Clipping coupons can create thrills and excitement just thinking about all of the savings—the dollars off—the cool stuff you'll be able to buy with them. The truth of the matter is when utilizing coupons, the real savings only begins if you already use that particular brand, or if you would like to try that item.

It would be wise to compare with generic and store brands to decide if the savings are worth it. It is not really savings if the purchase is made with a coupon just to get a good deal unless you plan to use the product.

If coupons are used wisely, they can shave quite a bit off of a grocery budget—the trick is learning to make them work for you and not falling into the traps of hidden costs set by marketers.

Research

Learn if and when stores in your area offer double and triple off of the value of coupons regularly, or on certain days of the week—giving you the opportunity of doubling or tripling the savings off of products. You can even take it to a higher level of savings if you have a rebate for the item.

Track

Tracking prices of items that you regularly purchase gives you the advantage of knowing when you are getting a real bargain. If you have a coupon for that item, that can offer significant savings off the already low price. You may even find the item costs nearly nothing, or free in some cases.

Organize

Organize your coupons in the order of the items location in the store with the coupon that expires the soonest on top. By organizing the coupons, you will be able to find exactly the one you need as you travel through the market.

Gather

Developing a strategy for obtaining coupons can be a simple task, or you can take it to an extreme level if you are able to find like-minded individuals with whom to share and swap coupons.

Here are a few different places and ideas for gathering coupons:

• Regular Sunday newspapers;
• Trading with a network of family, friends, neighbors, church members and coworkers;
• Host a coupon trading party;
  
• *Online Resources.
  

Purge

Set aside some time to go through and purge them every so often. Dedicating even a few minutes once-a-month is a relatively simple task—then discard any coupons that are expired; therefore, helping to keep your coupon stash organized and up-to-date.

Buyer Beware

No question about it, coupons can save a great deal of money on groceries if used wisely. However, do not be fooled into purchasing more expensive items that you would not normally buy—just because you have a coupon for it.

Switching brands may not be cost effective even if you save money initially. If you or your family does not like the new product, it may sit there unused—therefore wasting money.

Always check the price of generic or store brands to compare prices before using a coupon for name brands. These products are sometime less expensive than the product with the coupon.

Consider the nutritional value of the product being purchased. Many of the coupons that are offered by manufacturers are for processed foods that have extremely low nutritional value.

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