Mar 22
ECOUPONS
So far we have tackled the topics Tips To Maximize Savings On Your Grocery Bill, Stockpiling How To’s and Coupons – Where To Get Them. Now lets look at how eCoupons work.
eCoupons have seen significant changes since hitting the market, and I do not think they are done evolving. They offer great money saving opportunities, but you have to go with the flow until they have worked out policy and system kinks etc.
eCoupons are electronic coupons, no clipping required. The way they work is you load them onto your customer loyalty card or mobile phone devices. You go to one of the eCoupon providers, choose your coupons and select to have them load onto the card or phone you have registered. Then when you swipe your card at the grocery store they should be automatically deducted from your bill. If the eCoupons are on your phone you show the digital coupon at the register and the clerk will scan for you.
Here are some well established eCoupon sites:
Shortcuts and P&G eSaver – These coupons can be used at Kroger and Safeway affiliate stores. Shortcuts even offers coupons for store-brand products like Kroger or Safeway Select.
Cellfire – This e-Coupon site offers coupons via your grocery store card or your cell phone. This site offers coupons beyond just the grocery store (ie movie rentals, etc). These can also be used at Kroger stores.
Upromise – Upromise allows you to use coupons to start college savings. Instead of having the coupon value deducted from your grocery bill, it is added to a college savings fund!
Store Specific Sites – Like Safeway.com, QFC.com and Fredmeyer.com all offer the opportunity to register your loyalty card on their sites and load eCoupons to your card directly from their sites. Safeway.com will allow you to load the Safeway specific coupons to your card rather then having to deal with their weekly paper flyers. You are also able to shop online at Safeway.com and use your eCoupons for these shopping lists.
As with paper coupons, in most cases you can stack a store specific eCoupon with a paper coupon for maximum savings. For example, if Target has an eCoupon for a specific brand of cereal and there is a manufacture coupon for that same item, you can use both coupons.
eCoupons are different then printable coupons. One of the more popular printable coupons sites is Coupons.com. Here you go select the coupons you want to print out and then redeem it the same way you would any other paper coupon.
One if the benefits of eCoupons is the ease with which you can choose the coupons you want and add to your card. Save all of that time clipping and organizing coupons. One of the challenges is to remember what coupons you have so you can use them effectively. Many sites will allow you to print out a shopping list for your eCoupons. I highly recommend you print your list out, it can be very difficult to recall the specifics of what you have once your at the store.
Be sure to load your coupons early. It takes time for them to register and be available for your shopping trip.
Do you have a preference, eCoupons, paper coupons or both?
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