How to Use Coupons to Save Money Online

Updated: December 25, 2014

Have you seen the show Extreme Couponing?

I’ve chanced upon that television series a couple of times in the past and I must say that I’m envious at how much some Americans can save just by hunting and saving coupons from magazines, newspapers and even websites.

I’m envious because the bargains they get are ridiculous!

In one of the episodes I saw, which I think was the series premier, a woman from Maryland used a huge stack of coupons, and spent only $100 to bring home around $2,000 worth of groceries.

She may not be able to use everything she bought, but I know she can sell them to her neighbors to earn some pretty good extra cash.

Unfortunately, couponing is not really very popular in the country, and the closest that we have to that culture are the daily deal or group buying sites – which nevertheless, provides great bargains for us Filipinos.

In any case, I’d like to share with you today a guest post from one of my American readers, Josephine, who took the time to give us some tips on how to use coupons to save money online.

It’s a short and simple article, but otherwise very helpful for all of us who would like to save some extra cash every now and then. Let’s now read her article below:

Because of the sheer size of the Internet, you will find thousands of different online stores in heated competition with one another. And as a consumer, you benefit from this competition directly.

In order to entice your money-saving sensibilities, especially in a harsh economy, many of these stores online are offering huge savings by way of coupon codes and other discounts – and you only need to know how to spot them.

There’s always a great coupon you can use for any occasion, so let’s go over a few solid ways to seek out the best deals online.

One – Choosing the Right Location
Just because you can find a good coupon doesn’t turn a bad store into a good one. For instance, if the store you’re choosing has inflated prices already, no coupon is going to make a difference.

You should always aim for reputable vendors online. In the Philippines, you can take Ensogo as an example. Recently, the company has been purchased by one of the most reputable deal-driven businesses online, LivingSocial, Ensogo offers up discounts on everything from food and makeup to cameras and handbags.

Two – Doing the Research
If you’re not sure about the savings you’ll experience by shopping with an online retailer, then bring up a competitor in another tab. Research the stores side by side and see which site is offering you the better deals.

After that, you can then look at a solid coupon site to see how much money you can save overall. It might take a few minutes extra compared to your old shopping routine, but the money you save will more than make up for the extra time spent.

Three – Purchasing what you Need
You know in today’s economy that it’s important to live within your means, but it’s also important that you’re only shopping for things you really need.

Just because you have a few extra coins laying around the house doesn’t mean that you have to spend them. Save that money and stick to purchasing things that you need and that will benefit you.

It’s not a long list of tips to follow; there are only a few rules you need to keep in mind when hunting for discounts.

Remember to pick the right retailer, find the best coupon for the job, and only purchase what you need. If you can do these three simple things, you can save a lot of money every time you make an online purchase.

This guest post is written by Josephine Hefferman. She is a housewife and a personal finance enthusiast from Dallas.

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Photo credit: polycart