1. Unless you have a source for obtaining the Sunday inserts for free, you should buy at least two Sunday papers each week to build your coupon base. You can usually find Sunday papers bundled in groups of two for a discounted price. If you prefer to subscribe, many papers will sell you the Sunday paper only and may even sell bundled Sunday papers for home delivery.
2. Find a bookmark several couponing blogs that you enjoy reading. You will pick up tips as well as stay encouraged.
3. Find and bookmark as many (truly) free online coupon sites as you can. Online printable coupons are limited to two per coupon per computer. If you have multiple sites you can use, you can print out two per site without violating any terms of use. There are lots of sites, such as ours http://www.extendmydollar.com, where you can print coupons without having to give out any personal information. Those are the sites you want to bookmark.
4. Know your store's coupon policy and keep a printed copy with you. Many cashiers (and even store managers) do not know the store’s coupon policy. If you have a problem, having a copy of the policy with you can save the day (or at least the deal!).
5. Plan your shopping trip and stick with your list. If you build your stockpile correctly, it should be the rarest of occasions when you will ever buy a product that is not on sale and that you do not also have a coupon for.
6. Develop a network of family and/or friends that will save their coupon inserts for you. Also, keep you eyes and ears open for places where you can pick up free inserts, such as recycling bins.
7. Sign up for a free email address with gmail or yahoo or whatever site you prefer and then sign up for manufacturer newsletters and newsletters from other companies. You won’t get spammed from the large manufacturers but you may from some of the other “freebies” companies. That’s why you need a separate email account just for the coupons. I don’t mind scanning through my emails to get the freebies and exclusive coupons as long as it doesn’t interfere with my normal emails.
Kellogg’s has exclusive coupons when you sign up for their newsletter and they won’t spam you but I would still use my free email account to receive their emails.
Good-Cents has lots of freebies, coupons and other goodies but you will get a lot of emails from them and their associated partners. You can sign up with them by clicking on the link below (after you set up your separate coupon email account J).
Get a FREE Money Savings Guide
8. Check your grocery store for “blinkies” and “peelies”. Blinkies are those little red machines you find on the store aisles that spit out coupons. Peelies are coupons that are attached to specific products. Blinkines can be taken and used later. Peelies, on the other hand, should only be used to buy the item they are attached to at the time you remove it. A product with a peelie may or may not be a good deal so don’t just buy a product with a peelie because it has a coupon.
9. Also, you may receive coupons from the cashier after you check out. These are called “catalinas” and usually print out for a competitor’s product (based on a similar product you just purchased). For example, you buy Kraft shredded cheese. You may get a catalina for the store brand of cheese or you may get one Sargento shredded cheese. You may even get a catalina for a related product such as Pillsbury pizza dough. These coupons are for use on future shopping trips.
10. Check for coupons in products you buy and on product packaging. Check you packaging when you are buying a product as sometimes a package will have one and the next package will not (usually because the products were made at a different time). These coupons generally have a longer time before they expire (allowing you more time to match it with a sale) and many times these types of coupons have a higher value.to load coupons onto your shopping card. Nice service so you don’t have to clip or carry any of the coupons.
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