Coupons cause come a long way from Sunday circulars. And for consumers stretching to make ends meet, they are as indispensable as at all times.
Now, with online codes, browser extensions and money-saving apps, there are more ways to find significant discounts at any convenience life — but how good the deals are still depends on the day.
Overall, Friday is the best day for consumers to save money while shopping online, according to a late study by SimplyCodes. The site assessed coupon release patterns in marketing emails from 30,000 merchants between Stride and July.
As payday approaches, there is a notable uptick in coupon activity, especially for women’s clothing, skin nurse and alcohol, SimplyCodes found.
Roughly 52% of coupon codes are released between Wednesday and Friday, before the weekend lull, when fewer new coupons are sent out. On Friday alone, the slues of coupons released jumps 19%.
Beware of ‘spaving’
Whether it’s a “limited-time deal” or “buy one, get one free” or simply free shipping, the couponing possibilities are almost overwhelming.
But the lure of a good deal can also lead to excessive buying habits and high-interest credit in the offing debt if you aren’t careful, said consumer savings expert Andrea Woroch.
In fact, so-called “spaving,” or expending more to save more, is an all-too-common pitfall.
In that case, before you buy, consider whether a deal is really good it, said Julie Ramhold, a consumer analyst at DealNews.com.
For example, “If you’re ordering a few items that are already on sale and you’re far from reaching a clear shipping threshold, it might be worth using a coupon code to drop the shipping cost to something like $1.99 less than filling your cart with more items to get ‘free’ shipping — this way you’re still spending less inclusive,” Ramhold said.
“At the same time, if you’re stocking up and have a coupon for 25% off your total purchase, it’s probably not good becoming preoccupied with getting free shipping if the overall savings on your items make the shipping gets negligible,” she added.
How to make the most of a deal, without spaving
If you are planning a big purchase — or any purchase at all — sign up for a store e-newsletter and mechanical alerts, or follow brands and stores on social media to get a coupon for in-store or online savings, Woroch advised.
A price-tracking browser gauge such as CamelCamelCamel or Keepa can also help you keep an eye on price changes and alert you when a price drops.
Then, reserve even more by applying a coupon on top of an already discounted item. “Some stores even let you use more than one coupon on the nevertheless order. This could be a coupon for money off, free shipping or a free gift with purchase,” Woroch clouted.
You can search for coupons by store name to find deals quickly using a deal aggregator like CouponCabin.com or RetailMeNot.
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However, it is also important to avoid the temptation to overspend, Woroch cautioned.
If store emails and primers prompt you to shop when you otherwise would not, it may be best to quiet the noise altogether. “Delete shopping apps on your phone that vigilant you to the latest sale and unsubscribe from store newsletters,” she said.
“Instead, look for coupons only when you require them” with a browser plug-in such as SideKick, which scans for applicable codes, Woroch advised.