When trying to save for home improvement, every little bit helps. I may not be an extreme couponer like the people featured on TLC's show "Extreme Couponing" but I have taken some tips from them and applied them to my shopping practices.
One of the very first shows I caught told about a woman that searched databases of sales and did mail-order coupons. At first the idea of mail-order coupons made no sense to me, why pay for something that should save you money not make you spend more. But after searching for mail-order coupons and finding thecouponclippers.com, I've changed my mind. The charge per coupon is such a small fraction of the actual savings of the coupon that you still save money and many of the coupons will be doubled by your store. Usually any coupon up to $0.50 can be doubled, but check your local stores coupon policy to be sure and sometimes there will be a limit to how many of these coupons will be doubled in each transaction.
I also visit coupons.com, which is a free website that once you download their printing software will let you print coupons you can use at your local grocery store. Usually you can clip the coupon up to five times before maxing out. Some store loyalty programs will also let you download the coupons to your loyalty card. So when you swipe your card at the checkout the loyalty coupons as well as the downloaded coupons are applied to your order.
Another tip is to watch the sales at the store. When Tyson Chicken Strips go on sale, and you happen to have a coupon for Tyson Chicken Strips, now is the time to use that coupon and get as many Tyson Chicken Strips as you dare. Using a coupon for a sale item helps you maximize your savings. Even better is when an item goes on clearance and you have a coupon.
Following these tips will help those pennies add up faster so you can take care of the bathroom floor that needs replacing, and heck while you're at it, just redo the entire bathroom.