponing repertoire later. It’s important to know that while it may seem like an impossible task at first, you can easily save money on your groceries, clothes and household items by using coupons.
Start by figuring out where to find coupons. You can find them online, through newspapers, clipping services and even through friends and family members. You can also sign up for store loyalty programs, use digital coupons and make use of community couponing websites to help you maximize your savings.
Once you have a good handle on how to locate and acquire coupons, you can begin assembling your collection. Experts recommend establishing an organization system such as a binder, file folder or a digital organizer that allows you to categorize and keep track of your coupons. Regular purging of expired coupons will ensure that your collection remains streamlined and that you’re not missing out on any sweet deals.
Another way to maximize your couponing success is to align your meal planning with discounted products. This will allow you to save more on the items that are most important to your family, such as meat and produce. It’s also important to remember that you should only buy products that you will actually use. It’s no use saving a few cents on 15 cans of tuna that your family will never eat (unless you intend to donate them). Remember, even though it may feel wasteful to throw away unused coupons, you can donate them to charities such as women’s shelters and food banks to help those in need.
