A Simple Method to Avoid Expired Store Discounts and Rewards

 

I love to save money wherever I can. While I’m not a huge user of coupons when I go to the grocery store, I do try to use the special store discounts and rewards I receive from time to time.

Examples would be rewards I earn from previous purchases at Pier 1, Pottery Barn, and Hallmark. Other examples would include special sale coupons at Michael’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, and DSW. I’m sure you receive many of these kinds of discounts and rewards as well.

I usually keep all of these special coupons in a zippered pouch in my purse. However, what tends to happen is I put these coupons in the pouch and forget about them. It’s like the pouch becomes some kind of giant black hole!

So, after missing out on some substantial savings on items I had planned to purchase anyway, I decided I needed to come up with a solution that would ensure I’d never miss a discount again.

After thinking through what would work best for me, I finally settled on a simple solution involving my planner.

I have a sheet in my planner at the beginning of each month that allows me to record tasks that need to be completed that month. I decided to take advantage of this and use the space to list out all of these special coupons and their due dates, even if the due date is in a later month.

Because I also have many of these coupons that come through email, I make sure to write those down as well. After all, we all know how easy it is to let our email get out of control to the point where we lose important messages!

As I make plans at the beginning of each month, I reference this list to see what may be expiring soon. Then I decide if there is anything I need to purchase with these coupons.

It’s important to note that just because you have a coupon, it doesn’t mean you have to use it if there is nothing you truly need before it expires.

However, if there are items you have planned on purchasing, then by all means use these rewards and discounts! You never want to pay full price for anything if you don’t have to.

This method works great for me since I use a paper planner. You may be one who relies on technology instead. One way you could adapt this method is to  keep a list going on your notes app or some other productivity app. Then you can either set yourself a reminder to check it when you plan each week. Or, you can set reminders a few days ahead of the expiration dates so you won’t miss out on using them.

How do you keep up with your store rewards and discounts?