Use Coupons to Trim Your Shopping Budget

Use Coupons to Trim Your Shopping Budget
  • Opening Intro -

    Food prices continue to rise and that has put a big crimp on American families.

    Budgets are being strained as salaries remain flat, but there is some good news with all this: coupons continue to provide ways for people to trim their shopping budgets.

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Likely, you’re very familiar with coupons. Even so, the dynamics have changed to keep up with the times. Read on and we shall take a look at how you can shave $10, $20 or more from your next shopping trip.

Stockpile and Save

It is quite common that when you clip coupons from your newspaper or postal mail circular that you will discover multiple coupons for the same items. You should know that you can use each coupon to buy more than one of the same item.

For instance, that coupon for $.50 off of Prego spaghetti sauce will reduce your final price to $1.29. If you have five coupons then use all five — stockpile your sauces as you will eventually use them. Even better is when you have coupons when a store is running a sale on an affected item, permitting you to reduce your cost further.

Know Your Store’s Policy

Coupon policies vary from store to store. You should familiarize yourself with the coupon plans at the store that you prefer as well as at competing shops.

For instance, some stores will only double coupons on Wednesdays and then only to $.50. A competitor, however, may have no such restrictions and will double your coupons every day. In fact, they may double for up to $1. Be mindful of your stores policy and follow it. Don’t hesitate to go to a competitor if you get a better deal.

Sniff Out the Specials

Supermarkets traditionally run loss leaders were items that they sell below cost to bring you to the store. You need to keep a keen eye out for what the stores are offering in any given week to take advantage of the sales.

Most stores will allow you to use a coupon on top of the cut-rate deal. Play your couponing carefully and you may come home with items that cost just pennies on the dollar.

Use Competitor Coupons

Yes, you can use one store’s coupon at another store. Almost all stores honor their competitors coupons.

For instance, Piggly Wiggly may offer a dollar off for bounty towels. If you shop at Kroger, Safeway or Harris Teeter, you can use the Piggly Wiggly coupon there. That makes for a timesaver and usually a big deal maker.

Combine Coupons

You can only use one coupon to reduce the cost of any item. That means using the best coupon to lower your cost.

There is one exception that works at some stores. That would be in-store coupons that can be used along with manufacturer coupons to help you save money. For instance those Pillsbury Sweet Rolls that your family loves may retail for $2.99. Your store has a coupon for $.50 off and Pillsbury has one for one dollar off. Present them both to the cashier and your final price will be cut in half.

Coupon Considerations

Newspapers and postal mail circulars are not the only place to find coupons. You can locate printable coupons online in multiple categories such as food, household, health, baby, cleaning and much more. Check out this link to find printable coupons.

 

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Categories: Consumer Tips

About Author

Matthew C. Keegan

Matt Keegan is a freelance writer and editor as well as publisher of "Matt's Musings", his personal blog. Matt covers campus, consumer, business and financial topics on various websites and blogs, and has been published in the "Houston Chronicle", "Sam's Club Magazine" and "Wisconsin Golfer".