Seven Tips for Cutting Your Food Bill by Couponing

109215909

Save Money With Coupons

Coupon shopping is a great way to save hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year. Coupons are actually discounts the manufacturer offers customers to try the manufacture’s product(s). Coupons are part of a company’s advertising budget set aside for customer use. To save money, you should always use coupons when they are available.

As Benjamin Franklin said “a penny saved, is a penny earned.” However, successful coupon shopping generally involves more than just clipping a coupon or two before you head to the store. If you want to notice a significant difference in your food bill, you need to be smart about how you coupon shop and organize when you head out to buy food and other necessities for your home.

To cut your food bill by couponing, follow the steps below:

Gather Coupons

Obtain your Sunday newspaper (one per family member) in order to obtain the coupon inserts. You may want to purchase multiple or double pack copies of the newspaper on Sunday in order to get more coupons. Note, that there are some areas of the country where manufactures coupon values are higher. You can buy newspapers from those areas, to use where you live. Also consider using a coupon clipping service. Many times the savings will out weight the cost. You can also buy individual coupons online from resellers for items that you know your family will use, and you can print coupons from a variety of online websites.

Stick to What You Will Need

Clip coupons, for food products that your family will actually use. Manufacturers offer many coupons for new and unhealthy products that are designed to entice you to try the product. Spending money on something you would not normally eat or use is not a good way to save money and can instead end up increasing your bill. Therefore, it is a good idea to only cut coupons for things that you need.

1.   Match up coupons to in-store sales. The best way to get the most bang for your buck and significantly cut your food bill is to use a coupon to buy something when it is already on sale.

2.   Stock up. Stock up when something is on sale for a low price. For example, if the pasta sauce your family uses is on sale and you have coupons for it, don’t just buy one bottle, buy several. The typical sales cycle at most grocery stores is six weeks, which means that items will go on sale once about every six weeks. If you purchase enough of the product at the sale price using your coupons to get you through until the next time the item goes on sale, then you should never have to pay full price.

Learn Store Policies

Know your store’s coupon policy and if they offer digital couponing.

You will need to apply for the direct 2 card to use digital couponing. The tricks you can use to save money. For example, some stores will double coupons on certain days so your coupons are worth twice as much as the face value. When a store puts a product on “buy-one-get-one free,” you may be allowed to use two coupons (one for each of the items, even though you are technically paying for only one). This can sometimes result in your item being free or very close to free.

Branch Out to Different Stores

Often, drug stores offer the best deals on toiletries and other household products. Be sure to check sale flyers for stores nearby and look for the best place to use your coupons when shopping for necessities.

Make Sure the Coupon Really Saves Cash

You should compare the price of store brands and generic items to ensure that you are getting the best deal with your coupon.

By following these basic tips, you should be able to save a significant amount of money on your grocery bills through the use of coupons. Remember, even expired coupons have their place. You can donate them to military families to use at base stores known as commissaries. These stores will provide the family with the coupon discount. Expired coupons are good for up to six months past their expiration date and can be used for overseas military families.

In the end, couponing is a win-win situation for everyone. You save money. The manufacture gets you to try their product. The food store gets paid full price for the item, and if the coupon has expired you can do good, by helping someone else.

Online Coupons Resource:

Additional Resources

Videos

Education

Books

Available at Amazon.com – Purchase Required

Print Friendly, PDF & Email