Making an Appointment to Save Money

(Note: This post was originally published in January 2009.)

It’s always exciting to come across a great coupon to get an item free or inexpensive, particularly when it’s for something that you would certainly use. When you find this coupon, you normally would clip it out and then set it on the kitchen table (creating clutter for days until your next shopping trip) or stick it in your purse (a.k.a. the black hole – never to be found again), and inevitably, by the next shopping trip, the coupon is either left behind at home, or forgotten in the bottom of your purse, and likely will expire long before it ever surfaces again. Sound familiar?

Here are a few tips I’ve learned to make the most out of the best coupons I receive.

• Whenever I have a coupon for a free item, I put it right in my car. I’ve got a little spot where I keep gas “cents off” coupons, free item coupons, Register Rewards, and CVS ExtraBucks. Since I’m in my car every day, it’s a visual reminder that I’ve got important coupons to use that I can’t let go to waste.

• As an added insurance for high value coupons that I want to use, I add a reminder in my cell phone calendar a few days before the coupon expiration date. When the reminder pops up, it jogs my memory and helps ensure that the coupon doesn’t go to waste. Whether you have a cell phone calendar, a calendar on your computer, or even a wall calendar….making an appointment reminder to use your coupons can save you plenty of money.
  

What methods do you use to help remember and make the most out of your best coupons? Leave a comment with your advice.