Coupons are a great way to save money—if you use them correctly. The first obstacle to overcome is forgetting to use them. Keep them in a handy spot, like your wallet. If you have dry cleaning coupons, pin them to the dirty-laundry bag. If you have one for a restaurant, hang it on the fridge or keep it with your takeout menus.
Use them only for items that you normally would buy.
Otherwise, you’re going to start spending more money. If you usually go with a generic brand of corn flakes, don’t buy a name-brand box just because you can save 35 cents—unless the reduced price of the name brand will be less than the price of the generic (for the same size of product).
Don’t buy more than intended.
Coupons are there to promote certain products and services. If you get a coupon for an oil change, don’t let salespeople pressure you into getting a tune-up and a front-end alignment too.
Using these helpful tips, you’ll be on your way to extreme couponing in no time! Have you saved a bunch of money or gotten a great deal with coupons lately? We would love to hear all about it!