Maybe the savings on TLC’s Extreme Couponing are very time consuming and difficult to reach, but you can follow these easy tips to become a college coupon queen.
The Sunday circular is the first place to start. Newspapers like the Centre Daily Times are stacked with savings on Sundays. Between the flyers and funnies, there are SmartSource and RedPlum booklets with tons of deals. Every few weeks, Proctor & Gamble also has a flyer with discounts ranging from 25 cents to $3 off products like Venus razors and CoverGirl cosmetics.
If there’s not a coupon for an item in the papers, check online. Some brands have exclusive offers on Facebook, accessible once “like” is clicked. Other websites like Allyou.com and RedPlum.com are dedicated to saving you money with over 100 printable coupons. Stores such as Target also have online coupons that can combine with manufacturer coupons for twice the savings.
Looking at weekly savings ads for grocery stores and searching for coupons online or in the newspaper can really pay off. A 75-cent-off Target clipping from coupons.target.com for Dulce de Leche Cheerios can combine with the Allyou.com coupon for the same item for a savings of $1.50! Weis and other local grocery stores offer an automatic doubling of coupons with a manufacturer’s coupon (up to $1).
Coupons are often friendly, but watch out for expiration dates. Some coupons can be redeemed months later while others expire within weeks. Some coupons are also tricky when it comes to quantity too. Often times, they say something like, “Buy three and save $1.” These are good when stocking up on a certain food, but not when wanting to purchase only one of those items. So when there’s a coupon to save $1 on one item, instead of on four, it’s a keeper.
Sometimes coupons are placed right on or near the item in the grocery store! They’re sometimes tricky though and blend into the packaging, so look for them before choosing the product.
So get out the scissors and start clipping — or clicking!
Photo by Nina Abbott
