You may have heard of “extreme couponing.” Extreme couponers go to the store, fill their carts with hundreds of dollars worth of groceries and save up to around 80% at checkout. For example, let’s say there’s $150 in groceries in the cart. Some extreme couponers can leave the store just paying around $30. These results are not typical, of course, but there are ways to make the time and effort of hunting and clipping coupons more than worth it.
Websites like coupons.com are a great place to look. Much of the searching has been done for you. You just have to roam the site for the savings you want. As with all couponing, the effects are cumulative. Saving a small amount here and there can really add up.
Timing the use of manufacturer’s coupons with store sales is a great way to save money. Say a store is selling salad dressing for $2.99, you have a coupon for a dollar off that dressing, and the store puts it on sale for $1.99. You just saved over 60%. This takes time and patience, but it’s worth it. In rare cases the combination of the coupon savings and sale price can put the item price into the negative – meaning, the store gives you money for buying something. Combining manufacturer’s coupons with store coupons (perhaps with store sales) will save even more.
Get a few Sunday papers for the coupons, hit sites like coupons.com, and shop when there are good sales. Combine all these and try not to giggle like a fool when you save well over half the price of what you buy.
