Extreme Couponing Made Easy: Apps, Store Policies & More

If the idea of extreme couponing, or just couponing in general, causes you to break out in hives, you’re not alone.

Like you, I once feared anything and everything that had to do with coupons.

I thought it would be too confusing and time consuming- plus, I figured I wouldn’t save all that much.

Luckily, a good friend proved me wrong and now I’m here to pass what I’ve learned along to you to help you save this holiday season and beyond.

Fact is, using coupons, on top of all the holidays sales, can really help you get the most for your money and get what you need for a lot less – and it’s NOT hard at all.

Below, you’ll find couponing tips on where to save the most, apps to make finding coupons easy, and links to store policies.

Happy Savings!!

Finding Coupons:

As you know, your daily and weekly paper have tons of coupons to clip.

In fact, many Sunday papers come packed with manufacturer’s coupons and circulars for major retail stores.

Taking a half hour to pick out the ones you want is really worth it and will boost savings.

In addition, there are online sites devoted to coupon codes. My recommendation is for RetailMeNot or Valpak.

Both sites let you search by a specific item to save time or browse the codes they have available.

RetailMeNot is great for clothing and accessories, while Valpak has codes for everything, from flowers and phones to clothes and food.

Finally, if you shop at specific stores, like Target, Macy’s, etc. then sign up for email alerts: they will send you coupons and let you know when sales are happening.

Using Coupons:

Okay, now that you’ve got your coupons, let’s make the most of them:

• Stack Your Coupons: Stacking means combining a manufacturer’s coupon with a store one for twice the savings. Some stores have strict policies on this, so check first; You’ll find a list of stores, with links to their policies below.

• Use Price Check: There are apps not just for finding coupons, but ones that will compare prices for you while your shopping.

The one down side is some retailers try to thwart comparison shopping, so there will be instances when an item won’t scan.

However, for the most part, these apps can be effective and save you time and money. Here are the top apps:

Google Shop will tell you where the item is available a lower price when you scan and can even find products just by you taking a picture of it.

Price Check by Amazon lets shoppers compare products to Amazon’s prices by scanning a bar code, snapping a pic or typing in a product name.

• Sign-up for savings:

For some, signing up for certain services or memberships can really increase savings.

For Amazon users, by signing up for their Subscribe & Save service, combined with their Amazon coupons, you can save double the usual prices.

Subscribe and Save lets you save 15% on Amazon and Amazon Marketplace and comes with free shipping.

Just sign-up to have the items of your choosing delivered monthly or in increments of 1-6 months (like every 2 months or once every 6 months.

You can cancel at any time and there is no fee to sign-up.

Store Policies:

Here, you’ll find a list of many of the major retailer’s policies, along with their links. Those with an asterisk accept manufacturer’s and store coupons together.

You should print out a copy to take with you when shopping in case there is a dispute on any issue.

*Walmart (scroll down their page to see coupon policies)