Couponing guide for beginners

The couponing culture has never been as prevalent as it is today, with thousands of consumers across Plymouth choosing to redeem vouchers and discount codes rather than paying over the odds for their items. Brands love to reward loyalty, and will often do so with additional discounts and coupons handed out via e-newsletters, mailshots, social media and retail apps. If you regularly buy products from a particular brand or retailer follow them on social media, sign up for email updates and let them know whenever you have a comment.

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You might just get a few coupons out of your time. Why not sign up for an account with Wedosavings? This online couponing service provides users with regular updates, price comparisons and personalised coupons, as well as access to huge savings on all kinds of items. You put a lot of effort into your planning and preparation, but the payoff was miniscule. The small amount saved by using coupons when shopping hardly seems worthwhile. I once had the same frustrations, and I made many common couponing mistakes.

Over time, however, I learned a lot of strategies and best practices for using coupons. This actually violates the two tenets of extreme couponing: Only buy items that are on sale , and combine that sale with one or more coupons. Wait until the cereal is on sale to use the coupon.

You are not obligated to buy two boxes on a sale like this. Wait for a better sale to splurge and use your coupons. When you use your coupons for items that are deeply discounted, you will save the most money. Before you buy an item, calculate the price of the discount item, plus your coupon savings, to see if the resulting price offers a real savings. Remember, you set the price you want to pay for an item.

Skippy peanut butter or Jif? Which brands should you buy? The answer: Whichever one you can get for free or close to free using your coupons. Many people start down the road to extreme couponing because of a major impetus in their life, like a loss of income, a baby on the way, or too much debt.

This is not the time to be brand loyal. Even during a good sale, the coupon may not take the total price down to what you want to pay for the cereal. Wait for a better coupon and for another sale. Sometimes you will have good coupons but no sales on the items you need, and the coupons approaching expiration date. Let them expire! If you really need the item, buy one or two of them now, and wait to buy in bulk until the item is discounted.

Only buy items that you need to buy. Otherwise, you will buy products you do not need, or buy products that expire before you have a chance to use them. Jumping on every great deal out there significantly lightens your wallet, and defeats the whole purpose of couponing. I used to cut out each coupon, one at a time, from the nine coupon inserts that we receive with our newspaper. Then I learned the time-saving secret that 1st graders use in art class. Stack like pages together from all of your inserts first, and then cut them out, using a single action.

If you use the coupon binder method, this saves you a lot of time.

If you use the whole insert method of storing your coupons, put like pages together, and file the entire inserts. Use a paper cutter for cutting multiple inserts. This makes sorting quicker and easier. Online printable coupons from websites like Coupons. However, you must use computer paper and ink to print the coupons, which costs money and wastes paper.

#1 – Become Open Minded

Many people print every online coupon available, and then throw most of them away. Print online coupons as you need them, to use during store sales. To help you save even more money, here are some tips to help you get the most out of your couponing experience:. Know what you plan to buy before you go to the store, and only buy the items that you planned to buy.

If you stay in the store too long, you become susceptible to their marketing ploys, and you may end up spending more money. Get in, get the deals, and then get out. When your coupons exceed the sale price of an item, it produces an overage. So, you ready to save?

Like many things in life, couponing doesn't take that long when it has your full concentration. Coupons aren't the only way to save money when you shop. By signing up for a free cashback website, you can get money back on your online shopping, from popular websites like Amazon, eBay, Macy's, Hotels.

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The concept is simple:. There's even some apps that will give you cashback for your in-store purchases, like Ibotta and Checkout51 , just by taking a picture of your receipt and uploading it in the app! A word of warning — you must be disciplined in treating your credit card like cash, spending only the money you have, and paying off your balance each month to avoid interest.

But if you can do that, it's a great way to make money back on the purchases you're already making. No coupons, no cashback sites, just using the right card for your everyday purchases. Here's our top picks:. There are plenty of cash back credit cards to choose from, and the sign-up offers are constantly changing.