I know, I know. You’re a relatively bright guy, works hard, pays his bills, but can’t ever seem to quite get ahead. You’re living paycheck to paycheck and can’t quite get out of the routine. If you’re tired of constantly worrying about money, we’re here to give you some tips in our ongoing series, “Why You’re Broke”.

In this entry, we’re going to be talking about coupons. They are out there, and they can be spectacular when used correctly. Now, we’re not extreme couponing, we’re not trying to get 15 tubes of Colgate for $.12 here. Purchasing in that way leads to clutter and there is a major component of time that extreme couponing does not always take into account. If you’re already into extreme couponing, more power to you, I wish I had your willpower to stock, compile, and seek out some of these deals. But we’re talking about making sure you get whatever values you can for things you’re going to do anyway.

Online Coupons and Promo Codes

I don’t care what you are about to buy online, it’s worth a quick google search for that site’s name followed by promo code (coupon code, e-coupon, digital code, etc.). There are generally coupons out there for nearly every site. For instance, when we were creating this site, I googled wordpress.com and promo code and saved HALF OFF my hosting fees for the year, a savings of nearly $50.

Coupons in the Mail

Make sure you are taking advantage of coupons that come in your mailbox. If you don’t get many coupons, sign up for a monthly package at Valpak.com. You can also purchase a Sunday paper if you want to make a monetary investment and support local journalism (which we fully support). Take advantage of these simple offers for things you’ll buy anyway.

Coupons for Restaurants

Easily the most often used item in our household. Some of these will come by mail or paper, but the best way is to sign up for your favorite restaurants email program. I have had many a steak and lobster dinner at Ruby Tuesday’s for under $10 each because of their online coupon program. And many times it is actually cheaper to go out to eat with the support of coupons than to cook the food at home.

That’s the gist for this week. If you love a certain store or eatery, make sure to sign up for their email/text/coupon program. It could save you thousands of dollars per year.