How to Save With Grocery Coupons
Every Sunday, my mom cannot wait to open the newspaper. No, she's not waiting to learn about events around the world, she is more interested in getting her hands on the coupons that come with them. Yes, I have a 'Crazy Coupon Lady' mother that cannot and will not shop without her precious coupons. She gets her beloved grocery coupons by mail and she loves to shop with them. And I don't blame her either. She gets really good deals on food items and I get to make demands as to what I would like for her to purchase for me. Now that was all about my mother. This is true for many women (and men) who do their grocery shopping smartly. But there are few of those who are skeptical about the power of coupons or don't know how to save with coupons. So this article is dedicated those who want to learn how to save money with coupons for groceries and also for those, who would like to refresh or learn some new tactics as well.
Why Should We Use Grocery Coupons?
What are these coupons and how can they help us save? I know that almost everyone, who has shopped on their own in supermarkets and grocery stores, know about these coupons. But what are they actually? If you are getting confused with the question here, let me take the confusion away. Coupons are cash; plain and simple. Don't agree with me? Let me explain. When you visit a supermarket or a grocery store, you undoubtedly pay the MRP on food items, unless it is already on discounted rate. Now generally we shop for groceries in bulk and the total amount will reflect the shopping. So if you are running your home on a tight budget, which many women (and sometimes men) do, the coupons of that particular store can decrease your total expense considerably.
Purchasing grocery with discount coupons is one of the best ways to save money. So all in all, if you had to calculate your expenses over a period of one month (or 2 to 6 months), you will see that the coupons actually can make a huge difference. You will have extra cash to spend on other necessary items; or if you wish to save money for a rainy day, it won't be such a bad idea, right? So, what did we learn right now? Grocery coupons - GOOD. And now, we go over the tips on how to reduce your grocery shopping bill in detail.
How to Shop With the Coupons
The first step towards saving is directly related to knowing how to shop smartly. Those 'Coupon ladies' that you see in the stores aren't roaming around with tons of coupons in their hands for no reason. It's a vital factor while shopping for groceries; and trust me, you won't regret it.
- If you don't receive regular coupons by mail, sign up for them. You will receive them in your Sunday newspaper.
- Every time you get the coupons, check their expiry date. Separate the coupons which you are interested in using.
- Grocery shopping on a budget can be possible. For that, you need to plan your grocery shopping according to the coupons' expiry date. If the coupons are getting expired before you are supposed to go to the supermarket, then prepone your shopping.
- Make a detailed grocery list. Have two columns - coupon items and regular items. This way, when you're at the store, you don't have to shuffle through a lot of coupons.
- When at the store, put the food items that you need to purchase with the coupons in your cart first. If there are more shoppers who are using coupons just like you, there are chances that those items may get out of stock.
- Let's say that you went to the store, with your coupons, and found out that a particular item is out of stock. In that case, you can get a rain check and use it later on once the item is back in stock. This way, you can save money on groceries. Your coupon won't go to waste.
- If you can't find time to personally visit the store(s) and shop, you can opt to make the purchases online. Some grocery stores offer this facility.
- There are some websites and grocery stores which offer online grocery coupons for you to avail. This is another great way to save money on groceries.
- Many times, you can end up with 2 or more coupons of the same item. Don't throw them away. You can easily avail them at different shopping trips (if the purchase limit is low on the item you want to buy).
