Saving With Coupons
September is all about coupons. With the price of just about everything increasing, including food, using coupons can stretch your budget even more.
On some of my trips to the supermarket I won’t buy anything unless I have a coupon or it’s on sale and it’s amazing how much you can save.
Here are some of my coupon tips I’ve stumbled upon over the years-
Meal Planning
If you’re in the mood for some real penny pinching, plan meals around the coupons you have on hand. I’ve used coupons for tacos, refried beans, pizza, frozen potatoes, soup etc. Some of these meals have become favorite standbys even when I don’t have coupons for them. It’s a great way to get creative in the kitchen too.
Combine Deals
Supermarkets are getting kinder to us and they usually put on sale at least a few items that have corresponding coupons. It’s the perfect way to save even more. And sometimes with a little homework on your part you can find combo deals yourself. Sometimes I’ve found toothpaste I’ve ended up paying just five cents for. And if you need some help, check out this site http://www.freecoupons.com/blog/store-deals/
Double Coupon Day
For years I was envious when I heard people say their local store had double coupon days. Finally a store very close to where I live started Double Coupon Wednesday. Just five coupons and nothing over a dollar, but if you pick the right item and it’s something you need, you save a lot. Check out stores in your area for similar deals.
Stock Up The Pantry
Coupons are a great opportunity to stock up the pantry on things like ketchup, butter, flour etc.
Wait For the Holidays
I’ve found that some of my best couponing days are during the holidays when lots of things go on sale. And an added plus is once again they’re for items I can store in the pantry or in the freezer for year round use.
Put Some of the Budget Aside
I always spend about ten dollars on buying items with correspondings coupons that I can save and store. A good pick are non-perishables like dishwashing liquid or tissues. You know the prices are going up so it’s a good way to beat the increase.
Not Just Groceries
Coupons aren’t just for food items. I use coupons for hair salons, restaurants, cinemas, etc. More companies are using them and if you search online you’re likely to find one you can use. Check out this site http://www.retailmenot.com/
Where You Find Them
I no longer receive a Sunday paper so I’ve been using sites like Coupons.com, also lots of food packages have coupons on the back or inside that you can clip.
And here are a couple of links to sites that are useful in tracking down even more coupons. The first one gives you a preview of what will be in the upcoming Sunday paper…great way of planning meals ahead of the shopping trip. And the second one is a site that lets you print coupons-
http://www.freecoupons.com/sunday-insert-grocery-coupons/
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