Five ways to make coupons work

A vivid childhood memory I have is of mymum clipping coupons and redeeming them at the supermarket.

There were no automatic discounts applied when you swiped your store card back then; if you wanted $2 off loo roll or twofor-one bags of carrots, you needed to cut your coupons out of the weekly supermarket mailer to get your discounts. Fast-forward to 2022 and if supermarket mailers still existed, most of us wouldn’t receive them thanks to the ‘‘no junk mail’’ signs on our letterboxes anyway. But with the sky-high cost of living at the moment, many of us are on the lookout to find as many savvy ways as possible to supplement our budgets.

OPINION: DISCOUNT VOUCHERS

One easy way to enjoy the things we love without spending full price is to visit NZ Compare’s Free Voucher Codes website. Here you’ll find vouchers and coupon codes to redeem at supermarkets, food delivery services, online stores, clothing stores, petrol stations, fast food, internet providers ... all the products and services that make day-to-day living easier.

INTRODUCTORY DISCOUNT CODES

Seen a jacket you love online but don’t want to pay full price?

Many online stores offer discount codes to people who sign up to their newsletter. Once you enter your email address, a discount code will wing its way to your inbox - and after you’ve redeemed it you can always unsubscribe if you don’t want to clutter your emails.

PETROL DISCOUNTS

With the price of petrol hitting record highs this year, it can be downright frightening filling up at the pump. Many supermarkets offer petrol discounts on the bottom of their receipts, so saving them in the centre console of your car or sticking them on your fridge can be a visual reminder that there’s money to be saved when you’re at the petrol station next. Most petrol stations offer ongoing discounts when you register for their loyalty cards too.

DIY COUPONS

If you wish you could get more discounts but you can’t find vouchers that will give you them, why not get creative and make your own? Swap babysitting vouchers with other families. Build a mate’s deck in exchange for a couple of months of lawn mowing. Bulk cook your favourite dish then swap it with your neighbours to mix up your menu for the week.

PRICE COMPARISON

While not technically a coupon, making sure you don’t pay more than you have to on high-value items is a smart way to save money. Using NZ Compare’s PriceMe price comparison website, you can find the cheapest place to buy the latest phones, laptops, washing machines, and more. To find out how you could make your budget stretch further, visit nzcompare. com.

This article was commissioned in response to a commercial partnership. Wehave produced it independently, to the same standards applied to the rest of our journalism.

In the past, if people wanted store discounts people had to use coupon books or clip coupons from the newspaper. Today, we can use phone apps or websites instead.