This is a guest post from Jon Lal, founder of coupons and cash back website BeFrugal.com. BeFrugal.com offers cash back for online shopping at 3,000+ online stores with a current average rate of 7%.
Wouldn’t it be great to pay less than sticker price on everything you buy? You can do so by using printable coupons and coupon codes! While both printable coupons and coupon codes will save you money off your bill, they are used differently.
Printable Coupons
When making a purchase at a store, use printable coupons when you pay. These can be in the form of grocery coupons dictating that if you purchase a certain item, you are entitled to a certain amount of money off your bill. It’s important to read the details printed on the coupons since there is often an expiration date and may be limitations to dictate that you purchase a certain size item.
After you have the items your coupons are applicable for, it’s important that you present the coupons to the clerk at the cash register before you complete your transaction. This applies to many goods and services since printable coupons can be accepted for groceries, items at your local drugstore, other retail stores such as boutiques, restaurants, hair salons and more.
In addition to coupons being accepted by a variety of places, you can also get these coupons in many ways. Though you may commonly think of clipping coupons from the Sunday newspaper, other options are receiving coupons from websites, in the mail or from social media websites. Sometimes printable coupons are accepted electronically by presenting an offer to a cashier on a mobile device as a text message offer or an email.
Coupon Codes
Anytime you shop online you can also use coupons. In the form of coupon codes, these coupons also entitle you to get money off your bill. Simply shop as you normally would and before you finish checking out, there will be a promo code entry box where you type in the coupon code.
As with printable coupons, there are often expiration dates and excluded items, so it can be important to understand the details to ensure that the coupon code applies to your purchase. Some websites will allow you to “stack†coupon codes by applying several discounts to one order.
Shoppers can find coupon codes online from coupon websites (a simple Google search can help you find these) as well as email newsletters from online stores. Occasionally stores will even post coupon codes right on their website to help you save. It’s important to enter the coupon code exactly as it was presented to you. Incorrect spelling can cause you to miss out on savings. To ensure correct spelling, one can copy and paste a coupon code.
Conclusion
There are many ways to save money when buying what you need. Always look for a printable coupon when making an in-store purchase and use a coupon code when you buy online.