You may have heard of ‘Extreme Couponing’: it’s the craze that has swept America and even has a popular TV show dedicated to it. These people use coupons, or what we call vouchers here in the UK, to significantly decrease their shopping bills. Sometimes the stores even end up owing them money! Whilst you may not have time to become an ‘extreme couponer’, you can still use vouchers to save some cash. We look at the best ways to introduce vouchers into your life.
Online
A great place to source vouchers is online. Sometimes they only work on the company websites, but you simply apply the discount code at the checkout stage. VoucherCodes has hundreds of different offers every day. You can even search if you have a particular retailer in mind. They also have vouchers you can print off for in-store purchases. Restaurants are particularly popular.
Groupon and Living Social also offer lots of vouchers. You can tailor these so that you receive notifications on relevant offers straight to your email address. These sites are useful if you’re looking for events or social deals such as spa days and afternoon teas. However, they also provide vouchers for discounted goods, food and even holidays.
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Magazines
Supermarkets have monthly magazines which contain coupons on featured products. Some newspapers, including free ones like Metro, often have vouchers for fast food restaurants and supermarkets, too. Taking the time to find vouchers like this won’t cost you a penny but will save you many! Voucher expert Jordan Cox advises ‘As they are free, pick up more than one. If the coupons are useful to you, you can get the items at a discounted price every week you shop.’
Manufacturers
You may be surprised to hear that companies will sometimes give you coupons if you give them feedback. Whether your opinion is good or bad, it will help them with market research. They will usually reward your efforts with some sort of voucher. Put your imagination into this. Companies love it when you give a thorough review and including something different like a picture or poem is sure to get their attention.
Some companies also have monthly competitions in which they will offer free products or vouchers. It’s worth entering these, as often it only requires a comment or retweet. If there are certain companies that you use a lot, follow them on social media to get the latest updates. That way you’ll be in the prime position for any freebies or giveaways.
Related: 20 Stress-Free Ways To Save Money In Your Home
Top tips for using coupons
Now that you know where to find the coupons, it’s time to think about using them.
Check the terms and conditions
All vouchers will have T&Cs attached. Make sure to check whether you can use one voucher per item, or one item per transaction. If you can only use one per transaction, simply purchase the item in different transactions. Problem solved!
Don’t buy unnecessary items
There’s no point purchasing something you can’t use. The idea of using vouchers is to save money, so buying a product that you don’t need just defeats the object. Don’t be tempted to buy something just because it’s a bargain. Unless you’re planning on donating it to someone else, or a food bank.
Stockpile non-perishable items
If there’s a certain product you’ll definitely need in future, like cleaning products or pasta, don’t be afraid to buy in bulk. Providing you have the space, you can use these items as and when they run out. It will be a great investment in the long run, especially if you save money on them.
What are your tips on using vouchers? Let us know in the comments!
