Before you can utilize the money saving power of coupons- you got to get coupons! For that reason I have decided to kick off this series of posts with tips on how and where to collect a nice stash of coupons.
First and foremost-Newspaper Inserts. Most Sunday newspapers will have coupon inserts tucked inside. There are only a few Sunday's out of the year (mostly holiday weekends) with no coupon inserts. You can click here for the 2009 newspaper coupon insert schedule.
The 3 most common newspaper inserts are SmartSource (SS), Redplum (RP) and Proctor and Gamble (PG). Occasionally you will have other special inserts included by specific manufacturers. For example I can remember one time last year when Kelloggs put out a great insert full of coupons for Kelloggs specific products.
HINT: Our local paper does not have the RedPlum! To get the RedPlum I recommend "The Democrat- Gazette."
Another HINT: I have the most success with getting all scheduled inserts with a home delivered paper. Sometimes even the Gazette is missing coupon inserts when I have picked one up at the store.
Best HINT: Ask your Mom, Grandmother, Friends, Neighbors etc for their newspaper coupon inserts. Multiple inserts mean you have multiple coupons to really stockpile on products when they go on sale!
Internet Printables. Most of our local stores- Kroger, Walmart, Target and Walgreens do accept printable coupons at this time. (WARNING: there are always rumors floating around the internet that certain stores are starting to decline printables!) Internet Printables are found all over the internet. A lot of times manufacturers or specific products will have special offers and coupons on their website. For example when I went to YoPlus.com to research information for the "product of the week" I noticed there was a $1 off coupon.
Other sites that are ALWAYS a great destination for coupon printables:
Coupons.com (go directly or access through my DRS sidebar)
SmartSource.com
HINT: Most printables only allow you to print two coupons per computer!
Loadable Coupons. At Kroger you can load coupons onto your Kroger card from 3 different sites: P&G eSaver; Shortcuts; and Cellfire.
All three can be accessed through kroger's website. Once at Kroger.com click on the "In Store" link. A drop down menu will appear- click "coupons." From this page you can register with all 3 coupon vendors. Remember you will need to have your Kroger card available when you register so you can link your card with each site. Then once you have loaded your card your discounts will automatically be credited when you check out using your Kroger card.
HINT: Loadable coupons do not double! But you can stack your loadable coupon with your paper manufacturer coupons for really awesome savings!
Another HINT: Each coupon is only redeemable one time.
And Another HINT: Don't forget to add new coupons to your card at least once a month.
Blinkies. These are the coupons that are dispensed from cute little machines that stick out of the aisles in our grocery stores.
HINT: Go ahead and take 2-3 coupons from each dispenser whether your ready to use it or not. Then save to use when that particular item goes on sale.
Magazines. Most magazines, especially Women's magazines, will have advertisements that offer coupons. One magazine that I subscribe to specifically for the coupons is ALL YOU magazine. This magazine even has a coupon index to help you locate the different coupons found throughout each edition.
Peelies. Peelies are coupons that are found on products that you can "peel" off to hand to the cashier for immediate savings.
HINT: some products also have coupons printed on the inside packaging of the product. For example, there are a lot of cereal boxes that have coupons printed on the inside of the box to use for future purchases.
Catalinas. Catalinas are the coupons that print out after or attached to your receipt. Many times specific items purchased trigger certain catalinas. For example you may notice a catalina for baby formula if you purchased diapers. Sometimes a coupon will print when a competitor brand was bought. For example if you purchased a Kelloggs cereal, you might get a catalina for a General Mills cereal. And then sometimes catalinas print for $ off your next purchase- those are my favorite!
Kroger Mailers. If you have a Kroger card you should be getting coupons mailed to your house. These are some of my favorite coupons because Kroger sends coupons tailored specifically for me based on my past purchases. Many times they will even mail me a coupon for a FREE product. If you are not getting these mailers, contact Kroger. Forever I kept reading about these great coupons and wondered why I wasn't receiving any in the mail. So I called Kroger's headquarters and they fixed whatever the problem was and I now receive Kroger coupons all the time (at least twice a month!).
Walgreens EasySaver Catalog Each month Walgreens has a new EasySaver Catalog that is full of Walgreen specific coupons and rebates. The catalog is found at the entrance of the store on the same stand as the weekly Walgreen Flyer. The great thing about all Walgreen coupons is that you can stack them with manufacturer coupons for double the savings.
Coupon Swaps I have never participated in a coupon swap or trade but I read about them all the time. I'm sorry I have no words of wisdom on this particular method because I have not figured it out for myself quite yet. I'll have to get back to you.
Ebay Ebay is another resource for coupons that I have not taken advantage of. (I know your not suppose to end a sentence with a preposition "of" but I can't figure out another way to write that last sentence,) Anyways... Supposedly this is a hot market and you can bid on bundles of coupons for a great deal.
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