How to Get the Most Out of Your Coupons
To be a successful coupon shopper takes planning, patience, and perseverance. It’s not so much that it is difficult to be a coupon shopper, it just requires a little more forethought before your trips to the grocery store. If your goal is to purchase healthy food at the lowest price possible then you need to create a plan and follow the plan.
The basic premise behind being a smart coupon shopper is identifying the products that you purchase most often and then creating a “watchlist” for when these items go on sale at your local grocery store. You then have to have manufacturer grocery coupons on hand and combine in these coupons with the store coupons to provide the best benefit and value. In addition, many stores will allow you to use a “double coupon” which will allow you to save an additional $.50 per coupon that you use.
When we find one of these deals in our family we like to purchase a large amount of the product and keep them in our pantry so we don’t have to purchase that particular product for 3 to 6 months. After you have completed this method for a number of products in your pantry, you will find that your weekly grocery bills will decrease and you might even find that you don’t have to go to the store as much at all.
There are a couple of important points that you must master and keep on the top of your mind if you want to be successful at coupon shopping.
What kind of savings plan does your local store offer? - Each grocery store will have their own unique savings plan that you need to make yourself aware of. In addition, each store will have different policies on what coupons and how many coupons they will accept. It is your responsibility to make sure you understand how to utilize their savings program to save the most money. It’s vitally important that you understand their coupon policy also so you don’t get stuck with a cart full of product only to find out that you can only use 2 coupons on your purchase.
What are those coupons in your drawer? – Coupons only have value if you are able to use them before they expire. Also, just because you’re using a coupon doesn’t mean you’re getting the best price. Many times a shopper is able to purchase a for a better price than at store B without a coupon. You should try to store your coupons and a folder or binder so you can easily access them and determine whether any have expired and need to be thrown away.
Pick a price, any price and know it – one of the most difficult parts about being an expert coupon shopper is knowing when a product is a good deal. Being a good coupon shopper requires you to be able to scan a page of coupon offers and quickly determine which ones are a good deal and which ones can be thrown away.
You may think anybody can be a coupon shopper and that it is actually an easy skill to master. In actuality, there are a number of skills that need to be mastered before one can truly take advantage of the millions of dollars of coupons manufacturers published each week. If you concentrate on knowing the prices of your product, keeping your coupons organized, and stocking up on products when there is an opportunity you will have taken the 1st steps to be an expert coupon shopper.
