How to be a Coupon Ninja in 2014

It’s a new year and if one of your resolutions is to save money in 2014, you may be wondering if coupons are worth your time. The answer? YES! Coupons can save you money this year, but only if you’re smart about using them. Here are 5 things to remember when looking for coupons:

1)      Be patient

Even though using a coupon for $1 off a bottle of shampoo or buy-one-get-one-free car wash may not seem like you’re saving much money, those small savings will add up. Imagine what you could do with all the money that you save with coupons in one year!

2)      Don’t go out of your way to use a coupon

You could use that coupon for $5 off a haircut at a new salon downtown, but if takes you 20 minutes to get there and 20 minutes to get back, you just used up that $5 savings on gas. Make sure that your coupons are actually saving you money by using coupons that are close to home. Or, if you really want to use that salon coupon, bring it along when you’re already running errands downtown!

3)      Be sure to read the expiration date AND fine print

Some coupons have a life-span of several months while others have a life-span of only several days. So, if it’s Saturday night and you’re looking to go out to dinner, be sure to use the coupon that expires tomorrow before you use the one that expires next month. Furthermore, some coupons can only be used on certain days of the week. For example, some restaurant coupons can only be used Sunday-Thursday. Make sure to read these conditions before you get to the restaurant.

4)      Look for all kinds of coupons

Don’t be fooled into thinking that coupons are only for food. While grocery and restaurant coupons are popular, you can save on anything from automotive services to art classes. So, whenever you’re planning to make a purchase, make sure to check out SuperSavings.com as well as company websites that post their own coupons.

5)      Don’t spend too much time clipping coupons

Yes, small coupons add up to save you big bucks, but if you’re spending hours a day searching newspapers and random websites for coupons, you’re losing something even more valuable than money; time. You can avoid wasting time clipping coupons by setting a daily time limit for yourself or by using websites like SuperSavings.com which has all kinds of coupons neatly organized by category and location.

We challenge you to use these guidelines to be a coupon ninja this year and keep track of how much money you save. Are you already a coupon ninja? Share your wisdom and leave a comment!