Nichole Schaubroeck, who goes by the name of Coupon Cutie, is a Manitoba-based couponer who shares all sorts of deals and shopping tricks on her TikTok and Instagram accounts.
Schaubroeck first got into couponing after seeing a friend's son doing it, and her money-saving tricks have built her a TikTok following of over 500,000 people.
Her couponing has helped her find free items and even make money back, and she told Narcity the best tips for finding deals as well as her top shopping hacks.
Start small
In the big world of couponing, it can be hard to know where to start, and here's what Schaubroeck suggests so you don't feel overwhelmed.
"My biggest piece of advice is to start small," she says. "Start trying to do a price match, use a coupon, don't go crazy and try to do a huge haul because usually, you'll fail, and then you'll get frustrated and you'll want to give up."
"Try to find something on clearance even, because that is the most exciting thing when you find something for a buck that was like 20 bucks. Even just that will get you started."
Buy in advance
Do you only purchase the things you're out of on your shopping trips? According to Schaubroeck, if you want to save money, you need to plan ahead. She says that the biggest thing she's changed about her shopping habits since she started couponing is "buying in advance".
"Most people wait until [they're] out of something to buy it. But if you want to coupon and save money, you need to buy it before you need it — when it's on sale. So it's all about buying a few items at a time so that you have it when it's on sale."
Download apps for discounts
Nowadays, Schaubroeck says the majority of offers aren't found in paper flyers like they used to be. One of the best ways to discover deals is by using apps.
"For points offers, you'd want to get the PC App, and there's Air Miles as well for points," she explains. "For cash back, there is Checkout 51, Eclipsa, and then you can also do price matching with Rebee and Flipp."
"They're all completely free, no charge to use any of them."
But just how much can these offers really save you? It all depends on the current deals, but Schaubroeck says she's actually made money by using coupons.
"I had an offer for 60 cents in points when you buy canned vegetables. I went to the store and they were on sale for 10 cents [...] I filled up a cart [...], I went to the till, I paid $40 and I earned back $230 in points. That was the best!"
Combine your offers
When it comes to getting a good deal, the first thing Schaubroeck does is check for offers on all of her apps and combine them.
"How I look for deals is, I match up the flyers — so I'll look on Rebee for different flyers that are available, I'll match that up with any points offers available or any coupons or cash back apps available. That's how you figure out where the deals are."
"Any store can have a discount or a deal, [I] do shop a lot as a couponer at Loblaws-owned stores [...] because they often have the best points offers that match up with the coupons."
"I really hope that people will give it a try," Schaubroeck adds. "It's so much fun when you start. Like I said, even just getting something on clearance that was 20 bucks for a buck or saving a dollar off with food. You know, sometimes people think it's this built up, scary thing, using a coupon or price match [...] but it's not!"
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.