Coupon 101: Finding Coupons

There are tons of coupons out there just for the taking!  In order to really save money using coupons on a grand scale the key is to have multiple copies.  There have been times where I found myself having only two when I wish I had ten!

Here are some of the best sources to grow your coupon stash.

• The Sunday Newspaper - Some weeks are better than others and I will try to post how many each week I think you should buy based on what coupons will be inserts per week. This is obviously the best source for coupons and they are accepted most any location without any issues.
• Internet Printables - Online coupons can be found in multitude of places. I have a nifty little coupon printer on my sidebar along with a coupon printable page that will link you to some of the best coupons available. Other sources are smartsource.com and manufacturers websites. If a manufacturer does not have coupons on their site, don’t be shy, contact them and give them an honest opinion of their products. Often you will find coupons arriving in your mailbox.
• Blinkies - These are the little boxes found hanging on the stores shelves next to the product. During the school year, my daughter always accompanies me to the grocery store. Her job is to keep an eye out for blinkies. She has a true talent and rarely misses any and for her it is great fun to watch the machine kick them out. Our general rule is to take two and leave some for other shoppers.
• Ask friends and family - So many just pick out one or two coupons and throw the rest out. This is something I need to work on more. My mom sends over her coupons but I know there are more lurking out there to obtain.
• Peelies - These are coupons that come attached to the actual products. I have seen some women peel the coupon off every item on the shelf but really lets be fair, I don’t take these unless I purchase the item.
• Buying Coupons - Technically by law buying and selling coupons is illegal so from a small little loop hole sellers get around this by saying you are paying for their time in finding and collecting the coupons. Ebay is a great source along with Coupon Clippers for getting pretty much any coupon you would want.
• Trading coupons - Maybe you have friends with kids that need all those diaper coupons and they have coupons you would like to have, set up a trading system