How Do You Do That? Coupon Sources

After 3+ years of doing some serious couponing, I am starting to figure out what works best for me.  This series will help answer that question I always hear: "How do you do that?" Or more like, "How do you get all that stuff free?"

~First of all, you need coupons! Well duh. You know the most common place to get coupons is the Sunday paper. So you browse through and clip the ones for products you need to buy this week and toss the rest in the garbage.  STOP!  You will save very little this way.  The trick is to save your coupons until the item goes on sale.  Then buy the product at the lowest possible price or for free before you need it. This usually happens about 4-6 weeks after the coupons are issued but can also happen that week.  Go here to learn about methods and organizers that best suit you.

~Another source of coupons is your printer. Coupons.com, Red Plum, Couponnetwork.com and Smartsource.com are good sources to print coupons.  I update my Favorite Printable Coupons page whenever valuable printables become available. You should also search these sites before heading to the store to by items you need NOW.


~Request free samples. Not only do you get a free product to try but most of the time you receive coupons with the sample.  The free samples I post are always easy, involving either entering your address, maybe registering on a website first or liking a company on Facebook.  But I never post samples that involve purchasing something first, or run you in circles leaving you wondering if you'll even get the sample you just spent 10 minutes trying to request.  


~Doctor Offices.  Keep your eyes open for tear pads of coupons found at the dentist and other doctors.  They often net free products.  Take a few but don't take them all!


~Peelies. These are stuck to products and it is preferred you use them on that product that day. One week at CVS blink Tears were on sale for $7.99, $7.99 ECBs printed after the purchase making the product free. There was a peelie on the gel variety for $4 off so I made $4 on that purchase. Can't beat free? Yeah you can!


~Blinkies. A little red box attached to the shelves that spit out coupons.  These are good to save for a sale. I usually take no more than 4 of each. I don't recommend taking kids coupon shopping since they can be really distracting but they are good at spotting these machines. So is your forehead when you bend over to look at something on a lower shelf. 


~Inside the packaging.  Don't forget to check for coupons inside products before throwing the packaging away.


~Vocalpoint.com frequently send free items and coupons automatically.  Definitely worth the time to sign up!


~Check company websites before shopping for items you need NOW and look for a coupon link.


~Ever see coupons laying on the shelves at the grocery store? It was left there by a Coupon Fairy.