Printable Coupon Basics

Printable coupons are an important tool to utilize when couponing and trying to save money.  There are numerous sources and many coupons are ONLY found online, NOT in your Sunday newspaper.  Although you don't want to give up your Sunday newspaper inserts, having the willingness and capability to print coupons at home can only supplement your savings.

The advantages are obvious:  you can print them in the comfort of your home or office, and there are limitless sources.  On the downside, you can only print each coupon once or twice per computer, you still have to clip them, and you use up ink and paper for your printer - but we can try and tackle those obstacles later in this article to make it a little easier and more cost effective.


Where do I find printable coupons?
There are countless places to find coupons.  There is no guarantee that you will always find a coupon for the item you're looking to buy, but maybe along your travels you'll find others you had not even thought of.

There are 3 major online coupon sources, which you probably have heard of:
coupons.com
smartsource.com
redplum.com
These are GREAT resources for coupons.  Things to keep in mind:

• You might find a few different coupons at different zip codes...try 02128 (MA) and 07039 (NJ) and 19335 (PA) and even 30013 (GA).  I've tried 03060 (NH) vs. 90210 (CA) and it proved to be a bust...same coupons, even on opposite coasts, so that logic didn't work.
• These coupon websites will usually only allow you to print 2 of the same coupon from each computer.  This is good and bad...good because it saves me from printing extras and wasting more paper (if I don't end up using them) or buying more than I need.  Bad, because if you can get something for free, you can only get 2.  I suppose that gives other people a chance at it too.
• You might want to print the coupons you like right away.  These websites change as often as every week!  If you see something, grab it...2 of it.

There are other coupon websites, some free, and some not free.  Just be aware of what you're getting into.  Most of them ask you to sign up before you can browse or print coupons.  I currently don't belong to any because I'm not sure the number of coupons you get out of them, that you can't get anywhere else, makes it worth it.  That being said, if you still want to check it out, couponnetwork.com is one such site and a good one to get started with.  If you know of others you'd like to share, let me know in the comments so all can benefit.

I suggest taking your shopping list to your computer for the next few suggestions - you'll need to remember which brands you buy most often.
 
Another FANTASTIC place to find coupons is on Facebook.  All you have to do is search in Facebook for your favorite brands and "Like" their Facebook page.  Check the left-hand side of their page to see if they have "coupons" listed in their pages.  If you don't see it, don't get discouraged!  As you check your Facebook Home page every so often, you will find, as part of your listings, postings from these companies - including notifications of coupons. You might even run into some occasional free samples .If you are a dedicated Facebook person you probably have already done this numerous times. 


Manufacturer websites usually provide coupons for you, but they have their own standards on how often they are updated.  Visit the websites of the brands you buy most and sign-up for their newsletter to be sure you don't miss out on any discounts.

Store websites are another source for coupons.  Whether it's a grocery store like Stop & Shop or Hannaford (Market Basket does not have a website), clothing store (i.e.Target, Bob's Stores, etc) or any other store you visit often...go to that store's website and see if it has coupons available before you shop.  If they have a newsletter, sign up!  I can't tell you how many times I've gotten coupons sent right to my inbox!  If you plan on visiting a particular store, you should ALWAYS check their website before you go...just in case.

Those are my best suggestions to get started with printable coupons and I wish you the best of luck. I'm always open to suggestions, so please leave a comment if you have other ideas or websites to pass along. Remember, you should never pay full price if you don't have to!  Happy shopping.