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February 2006 |
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Savings SectionWhy You Should Be Clicking Coupons If you're reading Debt Matters, you probably spend time on the Internet. And if you spend time surfing, you probably spent money on a computer or an internet provider. Why not get some of that time and money back? Online coupons have become a full-fledged industry — one that could save you significant money. Can I really save money with coupons? Frequent readers of Debt Matters have heard us go on and on about how a few dollars a day can make a huge in difference in one's wealth over time. Coupons are no different. The thing to remember is that coupons are really marketing devices — companies enticing you to try their product or upgrade to another one of their products in the hopes that you'll continue to use that product. With that in mind, if a coupon entices you to buy a product you wouldn't normally buy, you probably are spending more not saving more. But if you can look past all the offers and only clip coupons on items that you were going to pay full price for anyway, coupons are usually worth the time and effort. For example, if you can put your hands on just $5 in coupons in 10 minutes, that is like earning $30 an hour tax free. Shopping online … for coupons! There are advantages to viewing and printing coupons online. For one thing, there are no newspapers to clutter your home. And you can clip coupons any day — not just when you get your Sunday paper. But one of the biggest reasons to shop for coupons online is that you can streamline your search. Why waste a moment looking at coupons for cat food if you have no pets? At many online coupon sites you'll fill out a profile that will eliminate enormous sectors like pets or office supplies. Clicking coupons will enable you to get face to face with more coupons you can actually use. How to start Just log into your favorite search engine and type the word coupon. Dozens of sites will appear. Spend some time and figure out which ones you want to sign up for. You should be able to get the feel of the types of coupons that site offers without signing up. If you can't get a good feel for the site, move on. Once you've decided, most require you to become a member at no charge. It's just a matter of giving your email address and some profile information. After that, a multitude of coupons will be available to you. One caveat: Check the site's privacy agreement before signing up. Surely, many of these sites want to sell your information as a way of paying for their service. Once you've identified the sites with the most strict privacy policy, reward them with your business. |
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