Cook Fast, Live Young: Finding and Using Electronic Grocery Coupons

Using coupons at the grocery store can save you a fair chunk of change, yet many of us don't make use of them. Maybe it's the time it takes to clip them out or the trouble of rummaging through your purse to find them. Or maybe you fall into the trap that I often do and leave them at home.

But I have good news! It doesn't have to be a hassle in our digital age if you make use of electronic coupons. Not tech savvy? Trust me, it's easy to learn.

Load them on to your loyalty card. Sign up for an account at Shortcuts.com or Coupons.com. Be sure to add your loyalty card number for your favorite grocery chain when asked. You can also go directly to the site of the grocery store, because many have added the feature there as well.

Then browse through the electronic or savings card coupons available on the site, click "add," and they'll be available on your next shopping trip. Simply swipe your card like your normally do, and voila! But be sure to load the coupons on your card at least an hour before going to the store to ensure that it registers in their system.

Upload coupons onto your smart phone. When you get to the store, they simply scan the bar code off of your phone. Valpak.com offers this nifty feature on their site. Once you've set it up, you don't even need to go to a computer. If you have an iPhone, you can also check out apps, such as Grocery iQ, Pushpins, and Grocery Gadget.

Print coupons out online. Okay, this one really only saves you the trouble of getting a paper and clipping stuff out, but usually these sites collect all the coupons on one or more pages (depending on how many you have). That makes it easier to find in your purse when it comes time to check out.

Now there's no excuse for forgetting your coupons at home!

Juliana Weiss-Roessler has ten years of professional writing and editing experience. For four years, she managed the web content for the star of an Emmy-nominated reality series. Currently, she is an editor for the geek girl e-zine PinkRaygun.com, a contributor to the career blog at Resumark.com, and owner of the food blog CookFastLiveYoung.blogspot.com. Follow her @cookfast on Twitter and learn more about her work at WeissRoessler.com.