Top 5 Tips for Saving $$ Using Coupons
When you think about couponing, you probably think about a newspaper spread all over the floor, scouring ads, clipping coupons, filing them… and then showing up at the store with a bagful and sifting through it at the checkout. It’s time-consuming and while it does work, there are ways to avoid being a slave to the endless clipping, sorting and searching.
Mobile Apps
The secret to couponing lies in your smartphone. Our top three couponing success tips make your life a lot easier — and less expensive!
The best mobile coupon apps are user-friendly, and you never have to clip or sort again. Here are three ways you can save money using mobile apps.
- Use Coupon Apps
- Get Store Apps
- Use Cashback Apps
Coupon apps like GrabQpons organizes great deals into one place. Whether you’re looking to find last-minute shopping deals, want to save substantial amounts of money on groceries, or want to treat yourself to a swanky night out, coupon apps help keep manufacturer, retailer, and restaurant coupons conveniently at your fingertips.
More and more retailers, and especially grocery stores, offer their own apps that help you save money. Consumers can digitally access manufacturer’s coupons and add them to their customer loyalty card; the discounts are automatically applied when the card is scanned at checkout. Some retailers even offer bonus coupons for their mobile app users. It’s also convenient to be able to instantly look up an item’s price if the label is missing and sales associates are nowhere to be found.
Cashback apps offer cash back options when you purchase specific items. After downloading the apps, you simply search for the items purchased by store, scan the item’s barcode (or upload an image of your receipt), and cashbacks are automatically loaded into your account. Once you reach a payout threshold, the money is delivered to you via PayPal or other means. The best way to make use of this app is to upload items into the app immediately after purchasing them so you don’t forget.
Old School
The old school method still works! Here are the two best tips for being organized and efficient with clipped coupons.
- Use Accordion Folders
- Log Your Savings
Accordion folders are easily organized: groceries, home goods, pet food, restaurants, gas, beauty, cleaning supplies… Organizing your coupons eliminates the frustration of searching for the right coupons before you shop or digging through a pile of coupons at checkout. It also makes it easier to coordinate shopping trips. When you’re running low on paper towels and cat food, you can easily find the relevant coupons.
It might sound obvious to be told “use your coupons,” but clipping stacks of coupons and then forgetting them at home won’t save you any money. One way to keep coupons “top of mind” is to keep a log of your savings every time you shop. Once you see how quickly rewards add up, you’ll be much more motivated to use the coupons you’ve clipped and saved!