Couponing Tips – How to Coupon Effectively
This article assumes that you’ve already familiarized yourself with our Smart Coupon Strategy. May we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the following topics first, and only then come back to fine tune your couponing skills:
- Smart Coupon Strategy
- Coupons Types
- How to Accumulate Grocery Coupons
- Double Coupons
- Coupon Stacking
I hate clipping coupons. What other options do I have?
- Let your kids do it for you as one of their chores. (Thanks Phillipa)
- Use coupon clipping services.
- Buy multitude of them for a small fee at eBay.
What about Taxes?
You should be aware that depending on jurisdiction, even if your item is free after coupons, some registers will still ring up the total tax due.
This is often determined by the type of the coupon:
- With grocery store coupons, the product was never offered at the original price and the coupon represents a reduction in the amount paid and the sales-tax as well.
- With manufacturer coupons, the original price is still paid but some of the price is covered by the manufacturer instead of the consumer, so the full price remains taxable.
What if I have a coupon for a certain brand, but I prefer another?
It’s not widely known, but manufacturer coupons can be used on a variety of products by same manufacturer. Although it isn’t broadcasted to the consumer that this can be done – it always works.
You’re not limited to use the coupon on the exact brand. You only need to use it on a similar product from the same category of products that manufacturer carries.
For example, if Kellogg’s put out coupons for Kellogg’s Special k, you can actually use the coupon to buy any other type of cereals by Kellogg’s, even if the coupon doesn’t say it.
Photo copying the coupons is not allowed, and may or may not work. Some websites have started putting security codes on their online printable coupons, and you may need to do some explaining should the cashier decide to check the coupons.
My store has a “one coupon per UPC code” rule? Does this mean that I can’t stack coupons?
If your store won’t allow coupon stacking, you can use two coupons for any “two for” offer (Buy one get one free, two for $5 and so on).
Combine a buy-one-get-one (BOGO) free coupon with a buy-one-get-one free sale, and you could get both items for free.
I prefer my store, but I have coupons for the competitor’s store. Where should I buy?
Many stores accept competitor’s coupons. If your store accepts the competitor’s coupons, you may use it to stack a manufacturer’s coupon with the competing store’s coupon.
And what if it doesn’t accept the competing store’s coupons?
You can ask them to mach prices with the competing store (which is practically the same as accepting their coupons).
Always carry the competing store’s advertisements with you as proof of what items and prices you expect your store to match.
How can I keep track of all these coupon offers that companies spur on their websites? (Thanks Betty)
Companies sometimes offer spur of the moment coupons and deals on their websites. The easiest way to keep track of these is to use your Twitter account (open one if you don’t already have one) and start following people who search out these deals and post the links to them.
That way you don’t have to check for yourself all these sites. Instead – just go to your Twitter account. But keep in mind that these coupons and freebie deals often go very fast so you have to check your account often.
Here are a few example links:
- http://twitter.com/Coupons
- https://twitter.com/CouponistaQueen
- http://twitter.com/fstimes
- https://twitter.com/TryACoupon
- http://twitter.com/Coupon_Dad
What do all these abbreviations and acronyms on the coupons mean?
Understanding the jargon is important. The following list contains all known coupon abbreviations and acronyms, as well as jargon and lingo most widely used by couponers in various blogs and forums.
Related Articles
- Manufacturer Coupons
- Grocery Store Coupons
- How to Accumulate Grocery Coupons
- Sunday Paper Coupons
- Smart Coupon Strategy
- Double Coupons
- Stacking Coupons
Return from Couponing Tips to How To Coupon Page
Return from Couponing Tips to Grocery Coupons Guide Home Page