Do you know how to save money with coupons?
There’s no denying that coupons save lives. While that might sound dramatic, for many households, it’s not far from the truth. Coupons are a blessing as they allow us to stretch our money farther, particularly in the grocery store, where prices are rising rapidly. This has been especially true in recent years as inflation impacts the cost of everyday necessities from milk and bread to cleaning supplies. The main aim when it comes to shopping, whether you’re a retiree on a fixed income, a student managing a tight budget, or a current employee supporting a family, is to save money and make every dollar count.
Learning to use coupons effectively is more than just randomly clipping discounts; it’s a strategic skill that empowers you to take control of your household budget. It transforms you from a passive consumer into a savvy shopper who knows how to find the best value. The feeling of cutting your grocery bill in half is incredibly rewarding and can free up funds for other important goals, like paying off debt, building an emergency fund, or saving for a vacation.
Furthermore, we don’t suggest sacrificing quantity or quality to save money, because guess what? It’s possible to have them both. In fact, couponing often allows you to buy premium brands for less than the price of generic alternatives. You can enjoy the products you love without the guilt of overspending. Nonetheless, if you’re new to this industry and you want to save money with coupons, stick by these guidelines. They will provide a solid foundation for your money-saving journey.
1. Look for coupons in multiple locations
The key to saving money with coupons is to cast a wide net and look for them in various locations. Don’t limit yourself to a single source! You can find excellent printable and digital offers on specific websites like BeFrugal, Swagbucks, and Krazy Coupon Lady, which aggregate deals from across the web. For a more traditional but still highly effective method, check the Sunday newspaper for coupon inserts like “Save” and “SmartSource.” These booklets are packed with high-value manufacturer coupons for a wide array of products.
In the digital age, nearly all major supermarket applications provide digital coupons if you know how to use them. Simply download your favorite store’s app, create an account, and digitally “clip” the offers you want. These are then automatically applied at checkout when you scan your loyalty card or enter your phone number. If you have a favorite brand, get in touch with the maker directly. Many companies reward loyal customers who sign up for their email newsletters with exclusive coupons and early-bird notifications about upcoming promotions. Also, you may print coupons from the manufacturer’s website or request them from them by mail.
Little hack: Don’t forget to carefully look at the product packaging closely since, in a lucky moment, a coupon may be attached to it. These are often called “peelies” (stickers on the product) or “hangtags” (coupons that hang around the neck of a bottle). Also, keep an eye out for in-store coupon dispensers, often called “blinkies” because of their little flashing lights, which provide coupons right at the shelf. Finally, don’t throw away the long receipts that print after your main one; these are called “Catalinas” and often contain valuable coupons for your next visit.
2. Always combine coupons with other discounts
If you want to maximize your ability to save money with coupons, you must learn the art of “stacking.” This means combining them with other discounts to create a super-powered deal. For example, some grocery stores have one or two days a week when they lower the price of various of their products. This is the perfect time to use your coupons. A fundamental stacking strategy involves using a manufacturer’s coupon (which comes from the product maker) on top of a store’s own coupon or sale price for the same item.
From my personal experience, I say that you may save even more money when you apply your coupons during certain periods than you would if you only used one of the discount choices. Let’s imagine a scenario: a box of your favorite cereal normally costs $5. The store has it on sale this week for $3.50. You also have a $1 off store coupon from their weekly flyer and a 75-cent off manufacturer coupon from the Sunday paper. By stacking these, you could pay just $1.75! Saving your coupons so you can combine them with additional discounts might be a wise financial move unless you need the item right away. Always check your store’s coupon policy, as some have restrictions on stacking, but many allow this powerful technique.
3. If you want to save money with coupons, be careful and don’t grab every coupon you see
This is a critical rule that separates savvy savers from hoarders. Most individuals make the mistake of using coupons on items they don’t need, simply because the deal seems too good to pass up. You don’t have to purchase those goods just because a coupon gives you 50 cents off. Remember, saving 50 cents on a $5 item you never would have bought otherwise isn’t saving money; it’s spending $4.50 unnecessarily. To be more precise, take the coupons that you truly need for products on your regular shopping list and spend them on the things that you most urgently need or will use in the near future.
