According to Savings.com, a website that offers coupons and deals redeemable at nationally recognized stores and websites, couponing has the potential of helping the average American household save up to $10,000 per year. Unfortunately, not many people are aware of the long-term benefits they can get by using coupons.
The benefits of couponing go well beyond the discount people get by using them. In fact, studies indicate that couponing has many emotional benefits. Nearly 50% of people who are using coupons say they feel more responsible while 22% feel victorious after using them.
Couponing Tips for Busy Moms
Most people don’t use coupons since they believe that it will take a lot of their time. However, there is absolutely no truth in this. You can start couponing and enjoy immense discounts on your purchases the next time you shop without spending a lot of your time clipping and organizing your coupons. Here are some tips that can help you get started.
- Know the best time to use your coupons. As a general rule, do not use your coupons the week it comes out in the paper since there is a great probability that it is the time when the price of item is at its highest. Use them when the items go on sale to get more savings.
- Know the best time to buy. Since not all products go on sale at the same time, you can expect to get a nice discount on some products every two weeks. However, it may take anywhere from one to three months for some items to hit their lowest prices so keep an eye on them.
- Collect coupons from multiple sources. Check everywhere for free coupons. Check printable coupon sites, store websites, checkout and store coupons, and coupons mailed from manufacturers. However, since almost 85% of manufacturer and store coupons still come from newspaper inserts, don’t just throw them in the recycling bin. Save those inserts to get even more savings.
- Learn the practice of stacking up. You can further maximize your savings by stacking manufacturer’s coupons with store coupons, or by combining two store coupons with different values. You may also be able to combine coupons with store sales and special promotions to get more savings. Learn more about your favorite supermarket’s couponing policies by checking their website.
- Bring only what you need. Make a grocery list and bring the coupons for the items on the list. Do not take the whole insert with you or you may end up buying things you don’t really need.
Couponing can help you stretch your budget so it’s about time you give it a try.
