Couponing is here for us to get a great deal on products. Companies are giving us a break to get us to try their products. These are name brands items that we wouldn’t usually splurge on. The hope is that we will become a new lifelong customer. The only downside for us is when we end up wasting money.

Time is Money

Couponing can take up a lot of time. Taking it to the extreme, you could spend more time than you would at a full-time job. Except you aren’t making the paycheck to match it. You need to ask yourself if the money you are saving is worth the time that you are spending. Would it be more beneficial for your finances to get a part-time job? The whole point of couponing is to save money. If the savings are not adding up to the amount of time you are spending, it may be time to reevaluate.  Make your time work for you.

Impulse Buying

Companies want us to see the coupon and run to the store to try it out. They make the offers seem too good to be true that we feel like it would be a waste not to use it. A big mistake is clipping coupons for things that are not on your list. Grabbing an item just because it is fifty percent off does not save you money if you wouldn’t usually buy it. You just spent money that could have been avoided. Looking past all the great deals and coupons can be hard, but if you don’t, you will waste a lot of money.

T.V. Shows

Shows like Extreme Couponing have ruined things for us. They showed off the holes that store policies had. Since these shows have come out, stores have tightened up to make it so we will never be able to obtain the same amount of savings. Doing your research on what is allowed at your grocery store will help you not to waste your time or money. What you see on T.V. is not our reality.

Expiration

The most significant way you can waste money is by buying too much. Not being able to use it before it expires is a massive waste of money. Stockpiling food items can be tricky. An excellent coupon price does not help you if you never use it. All that means is you paid to store it before throwing it away. Only buy foods that you can use before they expire. Resist wasting money by buying it just because you can.

Name Brand

Coupons always seem to be for the name brand products. The store-brands are most times made by one of the name brand companies, but only a fraction of the price. Even with a coupon, the store brand can still cheaper than the name brand. Don’t waste money on the same product. All you are paying for is the fancy label and advertising.

Don’t waste money trying to save money.