When you go to the store, you want to save as much money as possible. This means that you are going to be looking for deals and incentives to buy the things that you need. Coupons are a great way to save money, but only if you are willing to use them properly and to their maximum value. How do you use coupons to the greatest possible savings?
The first thing to realize is that you shouldn’t use a coupon just to save money on something. If this is what you are planning to do, it would be wise to simply save the coupon for another day. This isn’t to say that you should never use a coupon on something you think you might only want, but it will not be a good habit to get into to save the most on coupons.
Another thing to keep in mind with coupons is that a coupon is very specific. You have to get the quantity stated or else you are going to get rejected when you try to use the coupon. Some cashiers might not care if they are able to put it through anyway, but you are generally going to be handed your coupon back. Therefore, you might not always get the deal you think you were getting. Be very careful because you might not want to buy three Glade candles to get one half off.
Differentiate between a coupon that is giving you something for free versus a coupon that is giving you something cheaper. For example, you might buy the brownie mix because it is buy one get one and you are having a party. Conversely, you might not buy it if it is only 50 cents off one box. You have to make sure you are comparing the overall cost of the item based on what the coupon gives you.
When using a coupon, make sure that you can get the most money off as possible. Try to combine that coupon with other deals going on. Most stores won’t let you combine deals, but if you can, go for it. If you see that there is a pair of shoes for 50 bucks, but you have a ten dollar coupon and everything is 10 percent off, you are going to save 15 dollars. That is almost half the price of the shoes. Not bad.
Coupons are great because they save you money and money can be very tight. Just think about what kind of deal that a coupon is giving you and be sure not to spend more simply because you have a coupon. Keep in mind that retailers will give away coupons hoping people don’t realize that they aren’t saving, so do your homework before using a coupon.