Between the food, the cleaning supplies, the appliances, the electricity, the gas, the water and the eating utensils; the kitchen is a money pit of sorts. It doesn’t have to be that way, however. There are a variety of techniques you can use to save a significant amount of money on kitchen expenses.
We have scoured the blogosphere and discovered the top 10 frugal kitchen hacks. Follow these tips and watch as your kitchen costs quickly diminish.
Learn the Lingo
Do you know what the acronym OYNO stands for? What about the abbreviation Exp.? How about the terms Hang Tag or Tearpad? What about the slang words peelie and blinkie? Extreme couponers have developed an entire language all to themselves and the first step in becoming an extreme couponer is to understand their vocabulary. It can appear daunting at first, but there’s no reason to be intimidated. As Jeni from The Binder Ladies says, “Don’t worry! You’ll get used to it, quickly!”
Study Coupon Policies Carefully
Extreme couponers are not typically associated with lawyers, but there is at least one talent that each have in common: The skill to parse through complex documents. A major part of being a successful extreme couponer is that ability to examine each store’s coupon policy (and each individual coupon’s terms for that matter) and determining what is allowed. It can be tedious at times, but it really pays off in the long run. As Sarah from Money Saving Queen notes, “Once you learn the store policy, you can master money saving techniques at that particular store.”
Get Organized
It’s darn near impossible to effectively extreme coupon if you aren’t organized. In fact, nothing will doom a beginner more than a lack of proper planning. There are just so many facets to extreme couponing that you need to have a very focused approach. That said, the way you choose to organize your coupons is completely up to you. There is no right or wrong method and the trick is devising a system with which you feel comfortable. As Debbi from Not Full Prices says, “Organization is the key to maximizing savings from couponing.”
Always Be on Alert
The newspaper remains an excellent place to find manufacturer coupons, but the fact is coupons are everywhere. You can find them online at sites like Dealspotr, you can find them in the mail, you can find them on boxes or packaging, you can find them on the back of receipts, heck you can even find them on bottle caps. If you aren’t keeping an eye out for them, you might just miss one that could be spectacular. As Michele from The Coupon Wizards points out, “Once you start looking around, you’ll be amazed at all the places coupons pop up!”
Figure Out the Sales Cycles
When you can spot an item that has already been marked down considerably and get an even bigger discount on it with a coupon (or multiple coupons if allowed), then you are officially approaching the realm of extreme couponing. The key to making this work is to learn each particular store’s sale cycle. Once you have that down, you can start projecting when and how long each sale will last. As Lmarfoe from Savvy Coupon Shopper writes, “Be a savvy shopper & start following sales cycles & start putting more money in YOUR pocket!”
Start Stacking
Any legitimate extreme couponer is a master at stacking. To put it simply, stacking is the art of combining manufacturer coupons, online coupons, mobile coupons, app coupons, cash back rebates, store promotions and loyalty program discounts to get the absolute best possible price. If you want further information, check out our guide to stacking. Some stores limit or even prohibit stacking, but there are plenty that permit the practice. As Ashleigh from Dash of Evans succinctly puts it, stacking “creates extra savings, even free items!”
Seek Out Overages
Unfortunately, there are very few stores that still allow overages. On the bright side, one of the few that does is Walmart, which is pretty much everywhere. At this point, you might be wondering what the heck is overage. Well, it’s quite simple. Overage occurs when a coupon is more valuable than the product itself. For example, if you have a $1 coupon for toothpaste and the toothpaste is on sale for $0.75 then the overage would be a quarter. As Jen from Thrifty Nomads explains, “That means you are either owed money in cash from the grocer, or get credit towards your current bill. Sweet!”
Patience is a Virtue
Extreme couponing takes time to master and even the most experienced extreme couponers sometimes make mistakes. In order to really get the most out of it, you must remain patient. Deciphering coupon policies, learning how to stack, figuring out the right organizational system … all of these things can only be accomplished with lots of practice and an understanding that it won’t happen overnight. If it was easy, everyone would do it, right? As San Antonio Coupon Dad remarks, “It will take a little time to realize the full potential savings.”
Establish a Goal
The entire process of extreme couponing can quickly become tiresome if you don’t have a clear objective in mind. And just a nebulous concept that you’d like to save a few bucks won’t be enough. There needs to be an obvious motivation or else the effort won’t feel worth the hassle. It might help to keep a log of all the money you are saving as inspiration for those times that you are tempted to quit. Jenny from Southern Savers also recommends, “Don’t focus on the number at the bottom of the receipt but focus on whether you are accomplishing your purpose for saving.”
Be Cool
There are tons of things that can happen when extreme couponing that make you pull your hair out. You could encounter a clueless cashier that gives you problems at the register. You could get confronted by an anxious customer that wants you to hurry up. You could lose a coupon you were counting on. You could forget a coupon you planned on using. The list goes on and on. What’s most important, though, is not giving up. As Tina from Free Stuff Finder says, “While these experiences will feel discouraging, frustrating and even painful. Know that this is normal.”
