There are plenty of quick savings waiting for you to find them. With the cost of living soaring, it’s time to expand your horizons and add some money-saving tips to your toolbelt. This how-to guide will show you how to save money with coupons.
Coupons may sound dated, but they’re nothing like they used to be. There is no need to use scissors to cut the newspaper into small squares. Shop, find coupons, and save money with tons of apps. You can also buy leftover ingredients from local restaurants.
There are many ways to save money with coupons, from apps to browser extensions and more. We’ve rounded up the best free coupon resources on the web, so bookmark this money-saving tip and share it with your friends.
1. Use a coupon site
If you want to save money without the hassle, let free apps and software do it for you.
Here are some recommended coupon sites:
- Capital One Shopping: One of the best online coupon shops on the web. Don’t worry: you don’t have to be a Capitol One client to find big savings. Useful as a site, app, or browser extension (more on that below). Used to look up coupon codes when shopping online. This free tool helps you find great discounts on your online purchases.
- Tada: Log in to your free account and browse thousands of transactions online. When the online store finds a good coupon code, it pays Tada a referral fee to the site. After Tada sends you those savings, you can choose from three ways he can receive the cash: deposit to your PayPal account, postal check, or Amazon gift card.
- Brad’s Deals: Use this site to find the best coupon codes and printable coupons online. In addition to coupons, department store flash sales are also posted. You can also sign up for our email newsletter.Get daily deals on everything you need.
If you don’t want to shop online, scroll down to find out strategies for actually finding coupons.
2. Get Free Coupon Inserts
You may miss the old days and want to cut coupons out of newspapers. In that case, there are several ways to find real coupons cheaper.
- Get your local community newspaper: You can usually find this form at convenience stores. You can find free coupon inserts for grocers, local businesses and more for free.
- Check out your local newspaper recycling program: Your local school often has a recycling program for kids, so find out if there’s a better way.
- Check out local businesses with complimentary newspapers: Coffee shops are especially great for this. You might get lucky if you ask if you can keep the coupon insert.
- Head to your local library: Luckily for smart consumers, libraries have plenty of newspapers. If you look through the Periodicals section, you’ll see coupons inserted for newspapers you don’t subscribe to. Ask your librarian if you can keep the latest newspaper coupon inserts.
3. Save money with coupons using browser extensions
Sometimes you don’t want to manually open a coupon site or app. Perhaps you would like to find deals automatically. In that case, a browser extension is perfect for you.
One of the most popular options is PayPal Honey. No research required!
If you love bargains, grab great deals with PayPal Honey. This handy browser extension automatically searches for coupons on the web. So when you’re looking at an item online, Honey is looking for coupons in the background.
At checkout, Honey automatically applies those coupons to your cart. It’s a great way to save time because you don’t have to clip from your mailer or search for coupons. Tap or click here for Honey’s quick guide.
Available as an extension for these browsers.
Capital One shopping is also recommended. Consider yourself your personal deal hunter, always looking for discounts. Anyone can use it for free.
Another service may be more to your liking. Best of luck: We’ve created a guide on the 5 best browser extensions to save you money when shopping online. Check it out and get ready to find new deals and discounts.
4. Combine Coupons and Deals
Bulk buying is a great way to save money. If there is a sale item, it will be even more profitable. For example, you can find coupons for sunscreen. Stock up on as much sunscreen as possible if it’s sold in the big box stores.
This way you won’t have to pay full price the next time you need sunscreen. You’ll already have it, and you can smile whenever you think about how much you’ve saved.
Follow this philosophy in all your items, from hygiene and health products to food. As time passes, tons Money for daily necessities. Manage your finances and track your savings with these 10 free spreadsheet templates.
5. Keep Annual Sales Trends in Mind
In some cases, taking advantage of a sale can save you a lot more than using coupons alone. For example, November is a great time to buy electronics because of the Black Friday sales.
Here are some annual sales trends you should know about, thanks to US News.
| if you want … | The best time to shop is… | because … |
| Mattresses, sheets, pillows and other sleep products | in May | it’s better sleep month |
| arts and crafts | march | It’s National Craft Month |
| camera | June 29th | It’s National Camera Day |
| air ticket | Tuesday morning and afternoon | neither too early nor too late in the week |
| new furniture | February and August | Retailers are clearing space for new furniture, and there’s even a President’s Day sale |
| House | August and December | less competition |
| vehicle | May, October, November, December | Memorial Day is May, new cars are October, Black Friday is November, and car salespeople want to hit their annual sales goals in December. |
| large appliances | September to December | Labor Day Sale and Black Friday Sale |
| Warm clothing such as jackets, pants, and long-sleeved shirts | January, February, March | The store wants to pave the way for new spring clothes |
| Summer clothes such as tank tops, shorts, and swimwear | August and September | Stores want to pave the way for winter clothing |
| jewelry | February | valentine sale |
| electronics | January, November, December | Just before the Super Bowl, Black Friday and holiday shopping sales |
| tv set | November and February | Black Friday before the Super Bowl, Cyber Monday |
| groceries | Wednesday | new release coming out |
Now that you know the best time to grab the best deals, you can plan ahead. Clip coupons for future sales of the things you want. Coupon may expire.
Bonus: To save money with coupons, be strategic and unemotional
In the meantime, avoid last-minute add-ons. You can save on the list price by buying in bulk, but splurge will undo those big savings. Sweeter than sweet treats.
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