Where Do I Get Coupons?

I am frequently asked where I get my coupons.  People ask because, frankly, they are surprised to find out that I am saving real money using coupons – not 15 cents or even 2 dollars, but thousands of dollars per year.  Here’s the rundown of my best coupon sources and a little lesson in “couponese” – the language of the American coupon sub-culture you never knew existed.  Please leave comments with questions and other suggestions so we can all benefit.

Sunday Newspaper

If you’ve ever picked up a Sunday paper then you are familiar with little coupon booklets they contain.  Like most of us, you pitch them because hey, “there are not coupons for things I buy” or “I hate clipping and filing coupons.”  Well, change your mind about both those things. 

First, believe me now and understand me later, but there are coupons for things you use.  I promise.  Well, unless you don’t use toilet paper, brush your teeth, use deodorant, need aluminum foil, eat cereal, yogurt, crackers (regular or organic), or use cleaning products.  In that case – skip the paper.  But, if you use anything I listed, then get the Sunday paper.  You can pick it up for $1 at Dollar Tree stores (click here for locations) or have it delivered.  Or, get creative – ask a coworker to bring you the coupon inserts they don’t use or ask a neighbor to save theirs for you.  If you want to save money, then I trust you can figure out how to get your hands on the Sunday paper.

Oh, and about the comment, “I hate clipping and filing coupons.”  Me too.  That’s why I don’t do it.  Seriously.  I use coupons, but don’t clip them and put them in some little file box.  Nope.  Here’s what I do instead – I date the front of the little coupon booklet (its called a “coupon insert” if you speak couponese), write the abbreviation of the insert’s publisher as stated across the top of the front page (Red Plum, Smart Source, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and General Mills are the biggies) and file it away.  Then when my shopping list calls for a coupon I just pull out that insert, clip the individual coupon I need and go shopping.

The Internet

There are legit sites for printing coupons.  Coupons.com is, in my humble opinion, the best one around.  SmartSource.com and RedPlum.com are other legit sites.  Did you notice that the big publishers from the paper also have websites?  No coincidence I suspect.  It’s their business.  In my weekly shopping lists I’ll post the links to printable coupons that match sale items, so I’ve got your back there.  Two other sources include: 

• Manufacturer’s websites – General Mills, Pillsbury, Arm & Hammer, Organic Valley, you name it and they have coupons on their site.  Google your favorite brands and I bet you discover a world of coupons.
• Other online coupons exist without clicking through a site at all.  These are “bricks coupons” in couponese; they are called that because the url starts with www.bricks.coupons.com.

Most legit online coupons have a number of things in common, so let me fill you in on some tips.  And know that online coupons are called “internet printable” coupons or “IPs” in couponese.

• You will need to download a little software application to be able to print them.  There are 2 or 3 different kinds of software, but they are all safe and legit.
• Each internet printable coupon can be printed twice per individual computer.  That little software application controls this so don’t bother fussing with your computer to get around it.  You can’t.  Just accept it and move on.  Of course you can have someone else print you a second set of two, if you’re nice to them.
• Most frequently internet printables expire a month after they are printed, but not always.
• Internet printable coupons often say “do not double” on them.  Locally, Rainbow Foods doubles coupons under certain circumstances (see more about that here).  I would advise you to ask the clerk at your Rainbow about that.  I am not trying to cheat anyone and personally have asked the staff at my store what I should do about that.  They’ve answered me that if the register doubles them, then they double.  They’ve told me that it is beyond their control because the registers are programmed to double.  But, I personally felt good knowing I had asked, multiple times in fact, so that I can never be accused of trying to hide that from the Rainbow staff.  I’d encourage you to do the same.
• Coupons.com release new coupons at the start of the month.  The other thing they’ll do is “reset” (another couponese word) the coupons.  When a coupon is reset that means you can legitimately print it two more times, even if you printed it twice before.  They will often do that a number of times with the really hot coupons at the start of the month.  Then it’s like a  feeding frenzy with folks trying to get there and print.
• Internet printable coupons have a global print limit.  That limit it secret, well at least secret to me, but it means that after any particular internet printable coupon is printed xxx thousand of times (where xxx is the magic, mystery number) that the coupon is taken off the internet all together.  So, as much as I hate clipping and filing coupons I sometimes print my most favorite ones as soon as they come out so I am sure to get my two little prints out of that gargantuan global print limit before the coupon goes bye-bye.
• As basic as it sounds, the coupons can be printed in black and white.  Don’t go spending $80 on an ink cartridge to print 420 in coupons.  That, my friend, would be sheer nonsense.  Personally, I own a small laser jet that runs for a very, very long time on one toner cartridge, it prints fast and it doesn’t mind printing on the blank, back side of gently used paper.

All You Magazine

I had heard about All You Magazine for well over a year before I caved a couple of months ago and bought it.  I am glad I did.  You can order a 1-year subscription (12 issues) now through May 31, 2009 for $10/year here.  That translates to 83 cents per issue for something like $100+ in coupons per issue; click here to see the list of $122 in coupons from the June issue.  After June 1, 2009 it’s $15 per year, or $1.25, which is still a pretty good deal.  I’m happy to report that most of the coupons are $1 off and each issue I’ve gotten has a $1 off Cottonelle toilet paper – which I will always put to good use matched up with a sale at Rainbow.  If you want to peruse a single copy, then you can pick it up at Walmart.  If you don’t shop at Walmart and don’t want to order it online, then you’re out of luck.  Those are your two options.

The Grocery Store Itself

“What? You’re telling me that I can get coupons right inside the store?”  Yep.  And, many times I have found coupons within the store that when I use that same day I get something free.  I almost feel compelled to tell everyone around me and sometimes I do.  Just keep your eyes open and you’ll be amazed at what you see and find.  When you’re in the store look in these couple of places:

• Product Packages: Often packages have coupons right on them that you can use for that same purchase.  Those are called “peelies” in couponese because they peel off the package.  Get it, peelies peel-off?  Other packages have coupons on them, but they are the kind you need to cut out once the box is empty.  These coupons are often good for a different product.  For instance, I just cut out a $1 off Craisins coupon from a box of Total Cereal.  I keep my eyes wide open in these areas of the grocery store: yogurt - individual cups and multi-packs, granola bars, Hefty one-zip bags, and Muir Glen Organic Diced Tomatoes because I have seen peelies on those items numerous times.
• In the Aisles: Have you ever seen one of those little red boxes with a blinking light that spits out coupons for the item you are standing in front of?  Those coupons are called “blinkies” because of that blinking light.  I’ve personally seen them in the produce section by the bagged salads, by the cheese, the paper products, and cereal most usually.
• On Product Displays: Technically, these coupons are also in the aisles, but they are either on a cardboard display or simply a booklet-type thing where you can tear off the coupons you want.  Recently I found one of these “tearpads” (couponese again) in the dairy section at Rainbow with 3 coupons in it.  $1 off frozen veggies, $1 off Parmesan cheese and $1 off salad dressing.  I used some of those that very day to get 10 bags of frozen veggies free.

My Mailbox

As if getting something free in the mail isn’t enough, the free samples I order online almost always come with great coupons.  To me, the best coupons are usually $1 off.  Those double at Rainbow so I can actually get $2 off.  You’d be amazed at how much stuff goes on sale for $2 which makes many things free for me after those wonderful $1 coupons are put to use.  Remember to set-up a secondary email account that you can use for requesting samples so that you keep your primary email junk free.