Coupon Sources

There are various sources that you can use to get coupons every week.  Some of those sources include:

Sunday newspapers

You can find coupons in the Sunday newspaper at your local stores.  The two main coupon inserts that are available are Red Plum and Smart Source.  Proctor and Gamble also puts out a monthly insert, usually on the first Sunday of the month, and General Mills also puts out an insert occasionally.  Check here to view the schedule for 2010.

When determining which newspaper is the best to buy, keep in mind that all newspapers are not alike.  Do not get fooled by the price as you are bound to miss out on some coupons because some newspapers have better coupons than others.  For example, in my area the Home News Tribune and the Star Ledger both have the Smart Source insert, however the Star Ledger has many more coupons than the Home News Tribune, however the Home News Tribune is the cheaper newspaper out of the two.  If you are new to this, I strongly suggest that you buy one of each newspaper and compare them to see which one has the best coupons.

Parade Magazine

This can be found in some Sunday papers and although it doesn’t always have coupons, there do have some from time to time.

All You Magazine

This magazine can be found in Walmart or it can be obtained by subscription.  There are sites where you can purchase it at a discounted rate.  I got my subscription from a school fundraiser site found here.  By purchasing here saved 58% ($47.28) over the cover price and got the subscription at 24 issues for $20 and the good part of it is 40% of the cost went towards my school of choice.

Ebay

Ebay is a great source for instances when you don’t have a particular coupon that you want, when you want a higher quantity of a particular coupon, when you want multiple copies of a particular insert or when you have a coupon but know there is one available that has a better value.  Let me elaborate on the last one.  I had a coupon for bacon that I clipped out of the Sunday paper.  The coupon was valued save $1 when you buy 2.  From my experience in coupons, I knew in that past, I’ve seen a better coupon that would in turn have given me a better deal.  I went to Ebay and found a coupon valued save $.75 when you buy 1.  This was a much better deal for me because my supermarket fully doubles.

An important note to consider is if you are ordering the coupons for a particular sale make sure when you order you allow enough time for the coupons to arrive before the sale is over. Most times you can preview a circular a couple of days before the sale begins, either online or some people get home delivery of circulars of stores in their neighborhood.  As you become seasoning in couponing you will be able to know by sight what’s a good price for an item and if you have a coupon for that item or if a coupon is available for the item. When I get the circulars, before the sale, I scan through the paper to see what’s on sale, check my coupon and I don’t have what I think is the best coupon, I head over to Ebay to see if I can purchase a better one.

Coupon Clipping Sites

These sites are a great option if you are looking for a certain coupon.  There are also whole inserts available for purchase on these sites, however, I find that when it comes to whole inserts it is much cheaper to buy the newspaper or to use Ebay.  Here are some clipping sites that I have used:

www.thecouponmaster.com

www.couponthingsbydede.com

Printables

There are tons of sites where you can get printable coupons.  Most sites will allow you to print more than one or two.  There are sites that will allow you to print multiples of one coupon, however they are few and far between.  Making copies of the printables is illegal and considered fraud.

The most comprehensive list of available printables that I have found to date can be found here.

Coupon Buddies/Co-Workers/Friends/Family

There are many people that do not use coupons and although they buy the Sunday newspaper every week they simply throw the coupons away.  Ask around see if they will be willing to give you their coupons.  The more the merrier.  Get a coupon buddy and trade coupons with him/her.