Couponing isn’t just an activity or a pastime, it’s a lifestyle. There are a few principles that form the foundation of couponing.
By learning these principles, you will be in position to start your couponing journey.
Below is our definitive guide to couponing that gives you all the fundamentals you’ll need to become a couponer.
The first step in becoming an effective couponer is getting accustomed to the lingo. Couponers use a variety of abbreviations and slang words to describe things and you’ll quickly find yourself lost if you don’t figure out what those abbreviations and slang words mean.
A few examples are as follows:
BOGO: This means buy one, get one free (or sometimes discounted). It’s most common with food items and other types of products where it makes sense to buy duplicates of something.
Q: This is shorthand for the word coupon.
Promo Code: The online version of a printed coupon. This is a code that you enter into an e-commerce site in order to receive the stated discount.
Peelie: Coupons that are essentially stickers placed on products.
>> Go here for the complete couponing dictionary.
Stacking is the backbone of all in-store couponing. The concept is relatively simple, but requires a significant amount of effort. Stacking refers to combining manufacturer coupons with sales and store coupons to get the best possible deal.
An example of this would be applying a $1 off Colgate manufacturer coupon to a 25% off dental product sale and layering on top a store-specific 25-cent off Colgate toothpaste discount to get a tube of Colgate toothpaste that would normally cost $4 for only $1.75 ($4 - $1 manufacturer coupon - 25% off store sale (also $1 in this case) - 25-cent store discount = $1.75).
>> Go here to learn more how couponers leverage stacking.
It’s simply impossible to be an effective couponer if you don’t acquire some serious organizational skills. Not only is there the matter of organizing all of your manufacturer coupons in a way that makes them easily accessible, you also must also scan and arrange the circulars and track all of mobile apps for the stores where you shop.
And that’s just for the in-store component of couponing. Online couponers have to sign up for sale alerts at their favorite stores, search sites like Dealspotr.com for promo codes, keep an eye on flash sale sites like Yugster.com and visit coupon voucher sites like Groupon .com regularly if they hope to score the best discounts.
In other words, if you don’t like to plan and organize, then it will be a challenge for you to coupon.
>> Go here to find out the best times to find online coupon codes for various types of products.
What good is saving money if you have no baseline to measure it against? A price book solves that problem. A price book consists of a list of products that you regularly buy with an assigned acceptable price next to each product. It’s a crucial part of any couponer’s toolbox.
In order to accurately create one, you’ll want to look at your receipts and compare prices and come up with a standard price that you are willing to pay for each product. You’ll then have a price goal to meet for every item, so you won’t be tempted to pay above that price unless it’s an emergency. Obviously prices can fluctuate as time goes on, so you’ll need to adjust your price book if you start noticing that your target is either too difficult or to easy to meet.
In-store couponers are notorious for eschewing online couponing, but the truth is you’ll experience the greatest discounts when you combine the two. Online couponing is very different than in-store couponing, but the basic idea is the same: To get the best possible price on an item that you want. Study which stores have the best online prices, offer the most promo codes and promote killer clearance sales.
Once you get the hang of online couponing, it can be a very powerful money-saving tool. Especially for seasonal events such as Christmas shopping, back-to-school shopping and the like.
>> Go here to learn about the different types of online discounts.
One common mistake couponing newbies make is that they get gung-ho in the beginning, only to find themselves overwhelmed and frustrated. There’s nothing wrong with being an extreme couponer, but most of us won’t fall into that category. Remember that the primary objective is to save some money and have a little fun.
If you are strapped for time and aren’t able to build a huge stockpile of discounted items or develop as sophisticated a coupon filing system as you would like, then just stick to the basics. Clip a few manufacturer coupons for products you know you’ll buy each week and stash them in your purse or wallet so you have them the next time you go in-store shopping. Quickly search Dealspotr.com for a promo code before you make you complete check out of your next online purchase. Do what works for you.
>> Go here to see the different types of promo codes.
The world’s first coupon was introduced by Coca-Cola way back in 1881. The soda conglomerate was then a struggling start-up and decided to experiment with a freebie coupon in order to boost interest in the product. The promotion worked magnificently and the rest is history.
Over the past century, coupons have grown in spurts, with usage exploding during recessions and tapering off in boom times. Knowing the evolution of coupons will help you understand how to effectively use them.
