It seems like a no-brainer – use coupons and save money, right? But experience has taught me that this is not a hard and fast rule! There are at least 3 times you should skip the coupon.
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Coupons can help save you money the majority of the time. So let’s take a look at how to print them economically and eco-friendly.
Coupon Printing Tips
My shopping habits have changed with my more eco-friendly lifestyle. I no longer use most of the coupons that come with the newspaper. Most of those coupons are for big corporate brands and less likely to be organic or sustainable. So I cancelled the paper and choose most of my coupons online.
Did you know you can make money by printing and using coupons?! When you print coupons from Swagbucks, you’ll get 1 cent for each up to 50 per day. When you use those coupons, you’ll get another 25 cents each. That’s in addition to the value of the coupon. That can really add up!
If you print all the coupons offered, I’m afraid you may spend more on ink than you save. So print only those coupons you will use.
Before printing, set your printer setting to Black & White and also to Draft. This will drastically cut down on your use of printer ink.
There’s no need for your coupons to look pristine, so go ahead and load your printer with scrap paper and print on the other side. This will cut your paper use and cost and save trees too.
You’ll get the most out of the paper you use by printing coupons in multiples of three, instead of having a sheet with just one or two coupons on it.
Once you’ve printed all the coupons you want, go back and do it again! You’re allowed to print two of each coupon.
And if you have more than one computer in the house, you can print two of each coupon from each computer.
By using 2 or 4 coupons, you can take better advantage of stock-up-worthy sale prices or specials that require the purchase of multiple items.
3 Times You Should Skip the Coupon
Here are the 3 times you should skip the coupon.
- If the store brand costs less than the national brand even after the coupon is deducted, skip the coupon and buy the store brand. Note: many store brands are actually made by national brands and given a different label!
- When the national brand and coupon still cost more than when the national brand is on sale, hold the coupon and wait for the sale. Layering coupons with sales saves even more money.
- When a coupon requires you to buy more of an item than you will ever use, or an additional product you don’t want, skip the coupon and just buy what you need.
Save more money with Earth Day Tips That Will Save You Money, Surviving A Financial Crisis, and It PAYS to Check Your Receipts.
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