Where do I get my coupons?

That's a question a lot of people ask me. My simple answer: from anywhere I can find them.

A better question to ask would be what types of coupons are there?

Coupons from the newspaper. I buy two newspapers each Sunday. That might seem like a lot to most people, but there are some extreme couponers out there who buy 10 at a time. I buy two because I want to have at least two of every coupon so I can take full advantage of BOGO sales. If you don't want to pay for your newspapers, ask friends and family members who get a Sunday paper if they wouldn't mind passing the coupon inserts on to you.

Coupons printed from the internet. I visit several blogs, a few of which you can access from the list of links on the right sidebar of my blog. The lovely ladies who publish those blogs do the legwork of finding all the links and putting them into one easy place. You can also visit coupon websites, such as Coupons.com, Redplum.com and SmartSource.com. Most coupons will allow you to print two copies per computer. It's important to resist the urge to ever make photocopies of internet printable (IP) coupons because frankly, that's fraud and it's illegal. It also cheats the stores you use them at out of money because they're reimbursed per barcode, and a copied coupon and its original will have the same one.

Coupons mailed directly to my house. Do your favorite stores have mailing lists or publish their own newsletters? If so, sign up for them! Most stores will periodically mail out coupons to their customers if they have your contact information. If you're unsure what your favorite stores might offer visit their websites or ask a manager the next time you shop there. I frequently get mailed coupons from stores like Publix, Winn-Dixie and CVS that I couldn't get anywhere else.

Blinkies. Have you ever noticed those blinking machines attached to the store shelves in the supermarket that dispense coupons? I do, and let me tell you I can spot one from 50 yards! Pay attention to those, because if the item isn't on sale now it probably will be in a week or two. Don't wait until then to take one, because chances are it will be gone or out of coupons to dispense. And don't be that crazy person that stands there for 20 minutes to clean it out, just take as many as you think you'll use.

Tear-pads. These are a little harder to spot, probably because they don't have their own blinking red light to alert you to their presence. These you actually have to look for. Occasionally the guys that stock the shelves will attach a tear-pad of coupons next to the item the coupon is for. For example, I found a tear-pad of coupons for Sara Lee bread right next to the price tag for that item on the bread aisle tonight at Publix. I took a few to use when Sara Lee bread goes on sale. Again, don't wait to tear off a few because they can all go in a day. And typically when they're gone, that's it.

Peelies. These are the coupons that come attached to the front of a package that you can peel right off (hence the term peelie). The nice thing about these coupons is that you can use them right away, very rarely does the coupon state 'On Your Next Purchase Of..." but be sure to read it carefully because they will sometimes require an additional purchase. For example, in order to use it you may have to buy two of an item, or a peelie off of a bag of potato chips may require that you also buy dip in the same transaction.
There are a lot of couponers that say you must buy the item to take the peelie. I AM NOT ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE. The way I see it, if the manufacturer wanted to make sure I bought the item right then in order to get the coupon, they'd put it inside the package (more on that later). Don't get me wrong, I won't pull all the boxes off the shelves to get every last one, but I will take a few.

Coupons inside the package. I never, ever, ever throw away a package without scoping out what might be on the inside of the box. Most manufacturers that print coupons on the inside of their packaging won't advertise it and there won't be anything on the outside to alert you to the savings on the other side of the cardboard box. Today I found $1/2 coupon on the inside of a fruit cup container, and cereal boxes are famous for doing this. The hassle of cutting the box apart is well worth it.

Catalinas. Have you ever had a cashier hand you a receipt AND a coupon? Those coupons are called Catalinas, after the company that manufactures most of those machines. The coupons that print from the cash register are usually triggered by an item that you purchased. For example, I recently received a Catalina coupon for Smuckers Jelly because I purchased peanut butter.

Magazines. Manufacturers buy ad space, and many will print coupons for items that target a certain magazine's demographic. For example, GQ will usually have a few coupons in it for men's products, Glamour will have coupons for make-up and Family Circle will contain coupons for kid-friendly snack foods. As you flip through the pages don't just gloss over the endless ads, keep an eye out for the coupons!

The point of this post is this: don't limit yourself to just scanning the newspaper to find coupons. They're all over the place and once you know what to look for, you'll be amazed at what you will find.