Couponing 101- How To Find Coupons

So, you may be wondering where my vast selection of coupons comes from, the simple answer is anywhere and everywhere.

I can spot a coupon from several yards away and am never shy about picking it up! I have asked neighbors for the ones in their recycle bins and grabbed the ones left behind in shopping carts. These are just impulse grabs.

Keep reading to learn how to get lots of coupons so you can create your own stockpile.

• Most of you probably already know that coupons come in the Sunday paper, although this is a great guarantee to get the deals right to your doorstep, at a price of $3 a paper, I am hesitant to recommend it. 

• I highly recommend going to smartsource.com typing in your zip code, and searching for other papers that offer their coupons. You can likely find them at a lower cost or even free! I am lucky enough to receive a SmartSource coupon book in a free special edition Thursday paper that is delivered right to my doorstep. I have also found a local paper that goes for .50 so I get 6 for the price of 1 Sunday paper!

• Your mailman may even be bringing you free coupons in the mail each week. You may be throwing them out each week and not realizing it. You know that cumbersome stack of “junk mail” that quickly goes from the mailbox to the recycling bin? Sort through it this week and I bet you find a Redplum coupon book, or at minimum some coupons to your favorite local businesses and restaurants.

• In addition to finding free coupons, there are great internet coupon resources to find coupons that you can purchase and have delivered to your home OR print from your home computer. My absolute favorite spot to get bulk coupons is EBay.

• On Ebay, there are plenty of options to get the quantity desired and I decide how much I am willing to spend on them. I stick to a strict policy of not paying more than 10% face value of a coupon. I also try to avoid auctions and stick to the “Buy it now” option so that I can get the coupons that much faster. If you use EBay for coupons don’t be afraid to reach out to sellers to see if they will offer discounts for larger quantities for coupons. For example, if I see someone selling 5 sets of 10 coupons. I will ask for a bulk discount if I purchase all 5, most times the buyer is willing!

Coupons.com

• My other go-to coupon websites are coupons.com and smartsource.com. They consistently have high value coupons and are frequently updating their stock available. These websites limit you to 2 prints per coupon per IP address but they are completely free, and you can print right there and then. Save some pennies by printing them in black and white, they do not need to be in color to be accepted at stores.

• My last and possibly greatest sources for getting coupons are is by asking my family and friends. When I decided I was going to make using coupons part of my life I reached out to them and asked for help. 

Remember, never say no to a coupon! If you can’t use it, you can trade it for one you can or donate to a coupon bank. 

Don’t ever be shy when it comes to gathering your coupons.

Check back next week to learn more on how to manage a stockpile! ~Marsha

Guest Blog Post from Family Made Simple fan, Marsha Giroux. Marsha, the mom of Harry, 2 ½ and Sophia 1 resides in Rhode Island.