Although September is National Coupon Month, it's important to be coupon-savvy and save money throughout the entire year.
If you're anything like me, you love a good deal but don't want to spend your Sunday sifting through store circulars and clipping coupons. If you find yourself struggling with the same scenario or simply want nothing to do with paper coupons, consider these alternative ways to save money.
1. Use your smartphone.
You don't have to forego coupons altogether just because you don't want to slave over the newspaper with scissors. According to recent statistics, mobile coupons represent a large portion of total coupon redemption and brands are refocusing their efforts to provide deals right to your smartphone. Download the free Coupon Sherpa mobile app to get instant savings with a quick tap and barcode scan.
2. Let others do the work.
If searching high and low for the best deals simply isn't your thing, you're in luck; there are plenty of bargain hunters who do the work for you. These bloggers spend hours collecting information from various weekly circulars and pairing available manufacturer coupons to help you save big bucks. BargainBriana, for instance, lists regular roundups of product deals for retailers like Target and Dollar General.
3. Save with gift cards.
This takes a little planning, but a quick search at GiftCardGranny.com will show you average savings of 13-percent off by using discount gift cards to popular retailers like Target, Macy's and Kohl's. Sign up for an alert to stay on top of discounted gift cards that become available for your favorite stores. Use these cards with coupons from your phone for huge savings!
4. Earn it.
Reward programs are key to saving money on everyday purchases and offer lots of perks including discounts toward future trips. ExtraCare offered by CVS gives you 10-percent off your first purchase after enrollment, plus $5 ExtraBucks rewards for every $50 spent and extra points on your birthday.
5. Give your opinion.
Brands love getting input on your recent shopping experience to fine-tune their marketing and retail strategies. Though you may want to keep your buying behavior under wraps, filling out a quick online survey can result in a discount voucher towards a future purchase — cha ching! I've completed these surveys while standing in line in order to take advantage of savings at checkout.
Andrea Woroch is a nationally-recognized consumer and money-saving expert for Kinoli Inc. who helps consumers live on less without radically changing their lifestyles. From smart spending tips to personal finance advice, Andrea transforms everyday consumers into savvy shoppers. She has been featured among top news outlets such as Good Morning America, NBC's Today, MSNBC, New York Times, Kiplinger Personal Finance, CNNMoney and many more. You can follow her on Twitter for daily savings advice and tips.
