We all know that we need to save money when we go shopping for food, clothes or gas, but sometimes it is really tough to take the time to cut coupons from the newspaper or look for the best deals in all areas of life. I love to use coupons but have found some other ways that we can all save some money in our daily lives no matter what you’re shopping for.

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8 Ways to Save Money Without Coupons

Use Digital Coupons:

Many grocery stores have moved to digital coupons. There are apps that you can download which allow you to select coupons that come off instantly at the store or give you rebates and savings. Digital coupons are simple, quick and painless. There’s no clipping, no cutting, no remembering to take them to the store. You can sit in the parking lot when you get to the store, open the app, select the coupons and get your savings.

Buy before you need it:

Many people wait to buy products till they actually need them. But if you are on the lookout throughout the year, you may be able to save money on products when they are on sale.

Try before you Buy:

Have you ever wanted to use a new computer program or buy a new video game and shelled out the big bucks, only to discover after using it for a week that you just hate it? Before you drop $50 on a new game, maybe you can play it at a friend’s house or rent it from Redbox? Before you buy the full version of a software program, see if you can do a 30-day trial. That will give you enough time to see if you will actually use it before you pay out the full purchase price.

Get Money for Shopping:

Obviously, the best way to put money back in your pocket is for it to never leave in the first place. But in our world, it’s often necessary to spend money. So if you’re going to spend money anyway, you might as well figure out ways to have some of it returned to you in rebates.

Programs like Mr. Rebates and Ebates offer a simple way for each individual to get a percentage of their purchase price deposited back into their account. You simply sign up for a free account and then start your shopping experience at their site. Once you login, you will be able to select your store where you want to shop and then go directly to the store site.

Many people love Shutterfly! Every time I work on a photo book or want to order prints, I simply start shopping at Mr. Rebates and then go to Shutterfly so I can get my rebates on my purchase.

Don’t buy a one-time book:

There are some books that you know are going to become classics and earn a place of honor in your personal library. But there are others that are destined to be read once and then will only gather dust. Before you run out to the bookstore to buy a brand new copy, check your library and see if you can get it there. If they don’t have it, see if you can request it via the free interlibrary loan service.

You can even use Amazon.com to get e-books for a discount price or FREE!  Check it out here before you buy the copy at your local book store!

Don’t be a brand snob:

Sure, there are some items where you may definitely have brand loyalty, but there are other things that most any brand will do. If you know you need certain items but your preferred brand is not on sale or more expensive, branch out and try something different. You will save money and possibly find a new favorite.

Evaluate your movie services:

Do you really need to pay for Netflix, Cable and buy every movie when it is released on Bluray or DVD? There are definitely some movies that we like to keep in our personal library, but there are others that we will only watch one time. Look at how you view movies and see if there is a service you can cut out.

Save at the Pump:

Wherever you choose to get your gas, check for a loyalty program. Most gas stations participate in a program that will let you earn points toward discounts on gas or snacks in the store. It’s a simple step to swipe a loyalty card every time you fill up your tank.

Do you use coupons the same way you did several years ago or have you changed your method to work with your current lifestyle? Have you perfected ways to cut some cost in other areas of life? I’d love to hear how you are saving money in real life!

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