Extreme couponing takes a little more work than clipping coupons only on occasion, but with a few couponing tips it’s easy to get started. Generally, extreme couponers try to use coupons for as many purchases as possible and save a significant amount on each trip to the store. To become an extreme couponer yourself, follow these tips.

Find Printable Coupons Online

Before you shop, search coupon sites like Smart Source and Coupons.com for coupons you can print and bring with you to the store. If you don’t find a coupon for the exact product you want, try searching for products that could be substitutes. For example, when coupons for home cleaning sprays aren’t available, select coupons for supplies like baking soda and white vinegar that are also useful for cleaning. Search for similar terms because brands often use different names for the same item. Thus, when you search for “fabric softener,” remember to search for “fabric conditioner” and “dryer sheets” too.

Get Coupons Directly from Your Favorite Brands

While extreme couponers need to be flexible about the brands of products they buy, couponing doesn’t have to mean giving up your favorite brands altogether. Be on the lookout for deals from brands you like so that you can stock up on their products when they’re cheapest. Follow your favorite brands on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to their email newsletters. Brands offer coupons from time to time for their social media followers and newsletter subscribers. And some brands occasionally offer coupons in exchange for sharing social media content or completing surveys, so watch for announcements of these kinds of opportunities.

Stack Coupons

One of the most effective couponing tips that extreme couponers follow is to stack coupons. As the Springfield News-Sun explains, coupon stacking means pairing a coupon from a brand or manufacturer with a coupon from the store where you shop. If the store allows coupon stacking, you enjoy savings from each coupon. For example, if an item regularly sells for $5 but you have a manufacturer’s coupon worth $1 and a store coupon worth $1, you get $2 off and only pay $3 for the item. Your store may ask that customers not use more coupons than the number of products they buy; in that case, you may need to buy some additional items to match the number of coupons you have. You want to choose items that cost less than the value of the coupons and that are things you need rather than impulse purchases.

Before you begin coupon stacking, call the store to check if it allows this, and ask if it places any terms or restrictions on stacked coupons.

Use Coupons from Competing Stores

Some stores accept coupons from competitors in the same city. Using competitors’ coupons saves you money, and it also saves you time and transportation costs because you don’t have to travel to several different stores to take advantage of their deals. As with coupon stacking, it’s a good idea to call ahead and find out what the store’s policy is.