Instead of throwing your supermarket receipt away, use it to save money on future purchases!
You expect to spend money (these days, a lot of it) when you go through the check out line at the grocery store. But if you pay attention to the back of your receipt, you may end up saving money when you return to the store.
How to Take Advantage of Coupons on Grocery Store Receipts:
There are two kinds of coupons on those receipts. Ones that are related to what you have just purchased, and those that advertise nearby businesses. You can save money with both. Say you have just bought canned soup. If the soup company has just launched a brand new variety of soup, your receipt could contain valuable savings, if you are willing to try a new product. Some grocery stores print the same coupons for everyone...discounts at local merchants like hair salons and tire centers. Often you’ll receive "buy one, get one free" deals as well as substantial savings on everything from one-hour massages to a free or discounted tire rotation. Most of these businesses will be close by, or they wouldn’t advertise at your supermarket. So if you are looking for a new hair stylist, or you need an oil change, you might want to pay close attention to the backs of those receipts.
Combine grocery store receipt coupons with other promotions. Unless the coupon states, "not valid with other offers," hold on to the coupon and wait for another one in your local newspaper. Also do an online search and see if you can find another manufacturer’s coupon for the same item. And then check the sales flyer for different grocery stores in your area to see which has the product on sale. Those flyers are usually posted on the store’s web site and updated weekly.
Ask the cashier if he/she has any coupons. If you don’t see what you are looking for on sale, and can’t find a coupon, it wouldn’t hurt to ask the check out person for any extra coupons you may have overlooked. Even if you are in the self-check area, there is always someone available to help. And that person is usually "in the know" about impending sales and specials. If you get to know the people who work at your local store, they will often go out of their way to help you. Everyone is in the same boat when it comes to rising grocery prices.
Finally, remember the coupons located on the back of your receipt usually don’t expire. So hold on to them and pull one out the next time you need new tires or an oil change.
The copyright of the article Finding Coupons on Grocery Store Receipts in Consumer Education is owned by L. Marie Dubuque. Permission to republish Finding Coupons on Grocery Store Receipts in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.