BARGAIN ALERT: Research Coupons before Buying

A television commercial comes on advertising a cool new product. You want to try it but contemplate whether its worth it or not. Nothing is more disappointing than spending money on something that ends up unsatisfactory. You wonder what would give you enough reassurance to test the product? How about a coupon? Two or three dollars off would indeed make it worth trying it out even if the product isn't worth it in the end. Researching possible coupons for a product you want to try has its benefits and purpose.

Discounts and Product Discovery
There are two primary purposes for searching for coupons, the obvious discount you would get if you were to indeed find one and the possibility of discovering other great products the company have to offer. One great example is my search for a coupon for the Vaseline Intensive Care lotion I like to buy. I was in search of a coupon and decided to visit the actual site. I was never able to get an actual coupon, but I did discover a new product Vaseline had released that I never knew about. I read up on the new product and not only did I get my lotion I ended up buying this new product as well.

Win-Win Situation for Everybody
Who benefits most from you researching coupons? Everybody does! You benefit because you are able to get a discount and possibly discover a new product. Because of this, businesses win because not only did their coupon drew you to their products website, they also possibly gained a new loyal customer to their fan base which in turn means more profits for their company. It's one hand washing the other.

Best Sources for Coupons
There are three reliable sources that are helpful in finding coupons:

1. Sunday Newspaper
2. Product's actual website (ex. Vaseline.com)
3. Coupon subscription sites (ex. P&G and Coupons.com)

Sunday newspapers are always stocked with books of manufacturer coupons that can be redeemed just about everywhere. Visiting a product's actual website would prove the best source because again, businesses want you to visit their site in case you may be pulled into their other products and/or services. Coupon subscription sites simply require you to register in order to have access to their stock of coupons and their other offers. 

Obstacles of Receiving Coupons

It is quite rewarding when you have successfully found and printed your coupon ready to buy, but it won't always be so easy. A few obstacles you can run into include using a lot of printers ink chasing $1 off coupons, subscription website may ask for more than your username and password. Some of them go so far as to make you do tedious surveys and become a member of a special program before you can print ONE coupon. Worst of all, printer complications may get in the way of a great discount. For example, I need a coupon for Listerine. I visited the site and found a great one to use. When I clicked print, the website claimed I needed to use another browser. I went through three internet browsers and still couldn't print the coupon. After some software updates and troubleshooting, I was able to print my coupon. 

Next time you see a product you might want to try, go find a coupon or some sort of offer on it first. It makes it so much better when you end up spending less on something that ends up being something you enjoy.