How to Shop Effectively Using Coupons
April 1, 2010 | In: Personal Finance
Using coupons is one good way of keeping your expenses low. But to use coupons effectively, you need to be organized about it as well.
Prepare a multi-pocket envelope or folder, some paper clips, for this one and some sticky notes as well.
Gather all the coupons you have. Cut them neatly from the newspaper or magazine. Next you do the sorting.
Sort them by type – for food, clothing, schoool supplies, etc. You may even break them down into more specific types such as bread, meat, dairy, etc.
Put them in their respective groups. Next, sort your coupons by expiration date so you’ll know which ones to use first. So you will end up with a stack of coupons for meat with the coupon that will expire the soonest on top of the pile.
Use paperclips to hold them together. Place each stack of coupon in a pocket of the envelope or folder. Label the pocket with a sticky note.
Before you go shopping, create a list and see which coupons you can use. Mark the items on your list with a symbol to indicate that that item has a coupon.
Take the coupons you will need to bring from their respective stacks and hold the ones you’ll be using together with a paper clip. Don’t forget to bring the list and the coupons with you when you go shopping.
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