Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Use coupons for what they are meant for: Saving money
Personal finance is about more than saving and investing your money. It includes everything to do with your money, including the purchases you make each and every day.
One common way that many people know of to save some money of off daily purchases is to use coupons. When you can find a coupon that is for a product you are planning to purchase, you are basically providing yourself with free money. The main question of course is where can you find these coupons. Mail advertisements are the most common way to get coupons, but the internet now provides a way for individuals to get coupons for specific products. While there are literally hundreds of sites that provide you with coupons, three I recommend are: http://www.couponmountain.com http://www.save.ca/en/ and www.Valpak.com. Every so often browse quickly through these sites and look for coupons for products you already use. This can result in savings of over $10 each time you go shopping, which can then be allocated for another purpose.
Also be sure to check out the websites of companies whose products you purchase from often. They may have coupons right on the site. You may also decide to e-mail the company to tell them how much you use and love their product. This may result in a coupon being sent to you as a thank you for being a loyal customer..
While coupons can be great, you should also realize their ability to cause you to make purchases you don’t want to make. Do not be tempted to use a coupon or purchase something just because it seems like a good deal or price. Many coupons are only useable with a minimum purchase (Save $10 on purchases over $50). If you originally only wanted to buy a product that was much lower than this though, then you are making purchases for things you do not want, all so you can save some money. Companies make coupons to get you to spend your money on their products, so be careful that you do not get tricked into spending more than you originally wanted to. An impulsively made purchase made with a coupon is as detrimental to you as any other impulsively made purchase, so be careful with how far you take your coupon clipping.
One common way that many people know of to save some money of off daily purchases is to use coupons. When you can find a coupon that is for a product you are planning to purchase, you are basically providing yourself with free money. The main question of course is where can you find these coupons. Mail advertisements are the most common way to get coupons, but the internet now provides a way for individuals to get coupons for specific products. While there are literally hundreds of sites that provide you with coupons, three I recommend are: http://www.couponmountain.com http://www.save.ca/en/ and www.Valpak.com. Every so often browse quickly through these sites and look for coupons for products you already use. This can result in savings of over $10 each time you go shopping, which can then be allocated for another purpose.
Also be sure to check out the websites of companies whose products you purchase from often. They may have coupons right on the site. You may also decide to e-mail the company to tell them how much you use and love their product. This may result in a coupon being sent to you as a thank you for being a loyal customer..
While coupons can be great, you should also realize their ability to cause you to make purchases you don’t want to make. Do not be tempted to use a coupon or purchase something just because it seems like a good deal or price. Many coupons are only useable with a minimum purchase (Save $10 on purchases over $50). If you originally only wanted to buy a product that was much lower than this though, then you are making purchases for things you do not want, all so you can save some money. Companies make coupons to get you to spend your money on their products, so be careful that you do not get tricked into spending more than you originally wanted to. An impulsively made purchase made with a coupon is as detrimental to you as any other impulsively made purchase, so be careful with how far you take your coupon clipping.
# posted by mikeyarmo @ 1:12 PM 
