The Ultimate Guide to Couponing for Beginners

If you’re looking to save money in 2022, coupons are a great place to start. With a little bit of effort and organization, you can significantly reduce your expenses and stretch your budget further. This guide will provide you with the essential information you need to get started on your couponing journey.

What is the goal of couponing?

The primary goal of couponing is to buy items at a significantly lower price. You can achieve this by waiting for a sale, using a coupon, and buying in bulk when the item is on sale and you have a coupon. This concept is known as stock pricing, where you aim to never pay full price for common household items like toilet paper, paper towel, laundry detergent, shampoo, and diapers.

Types of Coupons

There are two types of coupons you’ll come across: manufacturer and store coupons. Manufacturer coupons are discounts offered by the brand and will mention the brand and include details in the fine print. Store coupons, on the other hand, are discounts offered by the individual store or retail chain and can only be redeemed in that specific store.

Coupon Stacking

Coupon stacking refers to the use of both a manufacturer coupon and a store coupon on the same item. This can lead to even greater savings, especially when you’re able to stack multiple offers such as manufacturer coupons, store coupons, store sales, store rewards, reward dollars, and cashback offers.

Finding Coupons

There are several sources where you can find coupons:

• Printable and digital coupons: These coupons can be found on coupon aggregating sites like Save.ca or Websaver.ca, and on brand websites like BulkBarn. Fast-food chains also often offer printable and app coupons.

• Mobile coupons: A growing trend is for coupons to be fully mobile and can only be used in mobile apps or for mobile orders.

• First-purchase coupons: These are digital codes offered as an incentive for trying a new service, such as meal box companies and streaming services.

• Insert coupons: These are coupons found in your mail, often included with Sunday newspapers or dropped as flyers or coupon booklets.

Finding Match-ups

Having coupons is just the first step. You also want to find deals on the items you have coupons for. Look through weekly flyers, check your grocery store’s weekly specials, and use online price comparison sites to find the best deals. A match-up is when you have a coupon for an item that’s on sale, leading to even greater savings.

Coupon Gear

To effectively use coupons, you’ll need the following gear:

• Printer: To print online coupons, you’ll need a good printer.

• Smartphone: You’ll need a smartphone to install cashback apps like Checkout51.

• Laptop or computer: A computer is necessary to find new coupons and save or print them, as printable and digital coupons are now more common than mail-in coupons.

• Plastic binder with dividers/labels: To keep your coupons organized, you’ll need a place to store them. A binder with dividers and labels is a great solution.

Computer Literacy

To get the most out of couponing, it’s important to be comfortable with using internet browsers and searching for coupons online. You should also be familiar with how to redeem digital coupons, such as using promo codes or printing them.

Start Couponing Today!

With this beginner’s guide, you now have the knowledge and tools to start your couponing journey. Remember to be patient