You know that couponing is a great way to save money at the store. But do you know the best places to find coupons? Hint: It’s not enough to check the newspaper every Sunday morning.
To truly earn the best deals with coupons, you need to have a wide variety of sources at your disposal. Your savings will more than equal out the time and effort it takes to track down these deal-makers.
Here’s how to ensure that you get the most coupons that you can for your next shopping trip.
Appeal to Your Family
Say you have a baby in diapers and your sister has a rat control problem. You can swap coupons with her, saving the pest-related money-savers that you find and sending them to her so she can get electronic rat traps in exchange for her diaper vouchers.
Different papers have different coupons. If you have family in another city or state, ask them to send you their coupon flyers (assuming they don’t use them). You could find some real winners that you wouldn’t have already seen.
Sign Up for Mobile Deals
You probably already subscribe to a few email couponing newsletters. But did you know that you can also sign up for deals that go straight to your cell phone?
There are mobile couponing apps, but you can also get coupons sent straight from the manufacturer or company if you download their apps. A local movie theater, for instance, may use the app to distribute a $3 off coupon for popcorn.
Receipts
Don’t just toss your receipt from the grocery store after you’ve noted how much you spent during your visit. Turn that receipt over and you’ll find a coupon treasure trove. Many local businesses advertise on the back of these supermarket print-outs, which many customers unwittingly throw away.
Phone Books
Yes, even in the age of electronic everything, you probably still have a phone book in your house. And it could include some pretty sweet deals. A lot of companies include coupons in their listings to try to entice new customers, who may be learning about the business for the first time by looking up a general section in the book (say, restaurants).
Directly Through Companies
Have you ever gone to a company’s web site and filled out a request for a free sample? Chances are when that small sample arrived, it came with a coupon of some type to entice you to buy a full-size version of whatever’s being peddled.
You can also often find coupons on the company’s site itself. You may need to sign up for a free e-newsletter, but if you’re a smart couponer you already have an email address devoted to your couponing, and it won’t be a big deal to sign up.
Michael is a full-time blogger who has passions in all corners of the online world. In his down time he enjoys being outdoors, traveling, and blogging on everything from technology, to business, to marketing, and beyond.