How to Use Coupons to Reduce Grocery Bills
Feeding a family can get expensive, so many people use coupons at the grocery store to reduce their food bills. The amount of time spent finding and clipping coupons is well worth the savings you see at the register. You should not need to spend more than 30 minutes to an hour per week finding and printing online coupons. Cutting coupons from your newspaper should take about an hour a week.
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Instructions
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Order a subscription to the Wednesday and Sunday editions of your newspaper. Grocery store circulars appear in the Wednesday edition of the newspaper. According to the Wall Street Journal as reported by MSN, 75 percent of all coupons issued appear in the Sunday circulars.
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Review the grocery store circulars on Wednesday and clip any coupons presented in the advertisements. Create a shopping list for the week. Include any sales for items you normally buy as well as other items you need.
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3
Review the coupon booklets on Sundays and cut out any coupons for items you buy at the grocery store.
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4
Visit your grocery store's website to see if it offers online coupons. Follow the instructions on the website to select and print any coupons you will use.
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Visit online coupon websites (see Resources). Review the available coupons on the site and follow the instructions to clip and print the ones you will use.
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Compare your shopping list to your coupons and set aside any coupons you can use on your next grocery visit. Save the remaining coupons.
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Call your grocery store or visit the website to see if the store offers double or triple coupon days. Many stores will double or triple the face value of your coupon up to a certain amount on these days.
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Bring your grocery list and coupons to the grocery store on the designated double or triple coupon day. Check each item against the coupon as you add it to the cart to ensure you are buying the right quantities, sizes or flavors.
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Present your coupons to the cashier at the register.
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Tips & Warnings
Designate an area in your house to store leftover coupons. You can use a kitchen drawer, large container or small file box.
Sorting your coupons by expiration date will help you remember to use them before they expire.
Sign up for the rewards program at your grocery stores. These programs are free and offer cheaper pricing and special sales on many items throughout the store, which will add to your overall savings.
Before you leave the store, check your receipt and ensure all sale items rang up correctly and the cashier included all of your coupons.
