3 Great Tips for Saving Money with Coupons

You have heard all the great stories about coupons that I have. You can save LOTS OF MONEY and sometimes even MAKE MONEY with coupons! But let’s be realistic. If you watch those super coupon saver shows you’ll notice one thing over and over again: people end up with warehouses of merchandise they never use.

So here are three great tips you’ll want to follow as you incorporate coupons into your frugal lifestyle.

Tip No. 1: Never Buy Anything You Don’t Need

If I were to tell you that you could save $3 on a $6 purchase by bringing a single coupon to a store, you would think that is a great deal, wouldn’t you? After all, you’re SAVING 50 PER CENT of the purchase price.

But what if the price of whatever you’re buying were always $3? Would you still make the purchase?

One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to save money with coupons is that they end up buying things they don’t need and normally would not buy. So how does that make sense? When you’re living a frugal lifestyle it doesn’t make any sense.

Tip No. 2: Only Buy As Much As You Will Use

Unless you’re helping your friends save money, you don’t need to buy up all the merchandise in the store just because your coupon says you can do that. Again, stay within your “Use Budget”. A “Use Budget” consists of all the things (food, cosmetics, disposable items, etc.) that you actually USE during a given month. You don’t need to buy more stuff than you will use over the next 30 days unless you know you’re going to be without an income for a long, long time.

If you have friends who can’t shop at the right time in order to use coupons to save money, then it’s okay to buy more than you need as long as your friends pay you back. In fact, this can help stretch your frugal budget a long way if you and several friends each hit different stores on the same day. You can all meet up afterwards and divvy up the goods (and savings). Just be sure everyone knows exactly what to buy and what to do if their store is out of something.

Tip No. 3: Always Use As Many Coupons At Once As Possible

If you get a new coupon booklet and rush out to the store without making a shopping list, you’re probably going to miss some great savings either because you don’t bring your other coupons or because you’re thinking only about a few things.

Make two shopping lists: the list of things that you need for which you have coupons and the list of things you need for which you have no coupons.

Now sort the coupon list by where you can buy all that stuff. If you have to make a special trip to another store just to use one coupon in most cases you’ll use more gas than you will save with that coupon. It’s not worth it.

You experience true savings when you hand the cashier a lot of coupons, not just one.

Other Advice To Help You Save with Coupons

You may not know much about where to find coupons or how to use them. Check out some couponing tip sites so that you can find more ways to save. There are many coupon Websites out there so you’ll want to do some research to ensure that you find the best deals possible to match your needs and lifestyle.

Don’t allow the excitement of saving money lead you into spending money you normally would not spend. Saving with coupons is not about spending more money it is about spending less money for what you really need.