1. Get the Sunday paper. I get a subscription delivered to my house, then I usually pick up 2-4 more copies. Holiday weekends do not have any inserts, so keep that in mind. The other Sundays, though, you will find at least two inserts (Smart Source and Red Plum). About once a month, Proctor & Gamble has an insert; every few months, Smart Source and Red Plum will have two inserts; and, occasionally, other manufacturers will include their own insert (i.e. General Mills, Unilever, etc.).
Here is the reasoning behind multiple papers: if there is a great sale going on for an item you would want to stockpile, then if you only have one coupon for that item, you will only be able to get that one item at a good price (or free!). If you have multiple coupons, then you can get multiple items at that awesome price, which will build your stockpile faster.
2. Friends, family, neighbors. Plenty of people get the Sunday paper and either don't use their coupons or don't use all their coupons. Talk to people you know to find out if they wouldn't mind passing their unused coupons your way.
If you have enough friends and family that are into couponing, then there are a lot of things you can do! For example:
- Have coupon clipping parties, where you all get together to clip coupons and while you are doing that, you can all trade with each other, or just straight up have a trading party.
- Start a coupon train. It's like a chain letter with coupons. One person mails coupons to another. That person takes out what they want and adds in some more and mails it to the next, etc.
- Have poker nights. Instead of money, play with coupons. Use the face value as the amount or maybe make special amounts for free coupons or hot coupons that everyone would like to get their hands on.
3. "Dumpster Diving." Lots of couponers out there hit their local recycling center to rummage for coupons from the Sunday paper. 95% of the time, I have a baby with me, so this isn't really feasible for me to do, but what I do like to do, is take a walk Monday night/Tuesday morning before the recycling truck comes. I don't really rummage through people's recycling bins, but if I happen to see a Sunday paper on top, then I will grab it.
4. Starbucks/McDonalds/Dennys. Sunday mornings, if you happen to go to a place where people typically hang out and read the paper, then keep an eye out for someone's paper lying around. A lot of times, people just leave their paper when they are done with it.
5. Freecycle/Craigslist. I haven't found many people giving away coupons on Craigslist, but it doesn't hurt to look. Freecycle, on the other hand, is great. I get tons of coupons off there, and I've also met several fellow couponers through doing. Freecycle is basically the online version of the couch on the side of the road with the "free" sign on it. People give away anything they don't want anymore, and all you have to do is pick it up from them. Not only have I gotten coupons, but I've also gotten tons of baby clothes, formula samples & checks, and a few kitchen items. Visit Freecycle.org to sign up to your local group.
6. Coupon clipping services. If there is a great deal coming up, and it's something you really need to stock up on, then consider coupon clipping services. I haven't used one yet and is something I've only recently started looking into. There are a few items that I have to buy regularly, so when a really good sale comes around, I've already used all my coupons and am unable to take advantage of it. My plan is to buy a bunch of these coupons from the service, so that I will have enough to stockpile when I can get it for free or nearly free, but still have enough in case I need to buy some in the meantime. There are two in Texas, Coupons & Things by Dede and Coupon Clipping Crew. I can't vouch for them personally, but I did find them through Hot Coupon World, which leads me to believe that they are legit. Through these services, you can purchase multiple copies of a certain coupon or whole inserts. There is a "handling" fee per coupon, as well as shipping, so something to use only if it's a coupon you desperately need.
7. Ebay. Just like the above, you can purchase coupons through Ebay. Use discretion with this, though, especially if they claim that the coupons are printed off the internet, as these can be forgeries. Just like anything else on Ebay, check out your seller's ratings.
8. Hot Coupon World. There is a TON of information on this site, and, I will admit, have only recently gotten into this site. As a newbie to couponing, I found the site really overwhelming, and a bit of a "mess," to be honest with you. Now that I've spent some time there and kind of figured out this couponing thing on my own, the site makes a lot more sense to me. Anyways, tons of people on there trade coupons and there are also coupon trains that you can join.
9. Manufacturer's websites. Most of the manufacturer's have coupons on their sites, so that is a good place to go, if you are looking for a particular coupon. If they don't have any, send them an email. A lot of times, they will send you some. It's also good to contact a company to praise/criticize their product. I've gotten some great coupons this way. And sign up for manufacturer mailing lists. Make sure you have a separate email account that you don't mind getting a bunch of spam in, and check it every once in awhile, because a lot of times, the emails will include coupons that you can print.
10. More internet printables. There are also some websites with printable coupons. Red Plum and Smart Source both have websites. Coupons.com is another one. Target also has coupons on their website. Their coupons are store coupons which can be used in conjunction with a manufacturer coupon. The Target coupons are also available at Hot Coupon World. The great thing about printing them off Hot Coupon World is that you can print multiple copies on a page. Also Target will take the coupons off their website after a week or two, even though the coupon itself hasn't expired. Hot Coupon World keeps the coupons on their site, until they are expired (and they are approved through Target, so they are legit).
11. Loadables. Cellfire, Shortcuts, and P&G Esaver are the three loadable websites to visit. All three will load to your Kroger card, and P&G Esaver will also load to your Randalls card.
12. Loyalty cards. Speaking of shopper's cards... call the 1-800 number on the back of your Randalls, Kroger, and CVS cards to make sure your info is up to date. I get coupons in the mail all the time from Kroger. While you're at it, call your Petco, Petsmart, and other cards, because I get lots of coupons from them, too. I called the Petsmart number and gave them my updated address, as well as my pet's birthdays. The other day I got a coupon for a free cat treat or toy for my cat's birthday!
13. Blinkies, peelies, wine tags, catalinas, etc. Have you seen those machines in the aisles of the grocery stores that blink and spit a coupon out at you? How many times have you ignored these? Next time, pay attention. If it has a good face value (or one that might double or triple) or is on a product you use a lot, grab one. Actually, grab many. You might not need them right now, but, very possibly, will need them later. Even if you don't need them, it might be one you could trade for something you do need.
Peelies are the same thing, but instead of coming from a machine in the aisle, they are stuck directly to the package. Again, these don't have to be used right away, so grab a few (but, be courteous, and leave some for others).
While you're at the store, cruise the wine and beer section (if you don't already - I know I do!). Look for "winetags." These are coupons that you will find around the necks of wine bottles (they are hard to find in my preferred stores). But, if you find them, a lot of times, they are good coupons for produce or meat (which are items that rarely have coupons). If you read the coupon, it will say "No alcohol purchase necessary." So you do not need to buy the bottle of wine that the coupon is attached to.
Then there are Catalinas. You know those coupons that get handed to you with your receipt? The ones that you probably throw away or get shoved to the bottom of your purse? Save those. They are usually based on things that you purchase, so they are good ones to hang on to. And, depending on the promo, sometimes those coupons are for money off your next shopping order. Treat those like cash (same with your ECB & RR that you receive). Target & CVS also issue coupons at the end of your receipt.
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