Couponing has evolved so much over the years. How great is it that we are offered coupons from numerous store apps that allow us to save money so easily? Digital couponing can be done with just a click of a button while using our cell phones. How much more convenient can couponing be, right?
I remember watching the Extreme Couponing show and thinking, “Wow, I want to be like this one day.” What amazed me the most were the couponers that ended their grocery trip with the store paying them cash back instead.
I can’t call myself an “Extreme Couponer” because I don’t load a huge amount of ketchup or sugar into my cart and bring it home like they did. Instead, I would put myself in the “reasonable couponing” category.
Most couponers now, prefer using digital coupons from their phone instead of all the hassle of finding paper coupons, clipping them, and organizing them. I started the old school way years ago which was paper coupons and the big, organized coupon binder that I thought was so cool. After experiencing them both, I must say that digital coupons are 100 times better.
Why Use Digital Couponing?
- Convenient
- Less time-consuming
- Apps are easy to use
Helpful Digital Couponing Terms:
My Top 4 Favorite Digital Couponing Stores:
- Dollar General
- Family Dollar
- CVS
- Walgreens
Beginner Tips for Couponing
1. Search and Follow Social Media Digital Couponing Groups & Couponing Content Creators
There are so many couponing content creators that offer scenarios weekly. Couponing content creators are literally doing the hard part and giving us the scenarios we are needing to nail the deals. All that’s needed is to like and follow their pages and study the scenarios given. Also, joining Facebook couponing groups are a great idea. These groups are what helped me learn the “coupon lingo” and different rules of couponing.
You don’t have to limit yourself to their scenarios. Creating your own scenarios according to the products you may need is totally fine also. This may sometimes take trial and error but don’t worry, you will get the hang of it. The awesome thing about store apps is that we can create our cart on the app and see if our scenario will work before going into the store.
2. Pick a Store
Now it’s time to pick your store, download your store app, and create your account. As a beginner, I recommend couponing at 1 store first since couponing can be a lot when first starting. This will allow time to learn the store policies and what type of coupons they will allow to be stacked. Once you get the hang of that store, add other stores gradually.
3. Browse for Sales
You’ll love it when you can attach a digital coupon to a store deal to save more money. What’s even better is stacking a weekly sale, store reward, coupon, and rebate all on the same item to pay close to or nothing for your item. Be mindful of store sales to gain the most savings.
4. Clip Your Coupons
First, I want to tell you what not to do. As a beginner, I used to go through my app and clip all the coupons I thought would be beneficial. Please don’t make this mistake like me. I was constantly wondering why I didn’t save as much as I wanted to on purchases and this was why.
Some stores, like Dollar General, will attach the lowest coupon amount clipped to your purchase instead of the highest. For example, you’ve clipped 2 different Febreze coupons. One is $2 off, and the other is $1 off. Most stores will use the $1 off for your purchase which is the lowest coupon. My suggestion would be to clip your coupons as you create your scenarios and make sure you’re clipping the higher-value coupon.
Be very careful when clipping your coupons and make sure you’re clipping the actual coupon that you want. Once you’ve clip a coupon, most stores will not allow you to unclip it.
5. Have a Plan
Have a plan written out and alternative options just in case you’re unable to find the merchandise you’re planning to purchase. This will save you from running around the store and ending up with the wrong items or coming up short at the register when you’re aiming to reach a certain dollar amount to be able to redeem certain coupons. Click here to purchase my Couponing Scenario Page.
6. Watch the Total Decrease
Ok, this is the good part! Now that you have managed to purchase everything you have on your list, you can now watch the dollar amount decrease. You’ll be amazed at how much you’ve saved.
Rebate Apps
I have two favorite rebate apps that I love to use. Ibotta and Fetch. Both apps are user-friendly and are effortless to gain rebates.
Ibotta
Before going into the store or completing my online order with my coupons, I always check my Ibotta app to see if any items I’m planning to purchase are listed in the Ibotta app for a rebate. Just like the digital coupon apps, you can clip the rebate offers you want.
Some stores allow you to connect your digital couponing apps to Ibotta so the hassle of scanning the receipt is not needed. They will automatically upload your rebates if your Ibotta is connected to the store app you’re using. As for stores like Walmart, if the debit card you’ve used for the purchase is loaded on your Walmart app, your rebate will automatically load.
Not only do Ibotta offer rebates for groceries, personal care, household essentials, etc. Ibotta also offers rebates for online purchases from stores such as Nike, Best Buy, Amazon, Shein, and much more. You would just need to open your Ibotta app, search for the store you wish to purchase from and select “shop” at the bottom of the screen. This will route you to the store’s website and there, you will make your purchase. Click the below link to sign up with Ibotta to start saving and to get cash back.
I think you’d like this free app I use called Ibotta to get cash back on purchases. If you sign up and get started with my referral code ‘jkcfxoh’, we’ll both get cash! Sign up at → https://ibotta.onelink.me/iUfE/1005cd3f?friend_code=jkcfxoh
Fetch:
Fetch is a receipt-scanning app that allows you to earn points towards gift cards and/or more. This mobile app also allows you to scan your email for online purchases to gain those points also. Click the below link to sign up with Fetch and earn points.
Come save money on Fetch with me! Sign up w/ code UDJFG2 & get 500 pts: https://referral.fetch.com/vvv3/referralsocial?code=UDJFG2
Include Couponing in Your Budget
I always include couponing in my budget. Although, I’m saving money, I do not want to over spend just because “there’s a coupon for it.” When completing my budget binders, I have a certain amount of funds weekly I use to coupon with for household essentials and personal care items, since these are items I like to stock up on. This not only gives me a limit but also pushes me to find the best deals possible for my items. Read more on budgeting and budget binders here.
Happy Couponing!!