patndoris Frugal $aving$

So you’ve decided couponing is worth the effort.  You want to get more…and more of them.  Where do you start? 

I do recommend subscribing to the newspaper on the weekends if you can get it delivered to you.  By doing this, you will ensure that if nothing else, you have one set of coupons each week - and you don’t have to leave home to get them.  But the reality is that when a good sale presents itself, one coupon probably isn’t going to be enough. Some newspapers (but not the Baltimore Sun) offer a discount when you subscribe for more than one weekend paper.  If you live in an area where this is possible, and you don’t have other sources for the weekly inserts, it may be a wise choice. 

If you simply tell everyone you see routinely that you are couponing, you may find friends and family who don’t take the time to coupon will donate their coupons to you for free. Sometimes all you have to do is ask.  Even one or two extra sets every few weeks goes a long way.  When taking the above tactic, a co-worker told me her brother sells papers on the weekend.  I asked her to check with him and see if he has to return inserts from unsold papers to get his credit - he does not. So now, periodically, she gets extras from him she’s nice enough to share some with me.  If you go to a news stand, are friendly with a local store manager, or know someone who delivers papers - you might ask them the same question.  You might be surprised at the answer.

You can also ask the manager of any coffee shop, fast food place, or restaurant that has papers for patrons to read.  They may be willing to save inserts for you (but be courteous and remember to pick them up so they don’t clutter up the establishment. )  Hair salons, car repair shops, or anywhere that may  have a waiting area are also good candidates.

If you can do it easily, a neighborhood walk on recycling day may net you some extra papers. It really depends on your area and how your recycling is done.  If it works great - if not - well, I’m not one to go foraging through dumpsters for coupons.

Then, there’s the good ‘ole internet.  The more computers you have access to the more coupons you can print.  There are tons of them out there.  My suggestion is to certainly print ones that are listed as corresponding to a sale you plan on going to - and do it as soon as you know about the sale.  Most internet coupons have print limits and once they are reached, you won’t be able to get that coupon any longer.  However, I caution you not to print out all the coupons you see on the net.  This can get costly in ink and paper if you don’t end up using them.  If you see something you routinely use - then by all means print them - just do it prudently. Most coupons prints are limited to 2 per computer.

Many of the sites that let you print wide varieties of coupons also offer the ability to load coupons onto your store savings cards.  In many cases, these are the same coupons you would have available to print - saving you money on ink and paper.  Most stores don’t allow an electronic and a paper coupon though so just be aware and choose the best option for you.  On the bright side, with electronic coupons, you don’t have to organize them or clean out expired ones - but you do need to check and see what you have available so you know when you watch the sale papers.  Some stores (Safeway comes to mind) partner with coupon sites and offer their own electronic and/or printable coupons.  Be sure to check your store’s website to see if there are offers you may not have known about.

Also, take time to watch for peelies.  Those are the coupons that you find on a product on the store shelf - you know - the ones you peel off the carton? You should also watch for coupon books that your store may have periodically.  They may be available at customer service, or they may just be placed throughout the store - you have to keep and eye out for them.  Blinkies are those machines you see placed strategically with certain products.  Sometimes you can score an unexpected deal by watching for these as well.

If you are really going to delve into couponing - there are services where you can buy coupons - but I’m going to save that story for another time.  If you’re going to get that into it - I bet you can find out more about them on your own. 

I think I’ve given you quite enough ideas on where and how to get more , and more, and even more coupons if you want them.  All you have to do is put a small bit of effort into it and you can reap big rewards.  Happy couponing!!