FollowThe most important part about saving the most money with coupons is planning. Successful couponing just does not happen without it. Don’t fret – planning and clipping don’t have to take hours each week! In fact, you can spend an hour or less each week and slash your grocery bill by at least 25%! Combine coupons with price matching, and you’ll save even more.
Plan Like a Boss
There are many ways to plan and organize your coupons, but I like to clip the coupons every Sunday when I get my newspapers (yes, order more than one to maximize savings). Then, separate the coupons by category: cleaning supplies, frozen goods, drinks, etc. Use a three-ring binder and baseball card sheet protectors to keep all of your coupons in one place. Be sure to note the expiration date on each coupon, and put the ones that will expire first up front so you don’t forget to use them. Make your grocery list each week, and pull out the coupons you know you’ll be using. Some couponers even plan their list around the sales cycles and coupons they have. You’ll save more money this way, but it isn’t 100% necessary. You can still prepare your family’s favorite meals without breaking the bank, I promise!
Be Patient
The key to saving the most money with coupons is not using them right away! The manufacturers expect you to get the coupon, and then go to the store and buy the product, saving about $.50. What they don’t expect you to do, is to hold on to the coupon until the product goes on sale! Then, you can save that $.50 on top of the few bucks you’re going to save with the sale. Also, watch the sales cycles. Different types of products go on sale at different times in the year. Each product has its own sales cycle – usually 6 to 12 weeks. So if you buy your favorite deodorant for dirt cheap, stock up with enough to last you until it goes on sale again.
Ditch the Loyalty
I’m not talking about loyalty cards – those are great to have and can save you some cash! I’m talking about brand loyalty. If you’re loyal to one certain brand, and won’t buy any other, then you’re going to miss out on huge savings! Buying the brand that is on sale, and pairing it with a coupon, is the way to go. Forget store brands and generics – if you watch the sales and coupons closely, you’ll get the national brands for even less than you’d pay for the generics.
Be a Follower
Follow frugal and coupon blogs to get even more tips for saving money with coupons! Most bloggers post new articles each week, as well as links to new coupons to help you save big. If you’re a price matcher, see if there is a price matching website that is local to you – try pricematcherz.com.
How do you save the most money with coupons? Share your tips in the comments!!
