Did you know that a solid coupon strategy can result in savings of up to 30% in your grocery bills? But beginners can be intimidated by the sheer number of choices available in coupons, both in product categories and in the stores that accept them. Here are few simple yet useful tips in making sense of the couponing lifestyle for beginners.
Get Coupons for Essential Products
Keep in mind that the main goal of using coupons is to enjoy monetary savings on your purchases. But you will not enjoy these savings when you buy products that you will not use, which applies to food products, household items (e.g., detergents, toothpaste, and soap), and baby items (e.g., milk, diapers, bottles), among others. You should then get coupons for products that you will actually use in your daily life, not throw away because these have become stale or expired.
Even when food products are on sale, you should avoid buying in excess of what you will use. You will not only reduce food waste, an endemic issue in American households, but your grocery costs, too.
Ask the Stores for Coupons
Your favorite superstore, hypermarket, and grocery store will likely have manufacturers’ coupons on hand at any time of the year. Ask for their weekly ads or flyers, as is the case with Whole Foods and Kroger, since you will find the best deals here.
Pick your favorite coupon sites, too, and visit them on a regular basis. Many issuers will offer more coupons than are available on manufacturers’ websites. By checking in on a regular basis, you will be on top of the latest deals that you can then take advantage of.
Subscribe to Email Lists
Many issuers and manufacturers will also provide email alerts to coupon enthusiasts so it pays to be on their email lists. You just need to provide your valid email address so that you can get updates on the latest coupons.
You may also go the snail mail route. You can clip the coupons as these come in the mail, which you may have previously thrown away as junk mail.
Use a Layering Technique
You can get several products virtually for free when you apply a layering technique. Basically, you must combine two or more savings opportunity, such as store specials and coupons. You can get, for example, two large tubes of toothpaste at Albertsons or Meijer for free when you combine the store’s discounts with the products’ coupons.
Enjoying savings on your grocery bills requires creativity and you can start by using coupons now!