Be sure to make a list of everything you want to buy before shopping. This list is your most powerful tool against temptation and clever marketing. Limit your impulsive purchases as much as you can! I am aware that the supermarket has a ton of things you could be tempted to purchase, especially from those enticing end-cap displays, but you shouldn’t. A coupon’s purpose is to lower the cost of your planned purchases, not to dictate what you buy. Don’t waste your money! Before you clip, ask yourself: “Would I buy this if I didn’t have a coupon?” If the answer is no, leave it behind.
If you want to save money with coupons and you fail to be organized, no worries because you’re not alone in the boat! You just need a boost, so today’s recommendation is this amazing receipt coupon organizer with a cardholder. It costs only $15.99 on Amazon. I purchased it a couple of days ago and am proud of my acquisition. It has multiple dividers, which makes it easy to sort coupons by category—like “Dairy,” “Frozen,” “Household,” and “Personal Care”—so I can find what I need in seconds at the checkout line. It’s compact and fits in a bag. For the price, it’s great!
4. Check loyalty programs
There are a lot of both online and physical stores that offer loyalty programs to their customers, and these are an absolute must for any couponer. If you want to save money with coupons but you’re also a loyal customer, let’s say at Walmart, you can also join their loyalty program to get some additional perks. The same goes for nearly every major grocery and drug store chain, such as Kroger, Safeway, CVS, and Walgreens. Signing up is almost always free and is your gateway to the best deals.
These programs often give you access to exclusive member-only sale prices, which are essential for effective coupon stacking. Additionally, you may use all kinds of coupons to gain points on your purchases, which might be an additional method to save money. These points can often be redeemed for discounts on future shopping trips or for savings on gasoline at participating stations. Many programs also send personalized coupons based on your shopping habits. Joining most store loyalty programs is free, and using them is as easy as scanning a bar code or giving your phone number at the register when you make your purchase. It’s a simple step with a huge payoff.
5. Organize your coupons
As I previously mentioned, if you want to save money with coupons and get the best deal, it is also very important to be organized. A pile of unsorted coupons is useless and will only cause stress at the checkout counter. Start slowly by stacking them in one place (a wallet or a box) to have them on hand. Many serious couponers use a small binder with baseball card sleeves to file their coupons by category. Others prefer a simple accordion file or a set of labeled envelopes. Find a system that works for you. I usually organize them by how big or small is the discount. Also, pay attention to their expiration date. There’s nothing more frustrating than finding the perfect coupon only to realize it expired last week.
Besides how big or small the discount is, organizing by expiration date is another efficient method to stack your coupons. Set aside time once a week, perhaps on Sunday morning while looking at new flyers, to sort your new coupons and purge any that are expiring. If you intend to save money with coupons, it’s crucial to use them in time; otherwise, they just go to waste. When organizing, read the fine print. Let’s say you have a $2 off coupon for the same brand of laundry detergent, and your retailer provides a 10% off coupon. To save even more money, you may receive discounts on washing detergent. Reading the coupon’s text beforehand will tell you if it’s a “manufacturer” or “store” coupon and clarify any restrictions, like “one coupon per purchase.” Knowing this information before you get to the register will make the checkout process smoother. Restrictions and which discount is applied first are typically specified in the fine print. To find out how this thing works, ask the cashier or check the store’s policy regarding coupons online.
6. Eating out? Use discount coupons
Do you have a favorite place where you like to go on Thursdays for a little treat? That’s awesome because you deserve it, but this habit can add up to your monthly expenses, easily costing hundreds of dollars over time. The good news is that you can also use coupons to reduce the cost of your dinner. Many people forget that saving money extends beyond the grocery aisles. Before you head out, check out your favorite restaurant’s page to see if they accept coupons or not, so you won’t be disappointed at the end of the night. Also, download the restaurant’s app; chains like McDonald’s, Panera, and Starbucks regularly post exclusive deals and freebies for app users. Don’t forget to look for local restaurant deals in mailers like Valpak or on sites like Groupon and LivingSocial.
