How to Save Money on Groceries by Buying Grocery Coupons on eBay

Member

By A. Suzanne Wells
User-Submitted Article

Article Rating: (7 Ratings)

Buy grocery coupons on eBay and reduce your food bill.

Grocery coupons can save you hundreds of dollars on your grocery bill each month. The key is to use coupons for groceries that you normally buy each week. With a little planning and preparation, you can save even more money on groceries by making a small investment buying coupons on eBay.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Step 1

The first step is to examine the contents of your pantry and refrigerator and determine the most common items you buy each week. Make a note of the items that are brand name (not generic or store brand). Also check for non-food items such as paper products, medicines, baby items, and toiletries. Understand that you will not be able to find coupons for every single item every single week. But over time, you can accumulate a nice stash of coupons for items that you actually use.
Step 2

Once you have your list of common items made, log onto eBay and do a search for a particular type of grocery coupon. Let's use the example of baby diapers. (Diapers are a popular coupon item.) Search for diaper coupons. Your search may return results for $1, $2, or even $3 off coupons.
Step 3

Examine the listings to find coupons for the brand you prefer. You can sort the results by title, and look for your preferred brand. If you are not brand loyal and just want the most coupons for the least money, sort the results by price, lowest to highest.
Step 4

Most grocery coupons are sold on eBay in lots of 10-20, for around $1 with free shipping. If you buy several lots from the same seller, you can often get further discounts. Using our diaper example from above, if you buy a batch of 20 $3 diaper coupons, your total savings will be $60. The coupons will only have cost you about a dollar or two, making your net savings on diapers $58-$59. (I usually purchase around $800 worth of coupons a month on eBay for only $20.) You can use 1 coupon per item when checking out at the store. For example, you can buy 4 packs of diapers at a time and use 4 coupons. This is an excellent way to stockpile groceries - and of course you save even more when you buy the items on sale and use the coupons.
Step 5

Some avid couponers buy multiple Sunday papers for the coupon inserts, in order to get multiple coupons. This can be a lot of work! Buying coupons on eBay is much more time, energy, and money efficient - you don't have to take your time to go out and purchase a stack of newspapers, carry them home, clip out the coupons, save the ones you will actually use, and sort them. For the cost of about 10 Sunday papers, you can buy a huge amount of the exact coupons that you will actually use, someone else will clip them, sort them, and they will show up in your mailbox in a couple of days. All of this can be done from the comfort of your own home while you enjoy a cup of coffee!
Step 6

Be sure to read the eBay coupon listing carefully before bidding. Make note of the expiration date - verify that you will have time to use the coupons before they expire. Understand the seller's shipping schedule and when you should receive your coupons. Pay attention to any restrictions on the coupons, such as if they can be doubled, if they are only valid in certain states, etc.
Step 7

Check eBay on Sunday mornings for new coupon listings. The good ones, such as buy one get one free, and high dollar coupons ($5 and up) sell quickly. You have to be fast to buy these types of coupons before they run out.
Step 8

Check the resources section below for more ways to save money on groceries.