Sick of seeing the 50¢ off coupons and thinking how will I ever REALLY save money with a coupon like that?
Oh, my friends, you have the idea of couponing all wrong. The first thing you need to know is how easy it is to find coupons today. They are everywhere!
Maybe you saw the show “Extreme Couponing” or checked out “The Krazy Coupon Lady” and realized you wanted in on the stockpiles. Where do you start? Well, you start by gathering up your coupons and have a stockpile of coupons.
Couponing will save you lots of cash but you do have to do a bit of work.
If you have a smartphone you can cut a bunch of time by using Coupon Matchups lists right on your phone where they save each item to a customized list to find coupons and deals. Or even on a desktop, you can print the list too.
But let’s say you really need an item that is not on sale at Target. You want to save money on it but where do you start? You’ve been following coupon sites and trying to keep up with your friends who coupon, but it’s not clicking.
No Fear. You will learn all the best spots to print and gather coupons without wasting a lot of time.
10 Quick Ways to Find Coupons Like a Pro
ONLINE PRINTABLE COUPONS
Coupons.com– is by far the best spot for printing coupons. They update daily and have hundreds of dollars worth to print. It’s also super easy to use. You can search by categories right at the top.
Hopster.com– This is up on the list because the coupons are rare- ones you don’t see all the time over and over and most of them are on all natural/organic items.
Smartsource– You know those coupons that come in the Sunday Newspaper? You can print some online too!
Redplum-You know those coupons that come in the Sunday Newspaper? You can print some online too!
Commonkindness– every time you print a coupon here they donate money to your favorite charity!
Savings.com- a database of exclusive coupons to print for free
USE A COUPON DATABASE
A coupon database is a time saver! The database is updated daily with coupons found online and in the newspaper. Remember that this database is being updated by REAL people! This is a great way to find coupons for a product you need without searching all over the internet.
NEWSPAPER INSERTS
You can check out a preview each week for what inserts you may be receiving in the paper to see if it’s worth grabbing one or even a few extras. This way you aren’t buying a newspaper wasting money to find coupons you don’t even need.
REWARD PROGRAMS
Kellogg’s Family Rewards is a great way to earn points on Kellogg’s products you buy and in return cash in those points for coupons. My Tops bonus card is linked to my KFR account so when I buy items at Tops they automatically credit in my KFR account. There are many stores to choose from to link your loyalty cards to, so you don’t have to scan receipts to earn anything back.
FREE APPS
It’s the way of today to have e-coupons now. There are some great apps that offer savings each week on new items. These are coupons that we can redeem on our phones, desktop computers, tablets etc. I have done a list of the best apps to save money here.
MAGAZINES
I share a lot of free magazine subscriptions and many still come with coupons. Parents, Family Circle, and Better Homes and Gardens are the ones that have packets of coupons every couple months.
BLINKIE MACHINES
These little guys are something to keep your eyes open for. Our local grocery store has these frequently. Grab a few and not too many as to leave some for fellow shoppers. Most of the time you will hold on to this coupon to match with a sale. Of course, if there is a sale on that current item use it right away!
FREE SAMPLES
You have probably come across an offer online to try something for free and passed it up for numerous reasons. Well, think again before clicking no thanks. Almost always samples come with a high-value coupon for the product with much longer expiration dates! If you’re worried about your e-mail cluttering up with promos, create a separate email account just for your couponing!
There are blogs dedicated to just free items. Check out Freebieshark and Freestufftimes.
WEEKLY GROCERY STORE AD, or IN AD
Our local grocery store Tops has a Bonus plus program allowing you to add coupons directly to your card here. Many other big grocery store retailers do this too.
After you load the coupon to your card once you purchase the item the coupon savings is deducted at the register. This eliminates the excuse of not having time to clip and cut out coupons.
Keep an eye out in the weekly flyers for in-store coupons. Rite Aid and CVS, Target all offer in-store coupons frequently in the weekly sales flyer. Target also has the amazing and super time-saving Target App where you can find coupons that are store and manufacturers.
BJs now has it’s own app where you can add BJs coupons AND manufacturer coupons right to your membership card.
GO STRAIGHT TO A COMPANY’S WEBSITE
If you know you need a certain item and you checked the coupon database you can find coupons by going straight to the brand’s website. Many times you will find a coupon or you can sign up for their newsletter in order to receive a coupon.
Do you use coupons? Do you think you may give it a try now?