Couponing The Ebay Way

Being the Mom of a medically fragile child I have learned that one way to cut down on the cost of certain medical supplies is to purchase them off of Ebay. I’ve also done my share of selling in order to help fund many of Parker’s medical needs. But while searching out Ebay deals on Pediasure, I was intrigued to discover that one can save on their grocery bill by way of the the net’s largest garage sale.

I am a huge believer in purchasing in bulk with coupons when things go on sale. In my area
Campbell’s soup was the loss leader last week and after the coupon each can cost only a mere .17 cents. We bought 75 cans. My kids love to come in from the cold to a cup of hot soup. This winter we’ll be ready.

I tend to like my coupons to come in lots big enough for me to be able to stock up on for several months at a time. There is a newspaper deal in my area where you can have 5 Sunday papers delivered each week even if you don’t subscribe on the other week days. Most of the time this deal puts me in coupon nirvana. But there are times when I know a great store promotional is coming up, or I need a few more of the larger value coupons. That is when Ebay can really help with the grocery bill.

Ebay can be a real boon for those who don’t want to spend a lot of time cutting out coupons, or who only purchase a few items that offer coupons. Here are a few tips to get you started couponing the Ebay way:

When purchasing coupons from a seller on Ebay, you aren’t paying for the actual coupon. You are paying for the time it took to cut the coupon out. Remember that when you are looking at the ‘cost’ of the coupon. How much time did it take to cut that coupon out? After you factor in the seller’s price, plus shipping costs, will that coupon still save you some cash? You are going to want to check.

Watch the expiration dates! I can’t stress this enough. Will these coupons get to you in time for you to use all of them? Many military commissaries accept expired coupons. But I’m betting your local grocer will not. And before you actually commit to a coupon purchase, make sure you really will use up 45 boxes of Eggos in this lifetime.

Speaking of shipping costs, how much will the shipping for those coupons be? Make sure you are paying attention. There are sellers that will list their lightweight item for just pennies only to charge you $49.95 for shipping.

Use Ebay’s search feature and be specific in your search as possible. Pouring through thousands of auctions for coupons isn’t a very productive way to spend your day. If your first search doesn’t turn anything up, tweak it and try again.

Don’t pay for what you could get for free. Make sure the coupons you are purchasing aren’t free internet coupons that you could print off the net yourself. There are a lot of sites where you can print of free coupons. Do a Google search.

There are a lot of incredible grocery deals to be found. Using coupons can make those deals even sweeter. Ebay is only one way to find coupons. What are some of the ways YOU get the coupons you use?

– Tammy