Couponing is a great way to save money on stuff you need.
Who doesn’t want to find different ways to save money?
Couponing can be a very effective tool for saving money on everyday household items and groceries. It is also quite possible to use coupons and get many products for free, or close to it!
To get you started, here are tips for couponing, as well as a list of the best stores to coupon at.
6 Really Important Tips for Couponing
1. Read the Fine Print
Most coupons will have some teeny tiny fine print at the bottom that lists the details and limitations of the coupon. Often, that is where you will find the expiration date and any other restrictions. That is also where it will tell you exactly which items you can use for your coupon.
For instance, sometimes coupons exclude sale items, or they can be precise on which size, color, brand, etc., you can apply the coupons to. Make sure to read this to avoid ending up at the cash register to find out the coupon won’t work.
2. Organize Your Coupons by the Expiration Dates
If you keep your coupons in order of expiration date, you will be less likely to accidentally miss using them because they have expired. And depending on how many coupons you save, this can happen quickly!
3. Start a Coupon Binder
If you’re saving a lot of cut-out or printable coupons, a binder can be beneficial! Not only will it help you stay organized, but you can take the whole binder to the store with you and keep your grocery list right inside.
Bringing your coupon binder to the store can make it easier to refer to the coupons whenever necessary and compare retail prices on things to see just how much your coupons can save you.
4. Read Each Store’s Coupon Policy
Every store has different policies surrounding couponing. That is where you will likely find information on coupon stacking, which can be one of the best ways to save some money! You can also typically find out their stance on manufacturer coupons, internet coupons, mobile coupons, and exclusions.
5. Google Coupons for Each Store Before Checking Out In-Store or Online
You can often find coupons for local and online stores by searching for them online. You will be surprised at how many coupons are out there just waiting to be used! Sometimes it’s only a 10% off coupon, and it only saves you a dollar, but all of the small amounts of money saved add up.
6. Keep Your Products Organized
Once you start couponing, your products can start to stack up. So if you make space for them, whether it’s just shelving, a closet, or even a spare room, you’re more likely to get the most out of your couponing. If you don’t organize your products, you can accidentally let things expire, and all your hard work will be for nothing.
You can also look into getting a deep freeze for food items or some shelving for your garage for canned items.
Rebate Apps, Cashback, and Other Couponing Resources
1. Groupon
Groupon is an online couponing service with both a website and mobile app. Groupon offers a variety of coupons for local retailers and eateries. The great part about this is that you can change the location to look at deals in other cities and states. This is a great way to save some money while you’re traveling.
2. Coupons.com
Coupons.com is a website with a TON of manufacturer coupons. It has printable coupons, digital coupons, cashback offers, and promo codes. They are all categorized by type of product as well, so you don’t have to filter through coupons that don’t apply to you. You can find anything on there.
3. Ibotta
Ibotta is a cashback rewards app offered as a mobile app or web extension. It works by scanning your receipt and getting immediate cashback on qualifying purchases.
The great thing about Ibotta is that it has a ton of generic coupons, such as $1 back on any bag of cat food. This means it doesn’t matter the brand or size! It also offers a lot of brand- and size-specific cashback rewards. Many of the items in the app are very common, so you can get cashback.
To maximize your cashback, check the app first to see if you can plan meals and grocery lists around it, or maybe a new brand you wouldn’t mind trying, to make sure you buy things you will use. Ibotta also offers cashback through referrals, so if you refer someone to use their cashback tool, you can get a cashback referral bonus!
Ibotta works with HUNDREDS of stores, including grocery stores, retail stores, gas stations, and many more.
4. Capital One Extension
The Capital One extension is a free, easy-to-use browser extension that works in the background. Once it’s installed, it automatically applies coupons to online shopping for a ton of different stores.
It also compares prices for products and shipping to other online retailers and informs you if it found a cheaper option elsewhere. You don’t have to have a Capital One card to use this extension.
5. SwagBucks
Swagbucks is an online tool that allows you to earn gift cards to stores you love.
How it works is: you sign up online and earn points by shopping online, watching videos, and answering survey questions. Your points add up and are redeemable for gift cards to popular stores like Amazon, Walmart, and even PayPal.
6. Rakuten
Rakuten is a cashback tool that offers a browser extension for online shopping and lets you connect your card so it can track in-person purchases and apply cashback that way as well.
Rakuten also offers cashback through referrals, so if you refer someone to use their cashback tool, you can get a cashback referral bonus!
7. Coupon Sherpa
Coupon Sherpa is a couponing app that focuses more on local deals. One cool feature this app offers is the ability to find and save coupons for easy access later, which is better than sorting through screenshots or searching for coupons you saw a couple of days ago.
Unfortunately, you can only use it if you have an Apple phone.
8. Checkout 51
Checkout51 is very similar to Ibotta. It is so similar that you can often find the same sort of deals on both apps. So you can get double the cashback by scanning your receipt through iBotta and Checkout 51! So if you’re going to have one, you might as well have both!
9. Dosh
Dosh is an automatic cashback app. No receipts are required! It works by linking your debit and credit cards and automatically applies cashback to your purchases. Dosh even offers cashback on hotel stays!
To get the most out of using Dosh, check out their partners and see which purchases you can earn the most cashback on.
10. Fetch
Fetch is one of my favorite apps because it gives you cashback for every receipt you scan. You can also attach some store accounts, like Walmart and Target, and have the cashback added automatically. You don’t need to attach items beforehand. It all goes automatically. It’s probably the easiest cashback app there is.
11. Join Your Favorite Store’s Loyalty Programs
Most stores now offer loyalty programs. You typically sign up with your phone number or email and start receiving cashback, points, or coupons. This is especially common with smaller grocery chains, as well as retail stores and restaurants.
Read More:
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