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Clipping Services
If you have been following the deals for any amount of time now, I know you have had moments where you wished you had more of just one particular coupon. For me that moment is every time the coupon makes something that we use a lot FREE.
Here are a few tips to help you use a clipping service wisely.
- Plan your order in advance in your mind or on paper. You see the coupons that come out weekly keep track of ones that you really love and jot them down on a “shopping list”. Also check out what the deals are for the weeks ahead. This is something that I will start adding to Southern Savers to help you. If you can get everyday coupons along with coupons that will make products free in the coming month at Rite Aid, Walgreens and CVS you will maximize the amount saved in one order.
- When you go onto a site, look only at coupons that will double or are higher value. Seems like an easy thing but you will be caught up in all the savings possibilities. Remember a .50 cent coupon is much more valuable than a .65 cent coupon.
- Automatically sort the list on the page by expiration date. Unless you know that you are using the coupon for a sale that week only order coupons that will be good for a while to give you a longer chance of using them.
- Go in with a friend. i know it’s easier said than done, but set a date that you are going to order by and give a few people a chance to see if they want anything before submitting it. On coupons that require you order 5 it will help if all 5 can get used.
- Realize that every week there will always be more coupons coming out that you want. It’s a fact of life, I don’t recommend ordering every week though. The coupons will still be there, these websites have thousands of each coupon. You best bet is every 3 weeks (or longer), the coupons will still have a good life left in them until they expire and you will have a few weeks to see what you need.
If the coupons cost money doesn’t that hurt your savings?
Maybe depending on the coupon you get, but if you bought 20 coupons and a few of them helped you have an overage on a sale item you just paid for your coupons. Also if the coupon will help you get an item for .40 cents that is normally $2.50 then paying the .08 cents isn’t that bad. It really depends on you though.
What sites are out there that do this?
There are a lot! There are three that I will quickly review…
Coupons and Things by Dede – She mostly sells coupons by the entire insert. It technically comes out cheaper per coupon however there are not many weeks that I like all the coupons in an insert that much. You also have to register (free) to be able to see prices. This is a good option if you are dedicated enough to get a few inserts cut the coupons you want and sell the rest on ebay…
The Coupon Master – A lot like the next service but the website is not as easy to search. Their prices are slightly higher than others as well. The do have a lower minimum quantity of 3 for each coupon. There is a .50 cent handling fee and you pay shipping.
The Coupon Clippers – I have already mentioned before that this is my preferred service. I have ordered from them in the past and got everything in time to use it for that weeks sales. Their site is easy to search and divided by “grocery aisle”. Their coupon minimum is generally 5 of each coupon, however some you can get just 1 of. They also charge a .50 cent handling fee and you pay for shipping.
Don’t forget to check our other columns on Extreme Couponing tips.
