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If you’re wondering how to start couponing but you feel like you don’t have any extra time in your day, we've got you. It’s totally doable to score big savings on the things you’re already buying — and you don’t have to devote hours of your free time to do it.
We'll show you how to use the easiest ways to save, like digital coupons, cash-back apps, and The Krazy Coupon Lady app. You’ll just need a few minutes to start couponing the lazy way.
Who knows? Maybe you’ll get so good at it that you’ll want to add more deals and stores to your list as time goes on. But I’ll warn you now: couponing gets addicting once you start seeing your savings!
Download The Krazy Coupon Lady app or text HACKS to 57299 for the latest money-saving tips, deals, and coupons.
1. Use The Krazy Coupon Lady app and let us find the deals for you.
Finding good deals is the hardest part of learning how to coupon. But, hey, we do all that for you!
The Krazy Coupon Lady has a whole team of experts who are in the aisles (and scouring the websites) of the most popular stores and retailers every day, looking for the best deals by combining sales with coupons and rebate offers.
When you use the KCL app, you can put us to work by setting up deal alerts for items on your shopping list.
Every time we find a great price on something, you’ll receive a push notification. To turn alerts on for a brand or product (like “Nike” or “laundry detergent”), head to "Alerts” in the app, choose "Customize your deal alerts," and then enable push notifications. From there, you can select all the brands and product categories you love.
Download the KCL app to sign up for KCL deal alerts customized to your shopping list.
2. Let digital coupons do the work for you.
Digital coupons are a lifesaver for busy people like us. Most grocery stores and big-box retailers have their own branded apps that offer digital grocery coupons. You'll just need to download your favorite store’s app to take advantage of their digital coupons. They’re easy to load onto your store loyalty card, and you won’t have to worry about forgetting the coupons at home.
Stores like Target, Publix, Kroger, Walgreens, and Dollar General make it pretty easy to use their digital coupons at checkout.
For the most part, store apps’ digital coupons work like this:
Download the store’s official app.
Enter your account information or create a new account.
“Clip” (aka tap on) the coupons for items you want; the coupons will apply automatically at checkout when you enter your phone number.
3. Join Aisle, Ibotta, Checkout 51, and Fetch Rewards to get cash back after your purchase.
If you want to learn how to coupon the quick and easy way, you’re definitely going to want to download a few cash-back rebate apps like Ibotta and Checkout 51. It takes just a few minutes to scroll through the offers and decide if you want to redeem any of them.
Once you create an account for each app, you can unlock offers for specific items on your shopping list before you hit the grocery store. After you buy the items, just take a picture of your receipt and upload it, and you’ll have money in your PayPal account within 24 hours. And sometimes you just need to scan the QR code on your receipt, which makes it even easier.
Another way to save after you make your purchase? Use the Fetch Rewards app. Sync your email accounts or snap a picture of your receipt and upload it to the app to earn points that you can redeem for gift cards later. You earn Fetch points just by uploading receipts; it doesn’t matter as much about what you buy. A thousand Fetch points equals about $1 in gift cards, and you can cash out for gift cards once you earn 3,000 points (or $3).
A great rebate cash-back program to join is Aisle. You don't even have to download an app for this one. Once you’re signed up, Aisle will text you with offers near you. Once there's an offer near you, you'll text Aisle a picture of your receipt, and you'll be reimbursed either though Venmo or PayPal.
4. Use coupons with your curbside pickup orders.
A few stores will allow coupons on grocery pickup orders. But each store's coupon policy for pickup is a little different. Here’s a quick rundown of some of my favorite stores that let you coupon with pickup orders:
Kroger: It's hands down the most coupon-friendly curbside pickup store. You can use paper coupons with Kroger pickup, and you’ll get a traditional receipt. (This means you can redeem Ibotta offers using that receipt.)
Target: They won’t accept paper coupons curbside, but you can redeem digital Circle offers when you use Target pickup. (I like to earn Fetch Rewards on my Target pickup orders too.)
Walmart: They don't take digital or paper coupons with Walmart grocery pickup, but you can earn Walmart Cash or link your Ibotta account to your Walmart account to get some savings that way. Just remember, if you’re a Walmart Plus member, you can’t redeem Ibotta offers and Walmart Cash offers on the same order.
