With the economy the way it is nowadays we find ourselves trying to save money at every turn. Because so many people have come up with creative ways of saving money and stretching their dollar a new rise in extreme savers has become popular.
The question is, how does one get started? Many of us watched our Mothers clip coupons from the Sunday paper every week but we never wondered how it was that mom managed to keep track of these coupons or know which ones to clip and which ones to leave.
It can be hard to not become overwhelmed with the seriously large amount of coupons accessible by the internet and through the mail now days but fear not! Follow these simple steps to start couponing like a pro today!
Get a coupon organizer. You can find these on various shopping sites such as Amazon or you can pick one up at your local grocery store coupon wafir. Organizing coupons can be a tricky task. Not only do you want to organize them by what they are for but you will also want to make sure you are organizing them by expiration date as well so you are sure to use the oldest coupon first. Once you go pro you can also try organizing your coupons by store area for an easier shopping experience.
To get the most amount of coupons and essentially save the most amount of money you will also want to have a printer. Many companies are now offering monthly coupons in their e-mailed newsletter and from their website. To take full advantage of these offers you must have a printer to get the coupons.
I also have learned from experience that I needed a second e-mail for my newsletter subscriptions. I can subscribe to all kinds of newsletters and coupon lists and then simply search my e-mail for coupons I might need.
While I don't subscribe to the Sunday paper any longer often times those people who do and do not use their coupon section will give it to me but the majority of my coupons come from free mailers that come the house. These are also great for fast food coupons which we don't often think about but can save a ton of cash in the long run. Product packaging also contains a number of coupons and often these coupons are for the products which they are placed on. If you are already buying a product what a great way to save on it next time around! Be sure to check the inside of boxes and in new product pamphlets that come with food/beverage/anything!
Taking 10 minutes before your shopping trip can save you 100's in the long run. Before I go out shopping I sit down with my coupon organizer and grocery list. I pull out the coupons that I think I will need as well as those that will be expiring soon on products that do not expire or products that can be frozen for long periods of time. If I am going to use the product in the future I might as well use my coupon for it now and save. You will also save time at the checkout by doing this. I also jump on my computer for a moment and check my e-mail. I search for products I need coupons for either by product name or company.
New Mothers and parents may also find that baby companies are literally jumping hoops for new customer attention. Nearly all of the large baby food/clothing/product companies have some sort of new parent program which sends out free baby stuff as well as coupons.
There isn't much more to it then that to get started. Many people find couponing to be addictive. Making a game out of how much money you can save in one trip can be a fun a challenging way of looking at couponing. The more you find coupons the better you get at it. Signing up for as many newsletters and mailing lists as possible will help as well.
Recently I have found many free sample offers also give out coupons. Getting free samples by mail is just as much fun as saving a ton on the products themselves. There are literally tons of blogs now days that can also enhance your journey by connecting you with others as well as giving you great tips and tricks for saving.
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