Why Couponing Will Never Go Out of Style

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Did you know that Coca-Cola was the first company to use coupons as a way to encourage people to buy its products? Way back in 1887, the company launched what is widely considered to be the first coupon – a buy one get one free offer.

Ever since then, consumers have latched on to discount coupons to save money on products they may never try otherwise.

In today’s economy, consumers view couponing as a must in order to live a frugal lifestyle. Incomes have dropped and the cost of living continues to increase, which means that you have to get creative when you’re buying necessities.

Read on to learn about couponing and how you can use coupons to save money.


The Trick to Couponing

Do you know what the difference is between people who spend more on coupons and people who save money couponing?

Discipline. That’s it. People who are wise coupon users know what coupons a good deal and which ones aren’t.

For example, you’re a single person who lives alone and you find a coupon for a buy two – get one free coupon for a perishable product like fresh vegetables. You can get the deal, but you have to ask yourself if you’re really going to use all of that produce.

In the end, you could be spending more money to get the bargain and wasting food at the same time.

If you have a family to feed, you may come across a similar dilemma. You may come across a product that’s similar to something you normally purchase every week, like a pack of frozen vegetables.

You find that the product that you normally buy is $1.79. The product with the coupon is priced at $2.99 with a $.50 coupon.

While you’ll save $.50 with the coupon, in the end, you’ll spend $.70 more for the product with the coupon than for the product that you would normally purchase.

Is that really saving money?

The trick to being successful at couponing is to clip coupons for items that you know you’re going to purchase anyway, like ingredients for healthy recipes that you want to try. That way, you’re going to save money on products that you’re going to buy anyway.

It does require discipline to stay on track with your normal purchases and not get sidetracked by the potential to save money.


How to Clip Coupons

How do you really save money on coupons? You have to know where to find them.

The thing to remember is that you can save money on any purchase, not just on groceries.

Let’s say that you need to buy furniture for a new apartment. You can search for and find home improvement coupons that will help you save money on those purchases.

There are some retailers like Old Navy that seem to have a sale every week on clothing. The best way to save money is to know what you need and wait for the opportune time to make the purchase.

If there are retailers and stores where you normally shop, look at their weekly circular or sign up to their email list to get regular sales updates. Some retailers will offer a discount just for signing up to their list.

Also, look at the products that you normally purchase. You can check out the manufacturer’s page to see if they have coupons available.

There are also plenty of apps and websites that have coupons and discounts available for any item. Ibotta and SnipSnap are two popular apps that are great for saving money.

One thing to be aware of is that grocery stores have a coupon policy. You want to check out your local grocery store’s website and know what their policy is.


Finding the Time to Find Coupons

Just like budgeting your finances, you have to budget your time and find the time to find the coupons you need.

It can be easy to let couponing take over your schedule, but the reality is that you have a busy life and things to do.

When you’re just starting to clip coupons, you’ll want to set a side a small amount of time each week. You can start with 20 minutes and see how quickly you can find coupons. In an ideal situation, you can set aside about an hour each week before you head to the grocery store.

You may remember perusing the Sunday papers looking for coupons and keeping them organized in a small folder.

You can still do that, but most coupons will be in the form of emails or apps. Be prepared to spend a little time in front of the computer to find the best discounts and coupons.

One of the reasons why people say that couponing doesn’t work is because they spend so much time finding coupons, only to save $.20. Make sure you maintain a balance between your time and saving money.

There will be moments when your time is worth much more than the money you save.


Couponing Can Save You Money When Done Right

Retailers know that people love bargains and will entice people to try their products through coupons and discounts.

Shoppers know that coupons are a great way to save money, but in the end, they can wind up spending more money on products that they don’t really need or use.

As you start couponing for yourself, you want to make sure that you have a list of items that you want and need and stick to it. You can easily find coupons and discounts for those items, which will turn into massive savings for you and your family.

Do you want to learn more about the art of couponing? Check out this page that has more money-saving tips and tricks.

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