How to Save More with The Beginner’s Guide to Couponing
Have you ever wondered about the world of couponing for beginners? It seems so rewarding, doesn’t it? With a little bit of research, you can go to the checkout line and watch that bottom line sink lower and lower.
Not too long ago, people had to coupon clip and organize their treasure troves into binders. Nowadays, it’s a lot easier to just lean into the multitude of digital apps that exist.
If you’re ready to turn a new leaf, this beginner’s guide to couponing may be just the trick.
Benefits of Couponing
First, why are we even here? Is couponing worth it? We’re about to get into the nitty gritty of couponing, so let’s remind ourselves why learning how to coupon is a very worthy cause.
The benefits of couponing include:
Quick savings
Bulk purchases
Intentional shopping
Access to new brands
Ability to donate excess products to charities
Notice it’s not about huge savings as much as quick savings. Of course, over time, the savings can be monumental. But, it’s best to approach this endeavor in small bites.
As you’re learning how to start couponing, remember to go slowly so you don’t get overwhelmed. Let’s say you only save about $10/week once you get started. That’s still $520/year that you didn’t have before.
You can use that money to pay down some debt or invest in a vacation fund. The trick with couponing is to be patient and watch your savings slowly grow over time.
It’s worth pointing out that couponing can be slightly time consuming. But, what’s the harm in lining up your next round of coupons while you’re streaming your favorite show at night or sipping on an evening cup of tea?
Tools of the Trade
Before you start saving money, you might need to invest a little bit of money. By and large, you can find many of the best deals online through some of the apps we’re about to discuss.
But, there will come a time when you want to print out a few coupons. Whether you invest in fresh ink for your current printer or purchase a small portable one, that’ll be item number one.
Then, it might do you well to stay organized with a simple binder and plastic inserts to place your coupons in. Otherwise, things can get tangled up and you end up not being able to use your coupons before they expire or get lost in the shuffle.
Alternatively, some people purchase small accordion binders to sort their coupons by date and/or store.
Different Types of Coupons: Store vs. Manufacturer
With your resolve firmly in place, let’s start with one of the most basic elements: the types of coupons. Generally speaking, you want to keep your eyes out for store coupons and manufacturer coupons.
Store coupons, of course, come from the retailers themselves. If you invest in a Sunday paper, you might come across a few that you can use.
See if you can develop a relationship with your local gas station or convenience store clerk. They might be willing to give you their leftover Sunday papers on Monday morning.
You can also get to your local Dollar Tree early on a Sunday morning and only pay $1.25 for their paper, instead of the going rate down at the local gas station. However you approach this, always double check the paper itself to ensure the coupons haven’t been pulled out by someone else.
Manufacturer coupons come straight from the company itself. Typically, these can be found in digital form online. But, you still might come across the old-fashioned version in your Sunday papers.
If you happen to be out and about, snag a store flier wherever you go. Not only will it provide a few coupon opportunities, it may also show you how to shop so you can take advantage of buy-one-get-one deals on your favorite products.
Whether you find coupons in-person or online, the best way to play the game is to coupon stack your store coupons and manufacturer coupons. Shoppers all around the world end up with the best deals when they can combine coupons like this.
Digital Coupons
In truth, you’ll probably end up using digital coupons more than paper coupons. And that’s okay! People play the game however they need to get ahead and stay organized.
So, how to get digital coupons? There are plenty of free apps out there to get you started.
Some of the big names are:
Ibotta
Checkout51
CartSmart
The Coupons App
ShopSavvy
CouponCabin
CouponSurfer
PayPal Honey
Dosh
Each of these may be the best app for digital coupons, depending on how you use them. Ibotta, for example, offers cashback incentives at certain retailers like Aldi, BestBuy, and Shell gas stations.
Meanwhile, the Coupons App allows you to put in your preferred retailers and they’ll direct you to certain promo codes.
CouponCabin connects you with coupon codes for online shopping, as well as in-store and freebie offers.
In a way, you could consider these apps the modern way to coupon stack. Download them all; give them a try. Then, when you find the one that makes your life the easiest, keep it going!
Store Apps
Once you have your digital coupon apps sorted, it’s time to move onto store apps for all the places you shop regularly, whether it’s Kroger’s, WalMart, CVS, or Walgreens.
Download their apps because you’ll be able to see what their weekly sales are. Often, you can virtually clip coupons straight to your store app. Then, you can either use them for online purchases or present your phone at the register the next time you shop in-store.
Most of these store apps are linked to our phone number. Target, for example, has a very rewarding system in place where you enter in your phone number at the checkout line, then watch the bottom line decrease as your savings unfold.
Couponing Queens
The other way to get started is to follow extreme couponers who are more than eager to share their secrets. The Krazy Coupon Lady, for example, does the legwork. All you have to do is go to her site to digitally clip a host of coupons.
You can also get out there on Instagram and seek inspo from those who know how to extreme coupon like Bree the Coupon Queen, Couponing With Star, and Couponing With Kayla. They tend to focus on big names like CVS, Walgreens, and Target. But, sometimes they find localized coupons for supermarkets like Publix or HEB.
The other way to get savvy is to follow some YouTube pros who know a thing or two about extreme couponing. There are legions of videos out there about families who only spend $10/week on groceries. Can you imagine?
And they don’t necessarily coupon their days away. They just find ways to shop smart at Dollar Tree for essentials like frozen veggies, peanut butter, etc.
Then, they go to their local market for other, more high-quality items, utilizing their store coupons, manufacturer coupons, and coupon apps. There are plenty of people out there who are more than willing to offer extreme coupon tips.
Follow the Rules
There are a few rules couponers abide by. The first one is what you might call the golden rule.
Only Buy What You Need
Sometimes, we can fall down the rabbit hole of seeing great deals and nabbing them just because it’s a triumphant feeling. This is no way to coupon. All that you’ll end up with is a cluttered house full of things you don’t need.
Of course, serious couponers tend to have storage shelves in their basements that are filled with water, detergent, and other essentials. That’s fine. They must’ve seen a killer deal they couldn’t resist. Or, perhaps they coupon stacked with their store and manufacturer coupons. In that instance, it was a great deal.
But, if you see something on the shelves that you don’t use regularly, don’t pick it up just because it’s a good deal. Not only will you be on your way to a cluttered home, you’ll also be reducing all those savings you made throughout the rest of the week.
Match Your List to Your Coupons
It’s better to match your grocery list to the weekly deals rather than the other way around. Sure, you might like that specific brand of salad dressing, pasta sauce, or shampoo. But, would it really hurt anything if you went with a different brand one week? Most likely not.
In this manner, you can line up your shopping list to the weekly coupons and snag the best deals – as long as they’re products you don’t mind mixing and matching.
Always Read the Fine Print
Things get tricky when coupons are limited to certain-size products. For example, you might be willing to forego your regular toothpaste for the coupon you have in hand. But, what if, when you get to the store, you don’t see that particular variety?
You have to read the fine print to make sure you’re purchasing the correct size toothpaste to match your coupon.
Also, when it comes to coupon stacking, you have to be diligent. It’s likely that you won’t be able to combine two store coupons or two manufacturer coupons. However, you may be able to combine one of each.
Take the time to read the fine print from the comfort of your home before you get to the store and have a group of angry people accusing you of holding up the line.
The Beginner’s Guide to Couponing
We hope this beginner’s guide to couponing is your foray into a new way of living with great cost savings. Start slowly by following some of the pros online. Download a few apps to see which ones you enjoy the most.
Then, get out there, have some fun, and watch a small pile of savings slowly start to grow throughout the year.