Wouldn’t you love to slash your grocery bills in half or more? Extreme couponing has become a hobby for thousands of Americans and you can join them by using these six tips.
Combine Manufacturers and Store Coupons: Coupons put out by product manufacturers are different from coupons printed by the store. Stores often produce thier own coupons to get people into the store, but many people don’t know that most stores will accept both coupons for one item. So if you are buying a cake mix that is on sale for $2.99 and have a manufacturers coupon for $1.50 off in addition to a store coupon for $0.50 off, you will end up paying just $0.99 for it.
Buy Items that Net You Overage: Sometimes stores will give you overage, which is the amount of money that the store owes you for the item. Using the same cake mix scenario as above, let’s say that the manufacturers coupon is for $1.75 off and the store coupon is also $1.75 off. This makes the value of the coupons $3.50 and the cake mix is only $2.99. If the store gives overage they will usually give you that extra $0.51 off of another item in your cart. Rarely will a store actually give you back money, but many people are able to leave the store with several bags of groceries having paid less than a dollar thanks to overage!
Submit Rebates: Companies are happy to provide rebates as they get customers to purchase the item, but most people never send in for the rebate. To get the most for your money, when you find an item with a rebate try to locate a coupon for it as well. Use the coupon to get money off before you purchase the item and then get money back after you submit the rebate. These can often be money makers for people. Even if you don’t use an item that is marked as “free after rebate” and you have coupons for it, get it and then you will have some overage to use on the other items that you are purchasing with it.
Buy “Free” Items and Sell Them At Your Next Garage Sale: Many extreme couponers buy things that they will never use, however it’s not a waste of their money. They are usually earning money, or at the least getting an item for just pennies, with their purchase. If you have a great coupon from a store for $5 off a $25 purchase you might need some fillers, items to get your dollar amount up to the $25 mark. These freebies are great for this purpose! You can save them up for your next garage sale and make money on them even if you sell them for just a quarter each. Alternatively, you can donate them to a food pantry or homeless shelter and help out your community.
Use Store Rewards Programs: Learning the ins and outs of the various store rewards programs can take a bit of time, but it is well worth it to your pocketbook. Start with one store at a time and learn how to accumulate rewards, often in the form of dollar off coupons on your next purchase, by spending as little out of pocket money as possible. Then you can “roll” the rewards during your next transaction. Some of the drugstore chains have great reward programs which allows the experienced couponer to save upwards of 75% off regular prices.
Stock Up: Another way to get your dollar to go further is to stock up on the items that you regularly use when they are discounted. Peanut butter, canned vegetables, cereals and other staple grocery items often go on sale once every three to four months. When they are at these low prices stock up by buying enough, even if you don’t have coupons, to last you until the next sale.