Finding the freshest coupons is essential if you want to make sure you have a working coupon when you goto use it at the store or online ecommerce site. The best way to make sure you have an up to date coupon is to find a fresh coupon on the internet. I do this by first searching google for the type of coupon you are looking for. A lot of times google will even tell you when the page was last updated. As a general rule of thumb you want to aquire coupons that have been created or added in the last month at the most, these are the best kind of coupons to have since they are new, and the company behind the coupon is still fully endorsing the use of the coupon. Nothing sucks more than being in line with a product or ready to check out and then have the company or worker tell you that your coupon cannot be used and you must pay full price. Sometimes these people don’t even complete their original order and just leave the store. It’s sad so I suggest you all follow my instructions on finding only the newest, and best coupons for yourself.

Perhaps the greatest trap you can fall into is overspending. Studies show that most consumers spend more on a reward card than a non reward card. So even if you pay off your balance in full each month, if you routinely spend more on a reward card than you can afford, you’ll quickly find yourself in financial quicksand.

Another reason why you might feel a strong temptation to overspend is that reward cards can become quite addictive. The more you spend, the greater the rebate. Watch out for that, especially if your card company tries to egg you on to spend more with what economists call “purchase acceleration.”

When you near a reward threshold, the lender sends you a letter or an email trying to get you to spend more. “It’s a way for issuers to remind their customers that they’re getting close to cashing in,” explains Lars Holmquist, president of TSYS Loyalty, which helps financial institutions develop loyalty programs.

Issuers also know that consumers tend to spend more after getting a reward. If you get a free airline ticket as a reward, for example, you’re likely to spend more on the trip itself (hotel room, meals, souvenirs, and so on). To avoid temptation, strictly adhere to your monthly budget. If you don’t have a budget, create one. Homemoneyhelp.com, operated by my endearing friend Terry Rigg (aka Grandpa Terry), is a great resource for free budgeting tools and advice. Similarly, The Budget Kit (Kaplan Publishing, 2008) by Judy Lawrence, is chock full of worksheets that make it easy to plan.