Jean Chatzky, personal finance editor for NBC’s Today Show offers these tips for using coupons to save money on all your purchases, not just groceries. You can save up to $1000 a year with coupons if you take a little time to find them.
Using Coupons to Save Money
80% of grocery coupons can be found in the Sunday paper. Going to store websites or contacting companies directly to ask for a coupon for your favorite product is another way to get coupons and discounts on non-grocery items. Before buying something, search for the name of the toy or product and the word coupon and you may find a coupon to save a percentage of the purchase price or for free shipping. Visit credit card sites to find coupons as well. These deals are not solely for card holders, and you will be able to find savings on car rentals, hotel rooms and more.
There are several websites that you can search for coupons on including:
- Promotions.com
- Couponmom.com
- Bradsdeals.com
- Promotioncodes.org
- Coupons.com
If the stores you shop at have a loyalty card, take the time to sign up for one to get store specials. Signing up for loyalty cards will also result in additional coupons sent to you in the mail. Shortcuts.com is a website where you can get coupons downloaded directly to your store loyalty card to prevent the necessity of printing coupons out. When you check out and scan your loyalty card, the discounts will automatically come off your bill.
Stack Coupons and Warehouse Items to Save Money
Stacking is a term that refers to using more than one coupon to purchase an item. If you have coupon for specific item, match that with a store coupon, and then buy the item on sale in order to receive the greatest discounts. Even so, only stack coupons for items that you buy to begin with. Grocerygame.com advocates this type of coupon stacking.
Warehousing refers to the bulk purchase of non-perishable items that are on sale and that you use all the time. Stocking up on these items when they are on sale will help you save quite a bit of money by shopping sales only, and never purchasing items at full price.
Take the time to do a little bit of work before shopping to save hundreds of dollars with coupons. There are great ways to save on all of your favorite products if you simply take the time to search for them. At the same time, consider your purchases carefully as purchasing store brand items may save you more money than a coupon would.
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