A Thrilling Guide to Couponing in 2024

If you want to make sure that you always have the best deals when shopping, you need to go over our guide to couponing! We’ll tell you everything you need to know about how to coupon, the best ways to organize your collections, and where to get the best discounts!

Ever since the start of the pandemic, Americans have been redeeming more and more coupons. As the demand for good deals grew, so did the number of coupons available. With our tips, you can save so much money on food and other items and make every shopping experience an exciting challenge!

How to Coupon

Couponing can be a fun and thrilling experience if done right. Today, we’ll help you understand how to coupon and make you familiar with the best ways to organize your filing system. In addition, you’ll learn where to find the best coupons and what to keep in mind to take full advantage of the best deals that will help you quickly save money when on a budget.

1. What Is Couponing?

Coupons are discounts in paper or digital form that manufacturers or stores offer to customers. The act of couponing is the process of customers finding those coupons, collecting them, and then redeeming them at stores to get better deals.

2. How Do Coupons Work?

Coupons are discounts that allow stores or manufacturers to promote their companies or products. At the same time, these coupons help customers save some money while shopping, both online and in-store. They often contain a barcode the cashier has to scan in order to redeem them. Coupons come with certain rules and conditions and have an expiration date you’ll need to be mindful of.

3. How to Start Couponing

Couponing doesn’t have to be a regular activity for you. You can start slow and dedicate more time to it when you learn the ropes. For starters, you could go through the Sunday newspaper and your favorite magazines to check whether there are any coupons to clip. Moreover, estimations show that 80% of online coupons will be redeemed through mobile devices in 2022. 

In addition, a good tip for couponing for beginners is to browse through websites of companies that produce items you frequently need. You could also sign up for brands’ newsletters, as they frequently send out amazing discount codes to loyal customers. It’s wise to have some kind of a case or a binder to put your coupons in, for better organization. This will make it easier for you to find them when needed.

4. How to Become a Couponer

Anyone can become a couponer with little effort! A good idea is to go through your favorite newspaper to look for discounts on select products and start your collection. Then, you can look for coupons in various stores’ magazines and manufacturers’ websites. Today, it’s extremely easy to find great discounts in a few simple clicks. For example, you can Google products you frequently buy to check whether there are any coupons for them online.

As we mentioned in our beginner’s guide to couponing, organization is the key to everything, and couponing is no different. You should buy a case or a binder and start filling it with coupons you find. You can organize them based on dates or stores they can be redeemed at.

Other important aspects to consider are the terms and conditions of each coupon. Some can be used in multiple stores, while others are only available at select locations. 

What’s more, one of the best tips on couponing is to learn how to combine coupons and fulfill the criteria on them more easily. Some types of coupons are only redeemable once you meet certain criteria. By examining the rules of the coupons you clip, you’ll be able to plan your purchases ahead and get the best deals possible.

5. How to Become an Extreme Couponer

If you thought that couponing is intense, extreme couponing is on a whole other level! While the process of collecting discounts is basically the same, extreme couponers have much better systems in place. As a result, they tend to leave a store with a $0 grocery bill.

As mentioned, the process of extreme couponing for beginners is the same as with casual couponing. You find coupons, clip them, organize them in a binder, and go shopping. An extreme couponer, however, plans their purchases way ahead and frequently visits multiple stores on the same day to ensure that every coupon is used.

Moreover, they have a bigger list of places they look for coupons. Among the best extreme couponing tips is to subscribe to various newsletters and magazines that frequently offer discount codes and coupons to readers. That way, you’ll have coupons arriving at your virtual doorstep. You’ll just need to clip them and add them to your collection.

If you’re interested in becoming an extreme couponer, you should know that it takes time to reach that kind of level of dedication. Furthermore, you should be prepared to make every shopping spree a challenge that you’ll have to plan for weeks ahead.

6. How to Find Coupons

We’ve already given you great ideas on where to look for coupons. Sunday newspapers are famous for having a lot of discounts you can clip for your collection. In this guide, you will learn where you can get free newspapers. In addition, popular magazines frequently feature excellent coupons. You can also visit nearby stores and check whether they have special store magazines that often contain information on discounts and popular coupons.

Another type of coupons are the manufacturer’s coupons. They are the discounts a manufacturer comes out with, and they can usually be used in different stores. If you really want to learn how to coupon for beginners and commit to the lifestyle, you should be open to contacting manufacturers, going through lots of magazines, or looking for them online. Many people also subscribe to companies’ newsletters, as they regularly send fantastic coupons to their loyal customers via email.

Moreover, coupons can be found on popular coupon websites. Sites like coupons.com are there to connect customers to amazing discounts in just a few simple clicks. In addition, you can download coupon apps for even better deals. The most popular couponing apps include Dosh, Honey, and Ibotta.

7. How to Organize Coupons

If you’ve been reading this article carefully, you already know that organization is essential when it comes to coupons. Once you reach a certain level of expertise on the matter, you can expect to have dozens of coupons in your collection at all times. Those coupons will have different expiration dates and conditions and will be usable in various stores. That’s why every guide to extreme couponing will advise you to create some kind of a filing system to keep track of all of them.

Your filing system has to work for you. Thus, it’s better to create it depending on your needs and the stores you frequently visit. Some couponers organize their clip-outs based on their dates or categories, while others prefer to differentiate between the stores they can use their discounts in. Regardless of the filing system you choose, you’ll need to stick to it to make the process easier.

Buying a binder or a box for your coupons is one of the most useful couponing tips for beginners who are seriously considering getting into the activity. If you have a lot of digital coupons, you can create your own coupon replacements to put into your box or binder. That way, you won’t forget about coupons you found online when it’s time to create your shopping list. Lastly, you should regularly go though your collection to remove any expired coupons and avoid piling up unusable discounts.

Your Guide to Extreme Couponing 2024: Final Thoughts

About 88% of American customers used coupons when shopping in 2020. It’s easy to find a few good deals and make the most of them. What can be challenging is to actually commit to the task fully and save hundreds of dollars each month, which is what many extreme couponers manage to do. With the help of our guide, you’ll be able to join this exclusive club and even go on a shopping spree for free!