Knowing how to review how to use coupons, where to find them, their limitations as well as shopping in an ethical way and staying away from fraudulent coupons.
Whether you are new to clipping coupons or have not done so in a long time, this information is important to know.
Whether you want to save on large purchases or daily buys, couponing is a great way to save money. The savings that coupons provide can substantial despite the amount of time it takes to clip them.
Coupons can have many features on them and will specify several things about the coupon.
How to Get Started with Coupons
If this is your first time couponing, you may be wondering where to begin, and what better place to start than the definition.
A coupon is a voucher that gives a discount towards a specific product or will offer you a free additional product with your purchase.
Clipping coupons can be an extra step, but it is worth it if you are trying to save. Despite the benefits, it is important to remember that if the discounts on the coupon are more than the value of a certain product, they will reduce the value of the coupon.
It is possible to receive free products but whatever money is left will not go towards other potential purchases.
There are, however, stores that allow the excess coupon value to be applied to the overall purchase.
How to Read A Coupon
Each coupon will have key pieces of information that can show you how the coupon can be used. Here is the important information you can find:
- How much you can save by using the coupon
- The expiration date of the coupon
- Barcodes that can be scanned or manually entered
- Coupon limitations
- The image of the product the coupon is for
- Description of the product and the quantity needed to redeem the coupon
A coupon shown as a manufacturer’s coupon are acceptable in any place where coupons are accepted. There are several stores that have coupons made only for those particular store or store.
Your coupon will state whether this is the case or not. Coupons from stores also typically come with a barcode that begins with the number four.
Within one of the four corners of the coupon will be the expiration date. It is only possible to use the coupon up until the date that it says on itself.
If you try to use the coupon even a day after, the coupon will still not work at the checkout.
Next is the product description and photo which displays the product the coupon will be used for.
Read product descriptions carefully since the coupons can specify small details such as colors, flavors and other details.
Also make sure that the product is the same as the one of the coupons before going to checkout.
Another detail that coupons may have is that they can sometimes require you to purchase more than one product to redeem the coupon. One example is when the coupon advertises for “buy two, get one free.”
Some coupons will state the amount of money you can save on them. As stated before, it might not be a possibility to put the excess savings towards the other purchases, but it will depend on the store you are shopping at.
There are times when coupons will include limitations and these restrictions can be found on the coupon in small print.
Different limitations can be placed on a coupon, however, and the most common is that you can only use one coupon per product for the product you would like to purchase.
The barcode on the coupon can carry two pieces of information, the barcode number and the barcode itself.
The barcode itself is for the convenience of scanning it, but when that does not work, you can use the number under the barcode.
Learn About Finding Coupons to Save
Several places contain coupons such as magazines, newspapers, local grocers and of course on the internet.
One of the simplest ways to get coupons is to register to have your Sunday newspaper sent to your home every week.
Newspapers are a good way to get coupons since they will have plenty of inserts with coupons and they are a reliable source. They are more likely to not have fraudulent or invalid coupons.
Magazines are also a good source for coupons and will be shown in them as advertisements. If you already have a magazine subscription, it will prove advantageous in your search for coupons.
Remember that some ads are store-specific or company-specific, so read the coupon thoroughly. You can also subscribe to the mailing list directly from the manufacturer.
The coupons from the manufacturer will help in avoiding fraudulent and there can be offers for free products with a manufacturer’s subscription.
Online coupons are another simple way to get coupons and they have a several of them for a plethora of products. It is important to note that some websites are not reputable because some sell invalid coupons.
How to Avoid Coupon Fraud
It is important to shop ethically when using coupons. For instance, copied coupons are usually not accepted at checkout and the attempts to copy will appear on the coupon itself.
Companies keep track of this limit how many times you can get more coupons by locating your IP address.
It is possible to come across fraudulent coupons and you should be wary of them, and this includes copied coupons. Make sure that your coupons are coming from a reliable source.
In order to remain ethical in your couponing, remember to use the coupon for what it says it is for. Sometimes they display very specific details of the product such as the brand, the ounces and or the type of products you can use with the coupon.
Coupons will only work if the product matches the description in the coupon. Another important detail is to look at the expiration date, otherwise, you will mistakenly be using an invalid coupon.
