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I’m new to all of this. What websites do you use to print coupons from? (I need all the help I can get!!)
Another option is to “like” the brands and stores you use most on Facebook. They often post coupons, contests, and givaways for loyal customers through social media sites.
My grandpa gets the paper and doesn’t use too many coupons. He knows I am an avid couponer (called him frantic last week because between me being out of town and my family forgetting, we had NO papers! – so I dumpster dove in his garage). Now he saves them for me. 🙂
I’m a nurse and one of my coworkers just transferred down to my unit from a floor that gets the Sunday paper. Every week someone comes down to our unit with coupon inserts they snagged for her.
I “coupon fairy” coupons I know I won’t be using, like for shampoos or the brand of hair dye I don’t use.
I sign up for almost every free sample listed on MSM, and I “like” a lot of things on facebook!
I always leave coupons that I know I won’t use and that expire within the week on the supermarket shelf by the item. I just wish more people would take the hint and do the same!
I ask the mailman today to give me the free Red Plum inserts and other advertisements today. He gave me 8 and told me he would give me some each week! Yea!
I signed up for upromise to try and build some savings for my sons college fund. I also found out that they have coupons that you can add to your shopper reward cards including Tops.
Occasionally I can score TONS of coupon inserts at the college’s library. They have strange schedules that they change often and some Sundays they aren’t open but if they are – I go in their and dig through their recycle bin. It’s a liberal ritzy college so they’re big on recycling and dont use coupons.
I also get them from friends/family who know I love coupons.
I email companies ALL of the time! I have scored some very high value coupons including FREE product coupons.
I’m also a member of the Kraft first taste and have already recieved a few FREE product coupons!!!!
We have a coupon exchange box at our chuch
I usually get some copies of our local newspaper for free at my lcoal Library and the come with one or two coupons inserts.
Where I live, I am part of “Freecycle”. Freecycle is an online messaging system local community members use to give stuff away for free instead of trashing things that people might want. Our Freecycle sees a lot of action for maternity/baby items, appliances, and craft supplies. I’ve used it to get rid of books, shoes, kitchen items, etc.
All that to say, you can join Freecycle and ask people for their Sunday coupons. Sometimes people even post offers for coupons because they don’t want to throw them away. You will probably find a neighbor down the street (or a few) who you can schedule weekly pick-ups from.
http://www.freecycle.org/
I also have left coupons on the shelf for things I decided not to get – or maybe get the store brand that is cheaper of the same thing. I think it really helps someone who was going to buy that item anyways. It is nice to be the coupon fairy and bless someone else with coupons when I won’t be able to use them for something. It is much better than throwing them away. I also mail coupons to my sister in law when I have a bunch clipped that I can’t use. Our family is only 3 people and they are a family of 5. We get a newspaper from the city that has typically a lot more coupon inserts than their smaller city newspaper. I know she really appreciates it. They just started dumpster diving for coupons too.
I get most of mine from co-workers. (don’t have any family to get them from) One lady I trade her Red Plum for my empty soda cans. And on Monday I walk down to the newspapers main office (I work downtown close to thier office) and check to see if they have any papers left.
i get a local newspaper vs. city sun paper on fri. for .50. they include coupon sections, although i have not seen a P&G.
I haven’t read all of the comments, so I’m not sure if this is a repeat, but a lot of grocery stores are allowing you to “clip” coupons on-line and add them directly to your store card. When you scan your card at the register all of your free on-line coupons come off of the balance.
Great ideas! My boyfriend helps an elderly friend do yard work and he shared some coupon stories with her so she now has all her coupon inserts waiting each time he shows up to help her with her yard. 🙂
I just used Recyclebank for the first time to get free coupons. I was happy to get 2 $1 off coupons for a natural food brand that my family likes. To reduce the expense of printing internet coupons I get printer paper for free from Staples using an easy rebate and manufacturer coupon.
If I have a coupon with me that’s close to it’s expiration, but I’m not going to be buying the product, I leave the coupon on the shelf for the next lucky person who comes along. That way I have less expired coupons to feel sad about not using! Expired coupons can also be sent to military families through many different services, they can use them for up to 6 months after expiration.
In my town we swap coupons at a local business that is operated by a couponing mom. I collect up any diaper/baby related coupons and take them in too drop off, and can check out what others have brought in.
I don’t often get them for free, but I have found that the dollar stores in my area sell the Sunday papers for $1.00, compared to other places where they’re $1.75. So, almost half price, and the coupons always make up for what I pay for the papers . 🙂
My husband collects the inserts from the Sunday paper on Monday mornings in the break room at his offfice. No one else wants them, so he brings them home. Such a blessing.
While shopping at Walmart, I have found coupons that people have left right on the shelf!
Our local library has set up a coupon exchange box. It has been so helpful as I have found many, many coupons that I have been able to use and have been able to leave coupons for others to use.
This is awesome! I’m going to chrck with my library and if not…I think I might just start one in my own neighborhood so my friends and neighbors can contribute and “shop” for coupons in it too!
If you don’t have one, it would definitely be a great idea to check to see if you could start one. The coupon box at our library is divided into categories so that people can easily find what they are looking for.
I am from a small town, but I am usually able to find 2 or 3 extra coupons for each coupon that I clip out of the inserts. Some of the coupons that I have found recently are $1 Ivory soap coupons {FREE at Walmart!}, $3 Nivea coupons {FREE at Walmart!}, $1 Luvs coupons and when the Whiskas BOGO coupons come out, I am usually able to find lots of those {I guess we don’t have many cat owners in town :)}.
