Extreme couponers seem to have their money-saving methods down to a science. Here are five expert tips that could help you save up to 90 percent on your next shopping bill.
- Buy More Than One Newspaper
Some will insist that the days of sitting on a Sunday morning with the paper in one hand and your trusty clippers in the other are fading fast. Such is not the case. However, this doesn't mean you should settle on just one paper. If they aren't too expensive – i.e. filled with ads or glossy paper – you can usually stock up on a good weekend's worth of reading and multiply your coupons.
- Embrace Technology
Thankfully, retailers have streamlined the online shopping process so it's now easier than ever to save big. Many stores have printable coupons available for download and online stores have discount codes you can enter when shopping over the net. There are also several websites that exist for the sole purpose of grouping coupons and promo codes together in one spot for you to access. Type the words "coupon codes" into your favorite search engine and reap the rewards.
- Get Organized
This is the Ninja warrior skill of extreme couponing. With all those little pieces of paper stacking up, it's easy to jumble them up. Getting your coupons organized into a system that makes them readily available to you at a moment's notice will help you in the long run. The trick is to find the organization that best suits you. For instance, you may find you benefit from organizing by expiration date. If you take the time to think it through, and analyze how you tend to behave as a shopper, you'll be well on your way to becoming a coupon master.
- Stock up
Extreme couponers only buy items when they can get them at the lowest price. This means that you may not have a need at the moment for ten rolls of toilet paper or five boxes of pasta, but if buying in bulk will get you the best deal, you should take advantage of it. Just be sure to only buy things that you use on a regular basis. A 20 for 10 sale on canned soup won't do you any good if you never eat the stuff.
- Prepare to Travel
Face it, not every store is going to have the best deals out there. A store featuring a stellar blowout on paper towels may not have the best deal on dishwashing detergent. With that in mind, you may need to do a bit of travelling to where the sales are.
These are just a few of the insider secrets of smart couponing, and they all require a bit of time and patience. However, the time you put in will be well worth the money you can save.