Walgreens: You can definitely apply digital coupons to your Walgreens curbside pickup orders. And we make it easy to find the best deals each week with our Walgreens digital coupon deals roundup. However, you won't earn Register Rewards with curbside pickup, but you can earn Walgreens Cash.
5. Target, Walgreens, and CVS are the best stores when you're learning how to start couponing. Pick one.
I always suggest new couponers focus on one store to start to make things as simple as possible. This way you can get familiar with that store's coupon policies, sales cycles, and best deals. By mastering that one store, you can maximize your savings, learn how to stack coupons with sales, and figure out the ins and outs of the store's rewards programs or loyalty cards. And of course, once you're comfortable, you can then coupon at other stores.
Most of the stores where you’ll be learning how to start couponing have their own loyalty program or app that you can download. You’ll definitely want to get familiar with these store loyalty programs so you can save money on top of any coupons.
Here are a few loyalty programs I recommend for beginners:
Target: Make sure you have a Target Circle account to access exclusive coupons. Take it a step further by signing up for a Target Circle Card — even the reloadable option will save you 5% on every purchase.
Walgreens: Sign up for myWalgreens to access coupons and earn 1% – 5% back on all your purchases.
CVS: Sign up for ExtraCare to get coupons, earn 2% cash back, and access special deals.
6. Maximize your time by only focusing on deals for more expensive items like diapers and razors.
If you really can’t be bothered with saving a few cents here and there, just change your couponing strategy a little bit. Household products are probably the most expensive items on your grocery list, so you’ll feel the savings more dramatically if you only focus on coupons for those.
Once you see some savings on items like laundry detergent, diapers, and razors, it’ll motivate you to keep couponing and saving even more money.
Here are a few household categories to get you started:
7. Refer to KCL's stock-up price list and skip the "meh" deals.
To get big savings with very little time investment, you can double-check deals against our KCL Stock-Up Price List. This list of prices will help you know how to spot a really hot deal. That way, you can shop only the best deals — the ones that are so good you should buy a 3- or 6-month supply. (This is what our stock-up price list shows you.)
8. Go ahead and use self-checkout (even with coupons).
Attention, introverts: some stores’ self-checkout stations will let you apply coupons to your order.
The self-checkout stations at Target and CVS will let you scan paper coupons in addition to whatever digital coupons you have. Walmart doesn’t do digital coupons, but they'll let you scan the paper ones at self-checkout.
Just be aware that your coupons may cause the register to beep. The beep doesn’t mean you’re in trouble — it’s supposed to do that to let the cashier know you’re using coupons.
This is a good option if you don’t want to interact with a cashier and you prefer to go at your own speed.
9. Always visit clearance sections at drugstores, big box stores, and grocery stores.
While this is more of a hit-or-miss tip, it’s worth mentioning. Always stop by the clearance shelf when you’re at grocery stores or drugstores and big box stores like Target, Walmart, Publix, Kroger, Walgreens, or CVS. Why? Because you can often find clearance items for up to 75% off retail price.
At my Publix, there's usually a clearance table by the pharmacy with all sorts of goodies, from seasonal stuff to overflow. And at Target and Walmart, don't be shy — wander around! They often have clearance items on the endcaps, and sometimes even full aisles of items that are marked down.
Even if you’re not fully confident with couponing yet, you can sometimes stack a coupon on top of a clearance item and get it for even less (or free).
10. Print coupons from at least two phone numbers to double your savings.
When you sign up with Coupons.com to print manufacturer coupons, you’ll create an account based on your phone number. And most coupons will limit you to just one or maybe two prints per phone number.
But if you know another person who's willing to sign up and print coupons for you (a partner? your mom? maybe your kid?), you can get more of the products when you go out couponing.
One big warning: don’t print P&G coupons until the day you’re using them. Most P&G printable coupons expire 24 hours after you print them. Timing is key here.
11. If you must buy newspapers, get them for $1.25 at Dollar Tree.
Chances are good you won’t really need newspapers when you’re learning how to coupon the quick and easy way. Printable and digital coupons should be enough to get you going.
But if you really want to make use of newspaper coupons — or maybe there’s a heart-stopping deal that requires a newspaper coupon — get your newspaper at Dollar Tree.
Newspapers are only $1.25 at Dollar Tree (compared to up to $4 at other retailers), and you don’t need to sign up for a subscription.
Related: We found more ways to get cheap or free Sunday newspaper coupons.
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