Inserts
One of the most common ways to get coupons is the Sunday paper. There has always been a long debate on how many papers to buy and how to go about getting them. A couple of factors can help you with how many to get: How many people do you have in your family? Two papers per person is usually what most couponers do. Another thing to ask yourself is how many of one item do you think you might want? When I first started I only got about four papers, then when a good deal came up or even a freebie I was only able to get four and for me that just wouldn't do. I now try to at least get ten papers. When it comes down to it, it's really just what you think is going to be right for your family.
How to get the paper:
The first thing you should look at is ways to get coupons for free; after all we are trying to save money! I always try to get any copies from family and friends that don't coupon first; you would be amazed how many you can acquire just from this. Another more unconventional method is looking through recycling. A lot of stores have recycling bins that coupons are thrown away in al the time. Also some recycling centers will let you pick through to find coupons. I am not ashamed to say that I use this method first before buying any papers. At first I was a little hesitant, but I found that the recycling bin at my local store was actually very clean and constantly supplied with inserts. (it's amazing what you will do to save money!)
Although if you want to stick with more conventional methods you can have the paper delivered to your doorstep. If you sign up to receive the paper keep your eyes peeled for the best deal subscriptions go up and down all the time. When I do pay for a paper I buy it from a store. There won't be inserts in every paper; there are no inserts on most holiday weekends. Personally I just don't like paying for a paper without inserts. (I can get news stories for free online)
Printables
The next best way to get coupons is online coupons that you print at home. One of the more popular sites is coupons.com which you can find under the coupons tab on the site. You will also find many great coupons on company websites and on their facebook page. Every month coupons.com and other sites will put new coupons on and take some old one down (I will remind you to print what you want before the month ends.) You can usually print two of each coupon per computer example; we have six computers therefore I can print twelve copies of one coupon. So obviously the more computers the more coupons, but please don't rush out and buy a bunch of computers (not exactly cheap)! This is another area you can recruit family and friends. See if they could print some for you.
Peelies
I think most people don't even notice these. You will see these on brand name products (usually). It will be a little coupon stuck to the package that you can peel off (hence the name peelie). I a lot of people get into long debates on whether it's ok to peel them off if you don't plan on buying the item right then. I am not here by any means to police people this is not a couponing ethics site, this is a site to help you save money, that being said I have always believed do what you feel is right.
Blinkies
Have you ever noticed those little boxes stuck to the shelves with a little red blinking light? Those little boxes have coupons in them called blinkies. You can usually get two in a row and them the machine waits about 30 seconds before dispensing another one. Some of them have a holder on the top with coupons others took but then decided they didn't want. Most of the time they are pretty low in value, but when you see a good one I would grab a few because they are constantly replacing them with new and different coupons and the one you want may not be around very long.
Store Coupons
A store coupon is a coupon issued by a specific store that does not say manufactures coupon. Always be on the lookout for store coupons they are great because at most stores you can have a store coupon and a manufactures coupon for one item, example: If Walgreens has a store coupon in their ad for $1.00 off M&M's candies and you have a .50 cent off coupon that you got in a Sunday insert you can use both coupons and get $1.50 off. It's the best way to double your savings! Most stores have their store coupons on their website, so be sure to check out your local stores websites before you go shopping.
I know that this can be a little overwhelming at first; if you have any questions feel fee to email me!