I’ve also noticed coupons from magazines and other places in the box. Just last week I found a coupon for a free DelMonte Fruit Naturals cup that {I think} came from a box of cereal! My boys love these and I was thrilled to get one for FREE! Every little bit helps and the coupon box has definitely been a huge help to us!
Gives me something to think about! One thing about the online coupons is that my grocery store does not accept them! Does Walmart and does Target?
Yes, Walmart and Target both accept them.
You never know where high-value coupons will show up:)
I had a doctor’s appt for my son and while we were waiting in the lobby, I spotted a table with $1.00/1 Activia coupons. I picked up one, knowing that my local Kroger frequently has them on sale for $1.88/2.00. Since my Kroger’s doubles the $1 coupons, this would mean free yogurt 🙂 After I sat down, my boys spotted the coupons and grabbed a couple for me also! They are my couponers in training! Then, after we were ushered into the room to wait for the doctor, I spotted a Family Fun magazine and found a $1.00/1 Turkey Hill ice cream coupon. And wouldn’t you know it, my local Kroger had that ice cream on sale for $2.79! So, I only paid $.79 for that treat with my doubled coupon 🙂
After clipping out any coupons that we want, a co-worker and I will then exchange the remainder of our inserts with one another. My co-worker also exchanges with another lady who lives in a different part of the state, which she then passes on to me also. This is great because there are often different coupons in there.
In my friend’s town, they actually have two different places where you can go and just get a particular coupon for free if it is available. Volunteers at a church and a thrift store cut and sort them and make them available to others. So this is great if I want to get several of one particular coupon. There isn’t any guarantee they will be available, but certainly worth the effort to check.
Friends & Family know how much I LOVE coupons. They delight in saving and giving me their coupon inserts! My Father-In-Law & Uncle really enjoy sharing those inserts and hearing my money saving stories. My elderly neighbor across the street saves them for me and I often give her a ride to her job. She’s in her 80’s and she still works a few hours each day!
I will find out a favorite of theirs, then purchase that item for them for being so generous by giving me their inserts:) I try to get them a little something every few weeks.
A small gift goes a long way in showing your appreciation. Purchased with a coupon of course!
and I too thank you for the series! I have learned a lot!
I scour the neighborhood the night before recycling is picked up and take the inserts right out of my neighbor’s recycling bins! I usually score 5 or 6 just by walking down my street!
I recieve nothing but free coupons. Church family would pass the newspapers to my aunt and I would pull the coupons out before it would go to the dump. Also, I check my mailbox. Redplum coupons are usually in there depending on the area. I dont mind printing coupons online but only if its in pdf format or something simple. I do not trust the coupon installer.
I’ve never thought about contacting manufacturers directly for coupons before this, thanks for the great tips! Sometimes I do pick up inserts from McDonald’s or Starbucks on Sundays. I also learned that requesting free samples and signing up newsletters often comes with high value coupons.
I do print coupons online, but I find out I tend to print more than I actually use, or forget to use before the expiration dates. Do you have any suggestions on save money buying ink because I don’t seen much deals on printer inks? Thanks!
I don’t usually print a coupon unless I have a plan to use it that week or it’s something we always buy and will use the coupon. I hate throwing out printable coupons! Also, you may be doing this already, but use paper that’s already used on one side to print your Qs.
@ Casey: I just bought re-manufactured printer ink off amazon. It was half of the price of the stuff from the office supply store. Would be even better if you had some of those free gift cards bought with swag bucks. Just type in your printer specs and remanufactured ink into a google search and options should pop up.
I also use my swagucks Amazon gift cards for ink! If you havent signed up for Swagbucks I suggest you do! I usually earn about $20 in Amazon giftcards a month (but I also take surveys while I watch my tv shows in the evening).
@Koree and Alicia: I signed up for Swagbucks a month ago, thanks for letting me know of this!
@Diane: Yeah, I started recyle paper as well. I think I need to control myself when to print. Guess I’m still new to couponing, so often times when I see “hot” deals, I jump in printing the coupons, but end up not able use it! I need to learn how to pace myself and just buy what I really need!
Thanks you all for the tips!
See if your printer has fast or draft setting, also print gray scale. Buy refillable ink cartridges.
I used Ebates to purchase bulk ink cartridges when they had a double cash back for an ink retailer. It was a great deal to begin with, and I also got 30% back in cash!
I love getting great coupons from the gas stations to use at the grocery store!
Thanks for the reminder to share/swop with friends!
I absolutely love this series. I have learned so much from the information on your site and especially your video series. Thank you for taking the time to teach us!
Is there a like button anywhere? 🙂
You are so very welcome!
I live in Miami and an awesome perk to living here is that we get the early Sunday edition (on Saturday) which sell for .75 cents but still have the SAME coupons as the regular Sunday coupons, i love being able to buy my coupons a day early and get them half off.
My neighbors’ recycle bins and the town newspaper dumpster!
Requesting free samples is one of my favorite ways to get coupons for free, and they’re usually high value. Plus, I can generally use the samples in my travel bag :). Allyou.com will send you a daily email with a free sample offer in it.
I go to my local McDonalds on Sunday where they offer a free paper to read when you are there (snag the inserts and leave the paper)! I also go to stores at night on Sunday and offer to take the old papers off their hands when normally they are tossed out or recycled. This saves me from dumpster diving or paying for a ton of papers. I also check the papers I do buy and make sure all inserts are in place before I take it with me.
I get mine from family, friends, and from the recycle bin.
I get coupons from my in-laws and my husband’s grandfather! They get the paper and don’t use coupons, so they give them to me!! 🙂
My husband takes alot of business flights, so if he travels on a Sunday I ask him to pick up all the newspapers left on the plane, I usually get about 3-4 inserts. That’s how I get free coupons.