Thursday, April 30, 2015

My Tips for Couponing: Finding Coupons

How do I get so many deals couponing you ask??



#1 Sign up for Freebie newsletters:

What better way to get a great deal on an item than by using a high value coupon?? When you order a free sample, most places will send you a higher value coupon than normal because if you like a product, they want you to purchase it too.

My current 2 favorites are:



If you have any others, post them in the comments section!! If I like them, I'll add them to my list!!


#2 Subscribe to your local newspaper.

I have a Sunday subscription that costs me $7 a month. I check it when I get it to see if there are any deals, along with the CVS, Rite Aid, Dollar General & Family Dollar adds to see if any of the items match a coupon to create a great deal. Then I'll purchase more papers based on what I plan to buy.

#3 Print Away!!

I love printing coupons & often times I print many multiples!! First off, get a good printer with good ink prices. Then install your printer on all devices. We currently have 2 lap tops connected to ours, that means 2x's the coupons!! Each device can print most coupons twice.

Bonus: If you are a member of Swag Bucks or Inbox Dollars, you can print your coupons through them and earn extra money or bucks on their site for redeeming the coupons too. Double earnings or savings, however you say it!!

#4 Ask Someone!!

We all have friends or family who aren't into saving. Who knows why, but they don't mind spending all their cash on half what we buy. So, when you know who isn't going to use their coupons, ask for them! Most people are happy to save up something they won't use to share with someone else. I have friends and family who save me their Box Tops, Campbell's Labels, soda lids, candy bar wrappers, coupons & more.

It helps when you offer to share with them too. For example, if you don't have pets and/or a baby, and you have a friend who does, they're more willing to trade. My $8 in coupons off formula or cat food for your $5 off canned goods. It's a better incentive for them to be so generous!

#5 Store Kiosks, Ads & In Store Opportunities:

Many stores offer their own coupons to make a product free or cheap at times. It may be a coupon you cut from their ad, a coupon you print in store or a mobile/on-line coupon they send you. You just add it to your card or present it to the cashier & you've saved a good chunk of the price. Always check your receipt for more coupons for next time!!

CVS is my favorite for this, they often have a high value coupon on a product that is on sale or becomes very cheap with the coupon. This week CVS offers a health bar for free with their printed kiosk coupon. Last week or the week before, they offered $2.50 off a $3 toothpaste. A good couponer pairs that coupon with a .50 or higher manufacturers coupon to get this free or get paid to take it.

Sometimes they have coupons directly on the product or on a paper pad near the product. I always take a few extra of these for future purchases. I've gotten quite a few products FREE saving these coupons til an item went on sale. Kroger just a few weeks ago had Sun detergent $1 each when you buy 4, then each bottle had a .25 off 1 coupon, making them just $3 for 4.

#6 Digital Coupons

Many stores now offer digital coupons. These coupons are added to your card on-line and then automatically taken off in store. Most stores these are also manufacturer coupons, so they are not stackable with a printed or paper coupons you have already.

Also, some stores do digital freebies. You stop by their site on a certain day of the week and load a coupon for a free product. Kroger does theirs on Friday.


Any other free days, please share in the comments & I'll add them!!


#7 Trade Points for Coupons??

Sites that allow you to turn in codes from the products you buy to earn points to get free stuff are great places to get free or high value coupons!!

Sites I use:


 My Coke Rewards Points You earn you a free 20 ounce soda, PowerAde or other Coca Cola product with 50 points. They also offer $3 off a 12 pack.

Kellogg's Family Rewards: Not only can you print coupons from their site often, but you can turn your points into $1 off coupons on a selection of products such as cookies, crackers, breakfast shakes, cereal, pop tarts, Morning Star products & more.

Recycle Bank: They currently only have 1 coupon, but often times they add new items. (.75 off Turkey Hill dairy is the current coupon)

#8 Get More E-mail?!?!

Yes, I mean get more junk to fill up your inbox. Companies want you to buy their product, the more you see something, the bigger the urge to buy it if it's something you like or want to try. If you sign up for a company's newsletter or e-mail updates, they'll send you special e-mails just for members who get their mailings.

Just recently, I've gotten $5 off of $15 at CVS, Kellogg's cereal and pop tart coupons, extra Marlboro coupons and a $2 off $10 at Dollar General.

#9 Contests!!

Yes, you can get coupons in a contest!! I have 5 free candy bar coupons in my wallet. All prizes from entering a daily contest. Winning isn't the only way to earn coupons in a contest thou. Sometimes entries or even sharing the link to the contest earns you a coupon for the product.

#10 Send Your Feedback!!!

One sure fire way to get coupons, I learned from the internet. If you write some sort of feedback to a company (yes, companies want to hear what we have to say, the nicer, the better!!). A goal of mine is to write at least one company per day. I tried doing the recommended 5, but I had a hard time keeping up, so I dropped down to 1.

Write your e-mail, tell them what you like about the product and don't forget to include your mailing address so they can send your coupons!!

Also, if you truly had a negative experience, feel free to share it. However, you should never make up a bad experience just to get coupons. Be honest, companies like the feedback, good or bad. It helps them to better run their company.

#11 Magazines, Flyers & Mailboxes too!!

Another way to get coupons is to look inside your favorite reading material!! Many magazines not only include coupons, but also free samples too. Seventeen magazine had 3 free samples with about 5-6 coupons inside. All You magazine is set up to help you save!! They not only include free samples & coupons, they also include tons of ways to save!! Recommended!! With the right rewards program, you could get All You cheap or free!!

Check the rest of your mail also, sometimes new store openings, flyers or inserts offer a coupon or two.


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Finally, I encourage each and every one of you to share your couponing tips in the comments below. I try to look outside the box when couponing & I've found tons of ways to do so effectively! One last word of advice I offer, DO NOT keep coupons for products you do not need or will not use. This usually ends up with you buying something that is really a waste of money, not saving you any money.


Hope this helps!! I'll share more some other time!! ---J

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