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Clipping Coupons

Many of us are struggling with a tight budget with high gas costs and increasing grocery expenses. One way you can cut your costs for food, toiletries, pet care and household goods is to use coupons. While coupon clipping may take a bit of extra time, it can really pay off, especially if you are smart in how you use them. Being smart with your coupons, double coupon options, and local sales can help you save more than you might expect.

Where can you find coupons? Coupons are available online, in your Sunday newspaper, in magazines, and even in the grocery store itself. Most people who regularly use them buy a paper and may even grab extras from friends and family or swap when it is helpful.

You might also take the time to sign up for mailing lists offered by manufacturers whose products you routinely use. Food and toiletry companies regularly send out mailings including coupons for their products. In many cases, you can register online for these coupons. There are also printable coupon sites online; however, some retailers are reluctant to accept printouts. You can even buy coupons on eBay for a reasonable price.

Take advantage of double coupon offers at local stores. Some stores may even have a weekly or occasional triple coupon day or a day that offers doubled coupons with a higher face value. Take advantage of your higher value coupons when you can on these days for the best savings. Comparison shopping can help you know which stores offer the best deals on which items. In some cases, buying smaller sizes with your coupons can be more cost effective.

One of the smartest ways to use coupons is to save them and combine them with local store sales. While you can do the footwork on this yourself, comparing your coupon file folder to the sales flyers from your stores, it is time consuming. Fortunately, services do exist that do this hard work for you. The Grocery Game at grocerygame.com is one of these. For a low fee, this service will help you match up the best deals in your area with available coupons.

Combining coupons and sales is an easier process than you might think. If your local retailer has a loss leader sale on an item, say ketchup and you have a coupon for that item, you may be able to purchase the item for less than you would expect. In some cases, you might even be able to buy items for next to nothing. Consider picking up items that you can buy for just a few pennies to donate to a local shelter or food pantry.