Sources for Collecting Coupons

When I first began using coupons, I assumed that the only coupons available were those that came in the Sunday paper. I was wrong! In fact, there are several sources for collecting coupons and building your stash.

Subscribe to the local newspaper. Sunday newspaper coupon inserts are packed with coupons, and having the paper delivered to your door is any easy way to begin your coupon collection. Although there are several other great sources for coupons, the Sunday paper contains the most and the widest variety. If you subscribe to the paper only for the coupons, maximize your savings by checking into getting a weekend only subscription. In my area, a weekend only subscription to the paper costs $0.99 a week. I also recommend subscribing to the paper with the largest circulation in your area. Smaller local papers may only contain about a third of the coupons available in the region each week.

Subscribe to All You magazine. All You is packed with great tips for saving, frugal recipes and over $50 in high-dollar coupons each month.

Collect extra coupon inserts from family, friends and neighbors. Although couponing is catching on as a great way to save, you may find you know several people who are more than happy to give you their coupon inserts so that you can put them to good use. The workplace is another great place to acquire an extra set of coupon inserts. The inserts from the paper delivered to my husband’s work place were being thrown away. Now he brings them home and we have two sets of coupons each week, but we only have to pay for one.

Collect coupons at the store. Train your eyes to see the savings available to you at the grocery store. If you keep your eyes peeled, you can find coupons on tear pads, in blinking dispensers (often called blinkies) and on or inside product packages (the kind you peel off are often called peelies). Although I don’t recommend peeling off coupons attached to products unless you plan on purchasing the product, I see no harm in taking a few extra coupons from the dispensers or tear pads for future use. In addition to in-store coupons, Walgreens also regularly issues in-ad coupons in the weekly circular, and occasionally Target will include a $10 gift card coupon with a new or transferred prescription. Other stores in your area may also offer in-ad coupons so be sure to pick up a circular when you enter the store and look over it carefully.

Print online coupons called printable coupons. Coupons.com and RedPlum are two great places to start your search for printable coupons (also called IPs or internet printables). These sites allow you to print two coupons per computer, and they update the coupons available every few days or once a month. There is a print limit per coupon and some coupons are only available to those living in certain zip codes.

Create an account at your local grocery store. Kroger chain stores, Costco, Target and several other stores regularly send out coupons in the mail to those on their mailing list. Sign up for an account online or at customer service. If the coupons sent out are store coupons, you may be able to use both a store coupon and a manufacturer’s coupon on a single item although Costco allows only store coupons.

Request free samples. Walmart has samples of several different products to try, and other companies occasionally offer free samples as well. More often than not, these free samples will arrive in the mail with a high-value coupon inside the package.

Load e-coupons onto your grocery store card. There are several options for e-coupons, but currently only select grocery stores allow these coupons. Several big chains stores allow the use of Cellfire coupons. For a full explanation of Cellfire, check out this post here.

Sign up for a word-of-mouth marketing site. By sign up for VocalPoint, you will be able access product information, request free coupons and receive free samples. General Mill’s Pssst program also offers coupons to members.

Purchase extra coupons through Coupons and Things by Dede, The Coupon Master, or The Coupon Clippers Some people regularly save hundreds of dollars by purchasing only the coupons they need through such services.

Email a company to praise their product and request coupons. If you cannot find coupons for a product you enjoy, try emailing the company directly. Many times you will be rewarded with a generous amount of coupons. My friend’s son has a milk allergy, and when she couldn’t find any coupons for the soy milk he drinks, she contacted the company and received five coupons for her efforts.