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LET'S GET AHEAD! Make Money, Save Money, Live Better!
COUPON COUPIN' ON! ... by neil smith
Posted on 2008-Feb-20 at 04:05 - Post Comment
2/20/08
If you have ever read a Sunday paper or stood behind an old lady at the grocery store than you know what coupons are! You may clip them or be annoyed by them but, did you know that utilized the right way, they can add up to some serious savings and significantly reduce your overall cost of living!?
THE COUPON RUNDOWN!
There are many different types of coupons and it can be confusing, but experienced coupon kings and queens who take the time to know their stuff are able to make a significant dent in their shopping bills!
Competitor Coupons:
The name pretty much says it all. This is where a store honors coupons from a competing store.
Double Coupons:
In order for stores to entice you to do the vast majority of your shopping in their places, often they will give a discount which equals twice the face value of a particular coupon. There will often be a cap on the maximum dollar amount a store will double (usually no more than a dollar) as well as the number of coupons they will double.
Triple Coupons:
These are coupons which normally appear in an advertisement and need to be combined with other coupons to triple their value. These are often for very low-cost items which end up being free or nearly free after the discount and are used mainly to get shoppers into the stores to purchase other items which they can then make a profit on.
Stacking:
This is the practice of allowing a manufacturer’s coupon to be used along with a store’s coupon for a combined discount.
One-Step Rebates:
This is a check that is issued by the store as a rebate reward for qualified purchases normally tracked by the store’s loyalty card.
THE STRATEGY
Many stores offer “loss leaders” (items which once their advertised discount is redeemed actually COSTS the store money!) as an enticement to lure buyers with the obvious goal of getting them to purchase more profitable items once inside. People who keep their focus and just go for the big-discount items are the ones who realize the largest savings!
Be sure to match store and manufacturer coupons with rebates, sales and savings club discounts and combine as many as are allowed!
Be mindful that many coupons that appear to offer a certain price if you buy an item in bulk (i.e. 10 for $10) are usually just a ploy to trick you into buying extra when in reality, you are normally allowed to buy just one or two of an item at the same discounted price-per-unit.
Watch out for bait and switch tactics where a store will not carry the item exactly as advertised on the coupon and will instead have a slight variation on the product which does not meet the requirements of the coupon. They are counting on you to purchase the item regardless, even without the discount!
As you become a more and more coupon-savvy shopper, you will learn how to squeeze the most out of them by combining with promotions, rebates and sales. There is a bit of a learning curve, so give yourself some time to get accustomed to the ins and outs. The old pros are always going to see more savings than the newbies so remember, it does take a bit of time, patience and perseverance. If you stick with it and learn your strategies, THE SAVINGS WILL COME!
P.S. - Good Thing To Do With Expired Coupons:
Many military commissaries overseas will accept manufacturer’s cents-off coupons for up to 6 months past their expiration dates. This means that you can help out military families simply by sending them your expired coupons. Please visit the Overseas Coupon Program Website at http://www.ocpnet.org to learn how!
Please visit my website at http://www.letsgetahead.com for more great articles like this one!
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