First things first, what do you mean when you say “Couponing?” Well, it’s a term used for the activity of seeking out discount coupons to save money on purchases; most likely for groceries, food and other household purchases. You can get coupons from a variety of sources – magazines, newspapers, online, a product’s packaging, etc. But it’s not that easy as you think. It’s time consuming and if you use it incorrectly, you will end up spending more money using a coupon than you would on a normal purchase.
To help you with your next couponing experience, here are some things to remember before hitting the stores.
DO set aside a certain time to clip, sort and file coupons.
When you first start couponing, it can get overwhelming and you end up spending hours and hours looking through your sources and clipping every single coupon you see. Schedule a time to do this and have a system that will allow you to think through every coupon and help you get organized.
DO organize your coupons.
Speaking of being organized, figure out a way to store and organize your coupons. Don’t just hoard and pile because you’ll have difficulties finding a certain coupon when you need it – wasting your time, effort and of course, money.
To organize your coupons, you can use a 3-ring Coupon organizer or a pocket-style organizer and separate them in different sections – baby items, beverages, dairy, meat, frozen food, cleaning products, etc.
DON’T buy something just because you have a coupon.
Found a great deal? Great, but that doesn’t mean you need to buy it. Do you even that? Are you sure you want to pay for the added costs? Evaluate the big picture before you run to the store and make your purchase. Don’t get overwhelmed with a “great deal” on an item that you don’t even need and end up not using. That’s just a waste of money. Remember, the goal here is save cash and not make unnecessary purchases.
DON’T buy more than you need.
Of course, as a market strategy, companies use coupons that will trick shoppers to buy more. These are coupons that require you to buy a certain number or amount of a given product to avail the discount. Do you really need THAT much? Are you sure you’ll be able to consume or use all of those goods before it expires? Think about it.
DO combine coupons with sales.
Use your coupons to the fullest advantage by using it when the given product is on sale. To do this, you need to learn when the store is actually on sale. Check online – the store’s website or their social media page.
