Couponing is a great tool for people looking to save money or people with limited incomes. Using them can really stretch your dollars. They also make it possible to get better-branded products and new products for cheap. Coupons come in many different forms, but when it comes to digital vs paper coupons, which are the best? Follow along as we put them to the test.
Convenience
I will say convenience plays a major role in what types of coupons you may use in-store. Sometimes people don’t have access to paper coupons or do not have time to sit and cut them out. Instead, such people, and people in a hurry, opt to do digital-only deals. This is convenient in terms of time and ease. You don’t have to search for coupons in your bag, check-off list, or cut anything out. All you need is access to a phone, and you can add coupons while you shop. Most apps even come with a nifty scanner tool. It lets you know the price of the item and any associated promos or coupons to help you save.
Time
Time plays a factor in which kinds of coupons you may want to use. I would say paper coupons take a lot of time. Unless you are purchasing them pre-clipped, you will need to spend hours cutting coupons from ads each week. After you cut them out, you will spend another hour or so categorizing them into a coupon binder or other storage system for easier recall later on. Digital coupons, however, only take a few minutes at most to add to your digital account.
Better offers
When it comes to specialized offers, there’s a toss-up. Digital coupon deals are mainly manufacturer offers, though there are store-specific coupons that can be of high value. The manufacture’s offers mirror what is offered in the Sunday coupon ad. I will say that store-specific coupons are often high value and can be stacked on top of digital manufacturers’ coupon deals to drive down the price. On the other hand, paper coupons direct from the manufacturer are often very high value. You can also purchase coupons from different regions, some of which contain very high-value offers as well. And we can not forget about Catalina coupon printouts which are also great high-value cash-back type deals that can be very lucrative.
When it comes to digital vs paper coupons, it can be a toss-up. What you decide to use will ultimately be up to your preface. If you are looking for simplicity, go with digital offers. If you are okay spending time organizing and potentially getting high-value offers, go with paper coupons.
