Where can I find coupons?
These days, coupons can be found practically anywhere. Here are just a few places/ways you can find coupons:
THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER
Every
week, with the exception of some holiday weekends, you will receive
anywhere from one to a few coupons inserts chock full of coupons. Some
of the most popular coupon inserts that you will normally find are the
RedPlum and Smartsource inserts. Also, Procter & Gamble usually puts
out a monthly insert around the beginning of the month (or end of the
previous month depending on the date). Once in a while Procter and
Gamble will offer an additional mini mid-month insert. Other Sunday
coupon inserts that have been known to be included from time to time are
Target store inserts, PepsiCo, and General Mills.
ONLINE
With
the technological advances of the World Wide Web (do they still call it
that?), couponing has been able to branch out like never before. There
are major websites that allow you to print coupons right on your home
printer. The major (legitimate) coupon printing websites are Coupons.com (AKA Bricks), Coupon Network, Mambo Sprouts, RedPlum, SmartSource, and Recyclebank.
Sometimes the websites, mentioned above, will ask you to install a
mandatory coupon printing program. It is not possible to print without
these programs, but they are 100% legit. This software helps the coupon
companies keep track of the number of coupons being printed. (Note:
There are several coupon programs that also offer a toolbar, but you can
opt out of installing this. They are not mandatory) Some printable
coupons will also have serial numbers that will vary from one coupon to
the next.
Other
means for printing coupons include the actual manufacturer’s website
(including their Facebook page) or getting on their email list. Let’s
say you love International Delight coffee creamers, but you can’t seem
to find a coupon for them in your Sunday paper or on the major coupon
printing sites. Why not check their actual website? There’s a good
chance you can find a coupon there. Even signing up for manufacturer
email updates sometimes helps those printable coupons arrive straight to
your inbox. A lot of times email subscribers will get first dibs or
exclusive coupons that cannot be found anywhere else, simply because
they signed up for these updates
One
important thing to mention when it comes to printable coupons that, in
most cases, you will be allowed to print two of the same coupon on each
site, per computer. So let’s say you have three computers at home, you
can hop on each one to print two of the same coupon on each one. This
would give you six of the same coupon. There are some exceptions to this
rule, where an offer may only let you print one, but in typical
circumstances the maximum allowable quantity is usually two per
computer.
MAGAZINES
There
are some magazines where you’ll find a few a coupons hidden here and
there. For example, I tend to find the occasional coupon in Family
Circle, Better Homes & Gardens, and Martha Stewart magazine. If you
really want a magazine that is chock full of coupons, then I highly
recommend All You.
It is a magazine that you can find at the stands at Walmart or you
could also purchase a subscription (which is a WAY better deal in the
long run). I will occasionally post special deals on All You subscriptions.
They are totally worth it if you are looking to start or maintain a
nice collection of coupons. Plus the magazine has some great articles!
PRODUCT PACKAGING
Look
for coupons on your favorite products. Sometimes they’ll be hidden
inside a box of oatmeal or cereal or perhaps they are posted right on
the back of the box. There are times when I open up a new bag of dog
food for my furbaby, and find a coupon sitting right on top of the
kibble. Have you ever went to grab a product off the grocery shelf and
saw a coupon that you can peel off to give to the cashier? These are
called peelies and they are always a pleasant surprise for couponers.
Keep a look out on the inside and outside of your favorite products,
because you never know what you’ll find.
TEAR PAD & BILLBOARD ADVERTISEMENTS
The
next time you are at your local grocery store, be on the look out for
coupons advertised in plain site. Sometimes you find those tear pads in
front of a particular product or other times you will be able to grab
one from those little battery operated machines with the blinking light
(these are called blinkies). Sometimes products will be offering a
monthly promotion and you may see a billboard with coupons. Be sure to
also check the front of your store by the weekly circulars and the
customer service desk, because sometimes you’ll be able to score some
great coupon finds in these areas, as well.
STORE CIRCULARS & ADVERTISEMENTS
Once
in a while, a store may have coupons printed right on their
advertisements for the week. A few stores that tend to do this
frequently are Family Dollar and the major drug store retailers such as
Rite Aid, CVS, and Walgreens.
CATALINAS & OTHER STORE COUPON MACHINES
Catalinas
are those coupons that print at the cash register with your receipt
after check out. Sometimes Catalinas are a surprise, but there are other
times when you can gauge when one will print and plan for it. For
example a store circular might say, Purchase three of x items and
receive a $2.00 off coupon for your next shopping order. So you will
know that purchasing three of those items is going to give you a $2.00
Catalina at checkout. There other times where you may be able to print
coupons at a store machine. These are not considered Catalinas, but CRT
(Cash Register Tape). CVS is one example of a store that offers this. If
you are an ExtraCare member, you can scan your card at their in-store
red machine to print out coupons for the week.
ECOUPONS
These
are coupons that either loaded to your store card or downloaded to your
Smartphone. A lot of times grocery stores will let you create a free
online account for your shopper store card. Keep a look out on their
websites for the option to add electronic coupons right to your card.
When you purchase the items that apply to the coupon and scan your card
at checkout, the coupon discount should automatically come right off you
total bill. Kroger, Stop & Shop, and Giant are just three of the
many stores that offer this option. If you are also Smartphone user, you
may have the ability to add coupons right to your phone and have them
scanned at check out. I know Michaels and Target are two stores that
have this option available to their customers.
WRITING TO COMPANIES OR REGISTERING FOR THEIR MAILING LIST
If
you cannot seem to find a coupon for that one product that you
absolutely love, why not write to the company? With the wonders of
technology, you don’t have to even rely on snail mail to get this
accomplished. Most manufacturer websites have either a contact form or
email address that allows you to get in touch with them directly. Let
them know how much you like their product and ask if they maintain a
mailing list for coupons. Even if they don’t usually maintain a mailing
list, they may offer to mail you some coupons as a one-time courtesy.
Other times, you will remain on their list and receive surprise coupons
in the mail every now and then (I love when companies do this!). Many
manufacturers are great with this, but I do have to warn you that there
are still some companies that will turn your request down. Don’t be
discouraged, just move onto the next manufacturer that you would love
coupons from. Pretty soon, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how
generous some manufacturers can really be.
COUPON CLIPPING SERVICES
There
are services out there that clip coupons and just charge for the cost
of their time and effort (it is illegal to actually sell the coupons). I
highly advise to be cautious on who you go with if you choose this
route. While there are a lot of great coupon clipping services out
there, there are some that may not have ethical practices. I have only
used a coupon service a few times when I really needed a great coupon
and missed it from my Sunday paper. If you need a recommendation for a
good clipping service, which I have used personally, please feel free to
contact me.
OTHER PEOPLE (FAMILY, FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, COWORKERS, ETC.)
Do
you know anyone who gets the Sunday paper? If so, ask them if they are
going to use all of their coupons. You’d be surprised how many people
just throw this portion of their paper out, simply because they don’t
use the coupons. You could always ask them to hold onto those inserts
for you. You could also conduct swaps with other couponers. Maybe your
friend needs that diaper coupon you have and you need that laundry
detergent coupon they have.
