Weekly Coupons Tips #1

My family use coupons aggressively and I consider it the best thing since sliced bread when it comes to saving money. We save nearly $1,500 a year using coupons. To the rich people, that’s chump change; but to me, it’s a pretty good amount.

Though I often tout the advantages of coupons to friends and relatives, I find that they do not share the same fervor. I guess they are feeling embarrassment about using coupons.

Well, I am not and don't look like Donald Trump, so I have no qualms about using coupons. Please people, the companies made coupons available for us to use, we are not acting like thieves or cheating anybody.

If I am given a choice of having to pay full price for every items or being called a cheap stake, I will gladly accept the latter any day.

For those who are just starting out on their coupon adventures, there are a few things to take note in order to maximize your savings.

I suggest that you cultivate a habit of being organized early. Our family adopts a meticulous method of placing our coupons in envelopes which are organized by category. Once a month, we go through our coupon organizers to check for expired coupons.

If you think we are being fanatical and this is all too much trouble, just imagine these tiny slips of paper as money and you will think differently. Every coupon you need but can’t easily locate is cash slipping through your fingers.

To make the most of your coupon savings:

1. Look for double-coupon deals.

2. Sniff around for coupons of items that are already on sale or discounted.

3. Coupons are not the be-all, end-all; sometimes store brands can still be cheaper, so having a basic understanding of prices will put you in good stead.

4. Don’t disrupt your shopping list jsut because of the manufacturer’s coupons. You may end up buying unnecessary items... so what if they are cheap!

Instead, plan your regular shopping list first, and then go to your coupon wallet and see whether you have current coupons for the items you’re buying.

5. When shopping online, look for online coupon codes to save on either purchase price or on shipping/handling charges.

Just type the name of the site you’re shopping at and coupons into your favorite search engine to see what you find.