Clipping and using coupons has gained in popularity, especially as families try to get the most value for their dollars when shopping for food, home supplies and many other items. In fact, a recent article by the Nielsen Company on blog.nielsen.com said the Great Recession of 2009 marked a sort of renaissance for coupons with redemptions growing by 27 percent over the previous year. NCH Marketing Services, one of the country's largest coupon distributors reported that 2009 coupon redemption levels "achieved the second highest year-over-year growth ever recorded."
While this may seem reminiscent for many adults who spent time sifting through newspaper inserts to find coupons for household staples - like food and cleaning supplies - modern "couponing" has become much more sophisticated. With the aid of the Internet, a quick web search will lead you to a variety of coupon and rebate sites like fatwallet.com, couponmom.com, coolsavings.com and freeshipping.com. In addition to providing access to coupon offers, these sites will connect you with other coupon collectors through blogs, Twitter and Facebook. There are also FAQ links where you can ask questions, share coupons and learn about other coupon users experiences.
These sites provide a portal for reaching coupons, free offers and comparison shopping ideas on everything from baby products, to electronics, apparel, entertainment, tools and automotive, restaurants, and much more. What's more, the products featured aren't just those available from discount stores. Many well-known retail outlets have discovered the value of using coupons, rebates and free shipping offers to connect with consumers online. Often times, you can even find a link to coupons or discounts on a retailer's Web site.
Accessing coupons and money-back offers is simplified even further with the ability to download coupons from the Internet onto your store affinity cards and some cell phones. In-store kiosks also offer a convenient way to download savings offers to your card each time you enter the store to shop.
Experiencing the Savings Takes Time and Awareness
Knowing how to use coupons effectively and having a plan in place is the key to getting the greatest value and benefit. Whether you are clipping, printing or downloading coupons, only keep ones for products you know you will use. Otherwise, using coupons could actually cost you more in the long run if you end up discarding unused products. While it rarely hurts to have extra quantities of items you use on a regular basis, don't buy products with expiration dates if you already have plenty on hand.