How to Use Coupons Effectively

Reduce spending by using coupons regularly.

Use coupons to save cents or even dollars off your regular food and household needs. Carefully planned, consistent coupon use can save you money when you purchase groceries, cleaning supplies and toiletries. Start slowly and establish a routine for collecting, organizing and using coupons in order to learn how to use coupons effectively to purchase necessities at discounted prices.

Things You'll Need

• Coupon organizer

Instructions

1. Collect and categorically organize coupons from multiple sources using a binder, accordion file or envelopes. You can find coupons in the Sunday newspaper, store ads and at online coupon sites. Also, stores may give you coupons along with your receipt when you make a purchase. Always take your coupons with you whenever you go shopping.

2. Read important information on each coupon. Check to see if the coupon can be used to purchase just one item or if it must be used when purchasing multiple items. For example, many cereal coupons must be used when purchasing two or more boxes of cereal. Also, check the expiration date. Store coupons may expire within a week of distribution whereas manufacturer coupons may be valid for a month or longer.

3. Ask your local grocery stores, supermarkets and drug stores for their coupon polices. You may be able to find policies for nationwide stores at their company website. Use coupons at stores that double coupon values and that allow you to stack a manufacturer and store coupon to purchase a single item to increase savings.

4. Use your coupons to purchase products when they go on sale. Individual products may only go on sale a few times each year, so you may want to buy enough of the product to last for several weeks when you can get it at a reduced price.

5. Buy the product with the lowest unit price. Larger packages are not always cheaper than smaller packages. Products are usually priced per ounce or per item. Unit prices are posted on the price sticker on the store shelf.

Tips & Warnings

• Use coupons to save money when trying out new products you may like, but avoid using every coupon you find because you may end up wasting more money buying products you do not really want or need.

References

• Bankrate.com: Work the Coupons
• New Mexico State; Smart Shopping: Tips on Coupon Use for Grocery Shopping; Fahzy Abdul-Rahman; November 2010
• University of Nebraska Extension; Supermarket Savings: Sixteen Tips That Total Big Bucks; Alice Henneman
• University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service College of Agriculture: Supermarket Savvy

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish