Couponing is a great way to save money. If you are not already clipping coupons, then you are paying too much money for the items you buy. If you want to save money, couponing is the way to go. However, there are some couponing basics you need to know before you get started.
Types of Coupons
Once you start collecting coupons, you need to pay attention to what coupons you have. Some coupons are manufacturer’s coupons and generally offer a percentage off of a product or a certain dollar amount off of a product. Other manufacturer’s coupons might offer a buy one get one free deal or even a buy two get one free deal! Store coupons usually offer you a percentage off of a specific product or a percentage off of your total purchase.
Keeping Organized
You need to organize your coupons in a way that makes sense to you. For example, you might want to keep all of your coupons for beauty products in one folder and all of your coupons for cleaning supplies in another. This just makes them easier to access when you need them.
Being Thorough With Couponing
Before you run out and try to use your coupons, you need to do some research to make sure you are getting the best possible deals. Start by reading store ads from cover to cover. You need to know how much the same item costs in different stores, so you know what the lowest advertised price is. Then, look at what is on sale each week.
To get the most savings, you want to use your coupons on items that are also on sale. Some of your best savings will come when the store is running a sale, and you combine the sales prices with your coupons. If the store is offering a buy one, get one free sale on soap, this a good deal. However, if you also have two coupons for $.75 off of each soap, you can use both coupons in addition to the sales price. Some stores will even let you use one manufacturer’s coupon and one store coupon on the same item for maximum savings. Always be on the lookout for ways that you can use combinations of coupons to find the best deals.