Whether you’re shopping online or in-person at the store, these are the tips and tricks you need to find the best coupon deals available!
If you were to see a $20 dollar bill on the street with no one around who could have dropped it, would you pick it up? Of course! Free money!
Well, every time you put those grocery store circulars in the recycling it’s kind of like passing up that $20 bill. We spend quite a bit of money on groceries every week. Why not save a few bucks?
Also, with a little effort and time set aside, you could save even more. That’s extra money in your pocket for a night out, to pay down some bills, or to decorate a room in the house. The payoff is definitely worth it.
If you’re new to couponing, or even if you cut coupons here and there, here are the best coupon deals and a few tips to help you save money on your next trip to the grocery store.
Store Membership
Most grocery stores these days offer an opportunity to sign up as a member. It’s free, and sign up is usually simple. You can do it online or at the store.
They give you a card and key tag, but if you don’t have it on you, then inputting your number into the keypad is sufficient.
Yes, your store likely keeps track of what you purchase, but there’s no need to stress. It’s purely so they keep these items in stock. However, the discounts they offer for members are significant.
Membership prices for store items are usually displayed next to the item. For instance, a box of cereal might be $3.99, but 2 for $5.00 for members.
But you won’t just save money on food items. Stores will offer coupons for health and beauty supplies and cleaning supplies too. These items can add up, and coupons can save you a big chunk of change.
In addition, the stores will likely mail or email you the best coupon deals for additional, member-only coupons. Occasionally, they’ll send you a super coupon with $20-$25 off your entire purchase, or $5 a total purchase of $40.
One trick is that, if you have a $5 off of a $40 purchase coupon, print two if you know you’ll be spending $80 or more. Then split your groceries into two purchases, using one $5 off coupon for each purchase.
You don’t have to leave the store and come back to do that. Just eyeball how much $40 of groceries are or a little more to be safe. Then put the divider on the conveyer belt and tell the store clerk you have two orders.
These coupons usually have a short shelf-life and expire in less than a week, so keep an eye on the expiration dates.
As an added bonus, store memberships often also offer discounts at the gas pump. If you spend enough each month, you can get up to $1.00 off each gallon. That’s a huge savings!
In-Store Coupons
As mentioned, every week you probably get flyers in the mail from your local grocery stores. Those flyers are filled with the best coupon deals.
Also, if you get a Sunday subscription to your local paper, then you’ll get even more coupons.
It shouldn’t take too long to sift through these circulars for the items you buy.
It helps if you get a coupon file to organize all of the great coupons you’ll get. You may want to organize them by expiration date. Most stores won’t accept coupons after they expire.
A lot of stores display their weekly coupons on a bulletin board near the entrance and have extra flyers on a rack. Sometimes the coupons they offer in these flyers are a little different than the ones they send in the mail or in the paper, so it’s worth taking a look.
Compare Prices
It’s important to not always just go for the name-brand item, even if you think you have the best coupon deals. Sometimes even with a coupon, another brand, a store brand or generic brand is less expensive.
Store sale items, usually only available to members, can be the best price too.
Stores know ahead of time which name-brand prices are offering coupons that week and will offer sales, either on those brands or sometimes on similar brands.
One way to compare prices is not by looking at the actual price or sale price, but the price per weight or each. Store tags will often have that price on the label.
For instance, a bag of long-grain rice might be $5.99 but $4.99 per pound. And another bag of long-grain rice might be $5.49 and also $5.49 per pound. So with the $5.99 bag of rice, you’ll be paying a bit more, but you’re saving money by getting more.
Best Coupon Deals Online
If you spend a lot of time online, as most of us do, it’s a good idea to set aside time to do some online couponing. A person can spend hours and hours doing this, and for some, it’s become a bit of an obsession.
A good idea is to set aside time or set a timer, or next thing you know, you’ll look up at the clock and it’s time to pick up the kids from school and you forgot to switch out the laundry.
The first place to start is the website of the stores you shop at the most for the best coupon deals. Many grocery stores offer coupons on the website. Sometimes you can even load the coupons onto your card, so there’s no clipping.
Other times you’ll have to print out these coupons. If you copy each image onto a single sheet, instead of printing each coupon out individually, you’ll save some money on printer paper, and save trees too.
Another resource is each manufacturer’s website, although this can be time-consuming.
There are a lot of great sites out there, and knowing which ones are the best can seem like insider trading. So we’ve done the work for you. Here are some of the best:
- Coupon.com
- RetailMeNot
- RedPlum
- SmartSource
- ShopAtHome
- Savings.com
Combining Coupons
Depending on the store, you can combine coupons.
For instance, you might find a manufacturer’s coupon for Walmart bagels on an online website and a different coupon for those same bagels on the Walmart website. You can use both of those coupons on the same package of bagels, saving you even more money.
If the item is already on sale, using one or more coupons may sometimes mean getting that item for free. If it’s a buy-one-get-one-free, you can use two coupons and get both for pennies or even both for free with the right coupon combination.
Check with the store’s policy though, because some stores don’t accept more than one coupon per item. In that case, compare coupons. Use the one that will give you the best discount and save the other one for the next grocery trip. Or, if one of the coupons is expiring that day or soon, then use that coupon.
On the other hand, some stores will accept double coupons, and will even double the value of a coupon for extra savings.
Final Tips
Don’t just buy something because you have a coupon. However, if it has a long shelf-life, sometimes stocking up will save you money over time.
Shop around. This might mean going to several groceries stores to get all the items you need.
Keep an eye out for the best coupon deals. Check websites and circulars frequently, so you don’t miss out. Also, check the terms and conditions of the coupon before you shop.
Finally, even though this may all seem time-consuming, you could be saving so much money, it’ll all be worth it. For more great tips on saving money and other inspiring articles, check out our blog.