7. Look up for sales
Whenever you’re looking to save money with coupons, don’t forget to pay attention to the major discounts stores have. This is the cornerstone of extreme couponing: matching coupons to sale items. It takes some effort, but every week you should look through the grocery store advertising to maximize your coupon savings. You can find these flyers in the mail, near the store’s entrance, or digitally through the store’s app or website. An app like Flipp can be a huge help, as it aggregates all the local weekly ads in one place for easy browsing.
Using coupons on things that are priced cheaper than usual is the best way to make the most of them. A coupon for a full-priced item offers minimal savings, but that same coupon on a half-priced item can be a game-changer. Most products go on a predictable “sales cycle,” typically hitting their lowest price every 6 to 8 weeks. By tracking these cycles, you can learn when to expect the best deals on your favorite items. Unless you really need that item, save your coupons for when it goes on sale.
8. Don’t skip bulk purchases
Even though you might not be able to get a deal on everything on your shopping list, making larger purchases—also known as stockpiling—might still result in significant savings. This primarily holds for non-perishable goods with a long shelf life. When you see that essential toiletry or laundry powder is on sale at its “rock bottom” price and you have coupons for it, that’s the time to buy several. The goal is to purchase enough to last you until the next major sale cycle, typically 2-3 months.
Unless purchased during a sale, expensive products like toothpaste and shampoo may mount up over time. Buying them at their lowest price point ensures you never have to pay full price for them again. Good stockpile candidates include paper towels, toilet paper, canned goods, pasta, cereal, soap, and deodorant. However, be realistic. Only stockpile what you have room to store properly and what your family will genuinely use before it expires. If you purchase more than you need, think about giving it to a charitable organization or sharing it with your loved ones.
9. Never use all the coupons in one shopping trip
This is definitely an unwritten rule, but its meaning is more about strategy than rationing. Use your coupons carefully to get the best savings on every purchase you make. It’s about getting the maximum value, not just using a coupon for the sake of it. The majority of supermarkets vary their coupon offerings every week, and they often expire after about a month. This gives you time to wait for the perfect opportunity—a great sale—to use your best coupons.
For instance, if you have a high-value $2 off coupon for a specific brand of coffee, but that coffee is currently full price, hold onto that coupon. If you check the upcoming weekly ad and see that the coffee will be on sale for 50% off next week, waiting a few days will turn a good deal into an incredible one. Only utilize all of the coupons if it’s necessary or if they are about to expire! Otherwise, take your time and spend the coupons wisely, pairing them with the best possible sales to maximize your savings.
10. Double-check your receipt before leaving the store
It’s all set! You decided to save money with coupons, and if you reached this far in the article, then you probably got the main idea of it and you’re already a master of using them. But there is something else that you must also pay attention to: the receipt you get for your shopping. This final step is crucial because even a small error can wipe out the savings you worked so hard to achieve. Your diligence isn’t over until you’ve confirmed your savings were correctly applied.
First of all, do it as soon as possible and go through it before you leave the store. Find a spot out of the way of other customers and give it a thorough scan. Did the sale prices ring up correctly? Did all of your digital coupons get applied? Did the cashier scan every physical coupon? In my case, I was charged twice for a product, and it was a pain in the neck during the whole process of explaining the situation to the cashier. It’s much easier to resolve these issues on the spot than to have to make a separate trip back to the store with your receipt later.
To prevent this from happening, it’s essential to keep track of your shopping expenses as you go. You can either keep a mental note of your purchases or use the calculator on your phone to add up the prices after each purchase, subtracting your coupon values as you place items in your cart. This gives you a target total to expect at the register. While these actions may seem trivial, they can make a significant difference in the long run. So, make sure you stick to them and save yourself unnecessary expenses. Trust me; it’s worth it!
Becoming a coupon expert is a journey, not a sprint. Start with one or two of these strategies and build from there. With a little practice and organization, you’ll be amazed at how much you can save on your regular expenses, freeing up your money for the things that truly matter to you.
You may also be interested in reading about how to spend wisely and avoid Black Friday scams.
