If you like to save money on your purchases and live life pretty frugally, then you might already be into looking for coupons. If you aren’t currently doing it, then let me tell you, there are many reasons why you should be getting into couponing. The thing is, it can seem a little more overwhelming than it actually is. Where do you look for coupons? Don’t you just end up with lots of the same thing that you can’t really make any use of? But when couponing is done right, these questions can be answered. So here is a simple guide to getting you on the road to couponing. Getting in control of your finances is one of the best things that you can do for you and your family.
Know Where To Look
To get started on your journey to becoming a coupon queen, you need to actually have some coupons? But where can you start to look to get the best ones? First of all, what you’d class as the best will depend on your family situation and what you are in need of. But there are several places to be looking. Some of the best places to be looking for coupons are:
- Newspapers – if you get a weekly newspaper then there are always inserts in there with plenty of coupons from big brands, especially in the Sunday paper. If you don’t normally get a paper, then it could be worth starting to. You could always ask a friend or neighbor for theirs if they get a paper but don’t utilize the extras.
- Online – in this modern day and age we are so lucky that we have the internet. With that and a printer, and you’ll be able to print out coupons that you find online. There are several special coupon sites like www.dontpayfull.com, for instance, as well as coupons that you might find on your favorite brand’s website.
- Magazines – a lot of magazines that you buy will have a coupon to cut out as part of a full-page ad, or there will be inserts in them with coupons on. So scour through your magazines carefully.
- In Stores – there may be coupon leaflets in stores, as well as in the aisles with little tear off sheets. So keep your eyes peeled, especially when shopping in somewhere like the grocery store.
There are a few other ways to get coupons too, through things like apps, for example. But other than that, these are the main ways to look for them.
Know How To Use Them
There will be some fine print on all of the coupons that you find. So you need to get good at checking all of that, as well as having the stores themselves confirm a few things for you. For example, can you double up coupons? If so, how many can you use to ‘double up?’ Some stores will allow this; some won’t. So you need to check beforehand. You will also come across the term stacking coupons. That is using a store’s own coupon with a brand’s coupon. Will they let you use them together? If so, then that is called stacking coupons. You should also check if the store you intend to use them in will let you use competitor’s coupons. If they do, it can mean a whole lot of savings. This article explains things well, if you need a little more clarification: www.pennypinchinmom.com/coupon-stacking-explained.
Know What To Buy
So that you aren’t the person that ends up with boxes and boxes of pasta when you’re gluten-intolerant, you need to know what are the best things to buy. If you just get things because you have a coupon but don’t really need it, you’re not exactly going to end up saving much money. But what you do want to look out for are the things that you will use that you can stock up on. If there is a deal on boxes of cereal, for example, you’ll want to stock up as it is something that will get used in your home probably on a daily basis. So don’t just get one box with one coupon. Print off or get several coupons and then buy several boxes of the cereal. Having a small stockpile at home is a great way to live. It means you have to shop less, and it means that you save more money. It is important to check used by dates and only get things that you know you’ll eat, though. Couponing does require a little planning, but it will be worth when you start to see the savings.
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