24 Aug

Written by Kathryn Vercillo on August 24, 2009

Using a coupon code is going to save you money. It automatically reduces the price of the item that you’re buying at checkout when you’re shopping online. However, there are things that you can do to save even more money with coupon codes than what you save simply by entering a single voucher code into the purchase screen on your computer.

Here are 20 tips for saving even more money with coupon codes:

1. Get good at math. The most important thing that you need to do if you want to save the maximum amount of money with coupon codes is to improve your math skills. This is true for using any coupons. With good math skills, you can compare vastly different savings options on similar products to make sure that you get the best deal. For example, if you have a coupon for 10% off a small bottle of laundry detergent and another coupon code for a buy one get one free offer on a larger bottle of laundry detergent then you need to be able to do the math to determine which is the better deal. Practice your skills here.

2. Get clear about the different types of discounts you can get with coupon codes. It’s also important to simply make sure that you understand the different types of coupon codes out there. These include percentage off coupon codes, free item coupon codes and a specific amount reduced from the final price of the item. Knowing what your options are will help you to make better use of coupon codes so that you can save more money.

3. Make sure to get free shipping. You can almost always find a coupon code for free shipping from any store. This boosts the total savings of any item that you buy using an online coupon code. Learn more about how to save money on shipping and handling.

4. Budget. If you’re not already skilled at budgeting then this is something that you need to learn. This helps you to commit to finding the coupon codes that you need to get the items that you want without extending yourself beyond your financial limits.

5. Shop outside of the season. There are coupon codes available all year long. However, you’ll find that a lot of the best coupon codes are available during the off season for items as a way to entice buyers to get these products even though it’s not the season for them. So, look for Christmas holiday coupon codes in January or for summer travel coupon codes in September.

6. Become familiar with the trends at your favorite stores. There are probably some online stores that you shop at regularly. Get to know their coupon code patterns. When do they release new coupon codes? What types of codes do they release most often? Recognizing these trends can help you learn how to buy your staple items during the times when the coupon codes are best for that store.

7. But don’t become too attached to one store over another. Even though you should get familiar with a store’s coupon code trends, you shouldn’t stick to just one store for your shopping. Being willing to shop around is going to go a long way towards helping you to get the best coupon code deals available.

8. Try to use more than one coupon code. Some websites and retailers will allow you to enter more than one coupon code in order to get a better savings. This isn’t always true. Just like with printed coupons, they sometimes say “not good with any other offer”. Still, it’s worth a shot.

9. Look for the deal before you look for the code. Many people look for coupon codes first and then make their purchases based on the codes that they find. Instead, you should look for a good deal on the item that you need and then look for a coupon code afterwards. For example, let’s say that you need a new shower curtain. First, check your favorite stores for the most affordable shower curtain. When you choose one, find a coupon code for that store. This helps narrow down your shopping decisions and maximize your coupon savings.

10. Subscribe to RSS feeds for your favorite coupon code websites. This allows you to easily see what the latest deals are without having to go from one website to another to find what you’re looking for. You can subscribe to our RSS feed here.

11. Subscribe to coupon code newsletters. This is another way to make sure that you’re staying entirely top of the latest coupon codes that are being released.

12. Stay on top of news about coupon codes. You shouldn’t just stay on top of the latest information about new coupon codes. You should also actually follow news about coupons. That’s because there are always new things being tried with coupon codes (such as using mobile coupon codes or altering the technology of coupon codes). The more that you know about the latest coupon code technology and statistics, the better prepared you are going to be to get great savings with coupon codes even if the industry starts to change.

13. Talk to college kids about couponing. College students are the ones that are most likely to be using discount codes. This means that they are a good source for the news and information that you need in order to be smart about coupon codes.

14. Join social communities for online coupon users. Another place to get great information and news about coupon codes is through online social communities and groups that discuss coupon codes. You can get a lot of terrific money-saving tips from your online peers. Many coupon code websites offer this type of social community.

15. Use Twitter. Twitter is another terrific place to share information about coupon codes. You can also go here to ask other people how to save more money with coupon codes.

16. Remember to use discount codes when hiring someone for services. Many people remember to use coupon codes whenever they are purchasing a product but then neglect to consider using these codes to save money on services such as insurance or cable TV. One woman who made this switch saved $1000 in one month using online promotional codes!

17. Combine coupon codes with mobile coupons and other coupons. Coupon codes are great but there are other types of coupons too. Don’t be afraid of looking for other coupons or combining your coupon codes with other types of coupons in order to get the best deal.

18. Get organized with your coupon codes. If you really want to save money with coupon codes then you need to make sure that you get organized with your codes. You need to have a system in place for finding, choosing and using coupon codes before they expire. Check out our suggestions for online coupon organization.

19. Set aside one day per week to review codes. As part of your process of organizing your coupon codes, you should aside one day per week to deal with coupons. During this time, you should look for new codes and use the ones that you need. This is also when you should take some time to learn more about coupon codes so that you’re on top of the best ways to save money with them.

20. Question every purchase. Finally, you really just need to be a smart buyer. Question every purchase. Ask yourself if you really need it, if the deal is worth the expenditure and if there’s a better time to buy the item. By thinking through your purchases, you’ll make smart choices and get better savings with your coupon codes.

Hey, seems you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed, so you will be the first to get our free money saving tips. New today, free R4i Discount Codes. Get discounts on branded flash memory, printer ink and other tech items at R4i. Thanks for visiting!

One Comment

  1. 1

    Stella
    August 24th, 2009

    Great tips! I especially agree with the rec to use Twitter. I’m following Savings.com on Twitter (@savings). They recently tweeted about a deal Gap was having for 20% through Sunday. Glad I’m on Twitter, otherwise I would have missed out on that!

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About the authors

Kathryn

We are Kathryn and Captain Frugal two money saving fanatics. Kathryn is a freelance writer living in San Francisco which means that she's had to work hard to maintain a frugal budget. Captain Frugal learned from a young age that a penny saved is a penny earned, he's made it his life's mission to beat "the system" a few cents at a time. "Living the high life is easy!" say's captian frugal, "all you need is a little creativity, to improve your lifestyle and still save money!

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