It took me a while to get the experience I’m talking about in this guide. Still, in times of financial hardship, I truly believe it’s critical to share information on how to obtain best, organize, and utilize these offers & coupons. I’m not exaggerating when I say that coupons can play a powerful role in helping a family’s grocery budget on a basic level. Below, I’ve listed my top tips for effectively using food shopping coupons to save time and, more importantly, money.
Get Organized
Before you go grocery shopping, take 20-30 minutes to make a grocery list, plan your meals, collect coupons and make sure you have everything. Be sure to use coupons within the expiration date and are for the ideal size and style of the discounted item. Building a collection of coupons for the products you use is not as hard as you think. Once you have a growing collection of coupons, you can invest in a coupon binder or expandable binder if you are serious about your coupons.
Do Research on Coupon Policies
When you first start using coupons, it’s important to know what kind of coupons your business needs and whether it accepts coupons. This is one of my most important couponing methods, as it will save you a lot of energy and time in the long run. It is also a good practice to check with customer service when you see coupons. Many questions about coupons can be answered before you make a purchase. Stores can vary widely in their interpretation and approval of coupons; it’s important not to assume you know a store’s coupon coverage. Also, keep in mind that coupon policies may expand or change over time.
Review the Circulars and In-Store Ads
People who are new to couponing may not realize that many stores post coupons in circulars and advertisements. You may discover some fantastic coupons in-store ads or circulars for $5 or even $10 off at the grocery store. These are free markets and certainly a coupon that all couponers would like to have available. A good deal of online websites will offer you a record of what is happening on sale in the next week, along with a list of “match-ups” that are exactly the coupons that match the merchandise in the ad. A fantastic strategy to use, and some of my coupon shopping tips that I can’t recommend enough, would be to use coupons for all the ready merchandise available for deeper discounts.
Understand the Art of the Deal
Many first-time couponers are amazed at the bargains they can get when they look at ads, grab their coupons, and time their purchases accordingly. However, sometimes this can lead to a scenario where couponers try to get all the bargains on the go, which is a path to insolvency and anxiety. Those who are familiar with using coupons understand that many stores have sales cycles and that if a product goes on sale today, it will be available in 8-12 weeks. If you know how to use coupons to stock up based on the size of your family, you can time the cycles appropriately. Stockpiling will be covered in a future article.
Learn About the Rebates
Coupons and sales go together. Often, a retailer will have a pledge to get a grocery store, reduce the pocket with coupons and sales, and get the discount. You can then pay the $10 gift card to a possible grocery store to help reduce the total after couponing at that grocery store.