Think you’re good at couponing? Maybe you’ve got a system down and you feel like you’re really saving money using coupons. Here’s the thing – I can guarantee you that you’re doing something wrong.
This post is all about the 5 coupon mistakes you’re (probably) making. You may not be making all of them, but these coupon pitfalls are so common, it’s likely you’re already deep in at least one of them.
1. You’re Buying More Than You Need (Because Coupons!)
I’ve seen it happen too many times not to comment on it right up top in this post. You don’t have to use every coupon you find. This is even true for those really great once-in-a-lifetime coupon finds that offer deals you’ll never see again.
Buying more stuff than you need just because you have a coupon for it is a great way to wipe out your coupon savings in a single purchase. Also, you’ll stuff your cabinets and storage spaces with stuff that is less likely to get used anyway.
Adequate storage is crucial to successful couponing, so don’t stock up on stuff you don’t think you’ll use.
2. You’re Ignoring the Fine Print
The people who create coupons use a lot of the same tactics as advertisers. That includes a confusing or misleading “headline” that’s explained better in fine print. Terms and conditions of coupons vary so much that it’s hard to make any sweeping statement about them, other than “you should read them.”
You don’t have to be an extreme couponer to understand that fine print is an important part of a coupon transaction.
Coupons often apply to specific products, or specific numbers of products. You may be shopping for a travel size toothpaste with a coupon that excludes travel size items.
Save yourself the frustration and added expense of failed couponing attempts by reading the fine print as if it were holy scripture.
3. You Haven’t Embraced New Technology
I say “technology,” but really I’m talking about apps.
Between couponing apps and store-specific or branded apps, your phone is going to basically need an entire folder called “Coupons” or something just to keep it all straight.
If you aren’t using apps to expand your coupon savings and make your couponing life easier, you’re missing out on a ton of potential savings and convenience.
Lots of stores let you link your frequent shopper card or rewards card to your app or virtual store wallet, which streamlines the whole process and gives you another avenue to hunt for deals.
Thanks to geolocation, you can find site-specific coupons or bargains, provided you have all the necessary tech running and your phone is broadcasting the necessary data to the store.
4. You’re Screwing Up the Timing
It’s not just about avoiding expired coupons – timing is important when you use coupons altogether.
The most basic example of how to use timing to your advantage – saving a grocery coupon for use when an item is already on sale. These days, you can almost always stack a sale price and a coupon and save even more money.
You can also use timing to decide when not to use a coupon. This happens to our family a lot at the grocery store. What we do is check the store brand cost of an item (per ounce) against the final coupon sale price of the name brand item we were going to buy. If we can save more on the store brand, we sometimes do that and save the coupon for use at a later date.
5. You’re Shopping in the Coupon Pages
It’s easy to get a little too into couponing. You can go too far in the direction of an obsession with savings and end up outspending your own thriftiness.
A big mistake I see people making is shopping by looking through coupon offers. I think this is the wrong way to do it.
Here’s what we do when it comes to groceries,
First, we make our menu for the week. Next, we check the pantries and cold storage to find out what we don’t have. At that point, we have a grocery list. Next, we break out the coupon box. We match our list to the coupons we have. If need be, we go coupon-hunting to fill in the gaps.
If you do it the other way, by looking through your coupons to decide what to shop for, you’re putting yourself at risk of buying the wrong groceries. Not to mention you’re ripping through your coupon stock at a faster pace than you should.
Conclusion
Using coupons to save on things you buy is a good thing, nobody can deny that. However, the couponing mistakes in this post may do you more harm than good.
Check your couponing behavior, look out for the mistakes identified here, and save with confidence.