Using Coupons Effectively
You never know when or where you may run across a great coupon. Now that I have actually started using coupons I can’t imagine not using them! Why pay full price for something when you can save money with a coupon? I know I have plenty of other things I could do with that extra money! The most challenging part, of course, is figuring out how to use your coupons most effectively.
Wait for the Right Time - Most coupons that you find in newspapers and magazines have pretty generous expiration dates so you have plenty of time to use them. The beauty of this is that you can wait for just the right sale on that product and use your coupon to get even more savings. This is especially true if you have more than one coupon for that item. You can stock up on it while it is on sale and have a coupon to cover each one you buy. In particular, watch for sales such as 2 for $1 or Buy One, Get One Free. Another great one is County Market’s 10 for $10 sale.
If you have two “50 cents off a can of Rotel tomatoes” coupons, for example, and Rotel tomatoes are on sale for 2 for $1 (okay, I’m dreaming, but just fantasize with me here), then buy two cans, use one coupon for each and they are free! This should also work for some stores’ Buy One, Get One Free (BOGO) sales. The BOGO offer is the store sale and the coupon is from the manufacturer so you should still be able to use both of your coupons. (I’m not sure if all stores allow this, but it is worth a try!)
The County Market 10 for $10 sales are great because you can mix and match and the selected items are $1 each, even if you don’t purchase 10 of them. Even low value coupons are great for these sales – 25 cents off a dollar is a 25% discount, which is pretty good!
Coupons printed off the Internet sometimes have shorter expiration periods so you may not have as much time to wait for that perfect sale. But you’ll find that the most popular coupons repeat on the coupon sites for quite a while and get refreshed pretty often. So even if you can’t match it up with a good sale before the expiration date, go ahead and use it if you want and know that you’ll probably run across another coupon just like it at a later date.
Target Your Coupon Search – If you’re like me there are certain items in your pantry or fridge that are staples in your house. There are things that I buy repeatedly and use frequently when I cook. Examples would be canned cream soups, canned tomatoes, condiments/sauces, etc. Also, there are certain things that I buy on a regular basis for my daughter like applesauce, fruit, milk, vanilla wafers, etc. If you pay attention to what you buy often you can search for coupons for those specific products. One site that is great for this is www.couponcabin.com where you can scroll through a list of coupons by product or manufacturer name to see if you can find what you need. Many brands like Kraft, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, etc. have coupons for their products right on their websites.
You may not have hours to spend going through the paper or searching the Internet and clipping a ton of coupons that you may never need or use. You can, however, take a few minutes to do a targeted coupon search for those items you know for sure you will be buying. This is an an effective use of not only coupons, but of your time as well.
Stack ’Em Up! – I’ve discussed ”stacking” coupons in other areas but will repeat it here. Many stores will allow you to “stack” a manufacturer coupon with their store coupon for that same item. When you receive the store coupons in the grocery sale ad or in the mail check your coupon stash to see if you have any manufacturer coupons for that same item to get the most savings!
If You Don’t Need It, Don’t Use It – One of the most important lessons I had to learn early on was that just because I had a coupon didn’t mean I had to run out and buy the product, even if it was a great deal! Using coupons just for the sake of using them may lead you to buy things you wouldn’t have otherwise purchased and spend money you wouldn’t have otherwise spent. You may also be buying things that you’ll never even use. This kind of negates the whole purpose of using coupons to begin with – to save money! Sometimes, however, there are new products that I want to try but put off buying because of the price. If I find a great coupon for that product I don’t feel as guilty about buying it and trying it out.
Plan Your Shopping Trip – To use your coupons most effectively you need to have a game plan going in to the store and also allow time to search for additional savings while you’re there. Set aside time before you go shopping to look through any applicable store ads/sales and identify the coupons you will need to get additional savings. Make a detailed grocery/shopping list so you’ll remember those items you want to purchase. Organize the coupons you want to use as well. Also, plan big shopping trips for a day/time when you can shop slowly and really pay attention to non-advertised sales and cost comparisons between different brands. There may be additional items on sale that you want to add to your list and you may even have coupons for them too! Shopping in a rush or with too many distractions will quickly become overwhelming and you are less likely to use your coupons effectively.
I would LOVE to hear your tips and suggestions for using coupons more effectively!
