Where to Get Coupons

So how do you get started couponing and saving money?


1) Get a paper every single week, the AJC here in Atlanta is best as the local papers get less coupons. Even better, get a Sunday double for $0.50 more! Thats two sets of coupons. Why? These are almost always the best/highest value coupons. Then find a nice recycling center or recycle bin to get even more sets. There are many of them around Gwinnett, just look around. We have several recycle bins at the front of our apt complex, but there are also sorting centers, giant green bins at places like Walmart and the parks, the little buckets that people put on the curb once a week for collection, etc. There are a TON of ways to get more coupon inserts free of charge. You may think this crazy, but there are many times that I get free items or even overage from using several of the same coupon.


2) Get to know the coupon sites. If there is an item you want or use frequently, go to that manufacturers site. Many of them will have printable coupons right on there! Then just make a favorites folder on your internet browser and add some of the following to it. There are many more, but these are a few of my favorites that I subscribe to and check often. Some of them require a one time sign up, so use the same email and password for each. And use an email you will check! It may be different than your usual one, but these companies will send random emails with coupons adding to your potential savings!


http://www.coupons.com/
http://www.redplum.com/
http://www.smartsource.com/
http://www.pillsbury.com/
http://www.bettycrocker.com/
http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/
http://www.kraftfoods.com/


3) Sign up for free samples when you see one for something you either will use or might use. I say this because its an excellent way to try something for free, with no obligation, and they almost always come with a coupon to buy the product. Sometimes the coupon is a high value or even for a full size of the sample free. One of my favorite places for samples is here-

http://walmart.triaddigital.com/In-Stores-Now-free-samples.aspx Right now they have samples for No Doz, Emergen-C, Fancy Feast cat food, Nicorette, Prilosec, and Tena.

You can also find tons of samples from CVS, Kroger, other blog sites, etc.


4) Coupons are ALL around. Seriously! It takes training, but now even my 4 year old finds coupons all the time. He loves grabbing them before I see and passing them to me, lol. They are on the checkout counter at the doctors office, in the gym locker room, by the register at stores, in your junk mail inserts, on tearpads located in the store aisles, peelies located on the products for sale, on little stands in the front of grocery stores.... Sometimes even in the parking lot you can find good ones dropped by other people, like $5 off a $25 purchase cash register rewards. Keep a look out, and you will be surprised how many you might pass by regularly without noticing!


5) Be a tester for a parent company! Sounds odd right? Not really. There are many sites that send out free samples of new products (or coupons for free items when they hit stores) in exchange for your feedback. I am on P & G, Vocal Point, BzzAgent, and a few more. Many times I check my mail box and get a surprise item or coupon. Things I have gotten are free chips, toilet paper, cereal, the new bounce dryer bar and even coupons to share with my friends. Thats never a bad thing!

6) Sign up for home mailed magazines from Publix and Kroger. Publix has 4 (wine, baby, greenwise, and something else) and Kroger has one (MyMagazine). These have coupons in them that the store versions do NOT have! And they are usually store coupons you can stack with current MF ones.

7) And last but not least, trade or buy them. Once you get acquainted with coupons and which ones you want, trade for them! Many sites have trading sections where you can send off ones you dont want to someone who has what you need. If no one has them for trade, or you just want to secure a lot of them, you can find them for sale on coupon clipping sites or even Ebay. This is a last resort, but sometimes you can pay minimal ($0.05- $0.10 each) for a coupon that might provide up to $2.00 overage towards your other groceries.