You Can Save Money With Manufacturer Coupons

Clipping coupons you say? Ugh, how boring. Well, not for everyone. One Edmonton mother of three reported shaving off eighty dollars from her most recent grocery bill. By way of using coupons she found in the newspaper, through direct mail, and others she printed off of the internet, her most recent trip to the supermarket only cost her $67.03. With that, her Dodge Caravan was filled up with enough groceries to last the family about ten days. Consumers all across Canada and the U.S. are saving money because they took a little extra time to clip coupons and use them on their shopping excursions. How about you? Are you game?

Coupons have been around for generations now as a means for leading manufacturers such as Kellogg's, Procter and Gamble, Colgate Palmolive, and others to get you to try their products. Figuring that you would likely continue to buy their products, companies would entice consumers with "cents off" coupons to sweeten the deal.

Over the years, consumers have grown very savvy when it comes to coupon collecting. Clubs have formed where homemakers have gotten together to trade coupons and web forums have been designed expressly for the same thing.

You can save money with coupons by knowing certain rules before redeeming them:

Coupons are redeemable only for the face value. Don't expect the manufacturer to change the value of a coupon; it is what it is.

Supermarkets have gotten into the coupon game by offering to double or even triple the coupon's face value. The manufacturer still pays the face value, but the match is paid by the supermarket. Restrictions usually apply meaning that you cannot double a coupon worth more than one dollar and some coupons are not eligible for a match including those for tobacco and alcohol products.

Check the expiration date on the coupon. Some have them, others do not. Don't try to push an expired coupon past the cashier or you could be in deep trouble!

Some coupons can be used for competing products. If the store says that competitor coupons are accepted then bring those coupons in to see what sort of discount is offered to you. Chances are you'll save something even if the store isn't currently running coupons on their own.

Yes, coupons can save you money off of high priced, manufacturer items. Play the game right and you could double or triple your way to receiving items which are free too!