How to Buy More for Less

With prices going up all the time, learning to buy more for less is a good skill to have. It takes some time to fine tune the skill of reading ads, clipping coupons and shopping sales, but it's well worth the effort to learn. Here are a few tips on how to buy more for less.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Clip coupons regularly and use them. Look for coupon doublers in your grocery store's weekly ad. You can use them to double manufacturer's coupons. Combine these with an item that's already on sale and you can sometimes even get items for free.
2. Get a Sunday paper and dig through it. Read the weekly ads to find specials at grocery, hardware and clothing stores. There are both store ads with coupons within them and national manufacturer ads in your Sunday paper. The cost of a paper is paid for once you use a few coupons.
3. Make lists of things you need. Shopping lists reduce impulse buying and help you get the things you saw in ads or that you have coupons for.
4. Buy your grocery items in bulk. Pantry food items like canned soups, pasta and cereal last for awhile and are cheaper when bought in larger quantities. Toiletries and cleaning items are cheaper when bought in bulk also. Check your local wholesale store for toilet paper, paper towels, hand soap, shampoo, laundry detergent and dish soap.
5. Choose generic items whenever possible. In many cases, you can save a ton of money without any reduction in the quality of the items you're purchasing.