One of my goals this year is to share the basics of couponing in a new series called “Becoming a Prudent Shopper.” I really want to help those of you new to couponing get started. Many of you shared with me that this is the year you plan to jump into couponing with both feet. Lois shared that she got a coupon binder for Christmas and she can’t wait to get started! Lorena has hopes of starting a coupon club in her area! I am so happy to be able to help you all in some small way. Becoming a prudent shopper is a journey. Don’t expect to save the 70% – 95% on your first trip, but if you stick with couponing you will get the hang of it.
The first step in couponing is of course the coupons! There are so many different ways to build your coupon stash. Some of these you might already be doing, but there might be a few you haven’t thought of yet.
The Sunday Paper - The Sunday paper is still the best source for coupons. There are typically two inserts in every paper, one from Smart Source (SS) and one from Red Plum (RP), occasionally a third from a manufacturer like Proctor & Gamble (PG) .
Free Newspapers – This will vary from region to region, but most areas have at least one free local paper. If you live in a major city, you probably have several to choose from. If you don’t have one already being delivered to you, check your local supermarket. They sometimes have these free papers up at the front. There are often coupon inserts in these free papers. Sometimes they are the exact same coupons that were in the previous week’s Sunday paper!
Magazines - With all the free and cheap magazine deals we have been finding lately, I am getting more magazines than ever before. There are coupons in most magazines, especially those whose target audience is women. The absolute best magazine for coupons is All You 
Printable Coupons: The internet is a great source for coupons. There are three major online coupon sites, Coupons.com, SmartSource.com, and RedPlum.com. Manufacturers also release individual coupons, which are referred to as brick coupons. I usually share these coupons with you in my posts and coupon match-ups.
Blinkies, Tearpads and Peelies: These are all coupons you find in the store. The blinkies are those little machines located next to the product. They have a blinking red light and dispense manufacturer coupons. Tearpads are also found next to the product and are usually manufacturer coupons. The peelies are the coupons that are stuck to the box. They are usually manufacturer coupons. To take or not to take, how many to take…These are big debates among couponers. Most people agree that you don’t have to be purchasing that item right then to take the coupon from a blinkie or tearpad. Rarely is there a blinkie next to a product during a sale. I see nothing wrong with taking a coupon that you intend to use and saving it for the next time that item goes on sale. However, that is not to say you should load up on the coupon. Don’t take the whole tearpad. It isn’t fair to other shoppers and chances are you will never use that many anyway.
E-Coupons – These are coupons that you load to your store card. This is said to be the couponing of the future, but some stores haven’t really caught on to it yet. My favorite is Upromise. Their e-coupons put money directly in your Upromise account. They can be stacked with store and manufacturer coupons. Read more about Upromise e-coupons here. Another big e-coupon site is Cellfire.com. Cellfire discourages the stacking of manufacturer coupons with their coupons.
Coupons Directly from the Manufacturer- If there is a product you love, check out the company’s website for printable coupons. You might also be able to sign up for their mailing list so that they will send you coupons directly! If a company has a freebie, sign up for it! Not only will you get the freebie, but the freebie will usually come with a coupon!
Another great way to get coupons from the manufacturer is to write to them and tell them what you think of their product. I have even written to companies requesting coupons so I can try a new product for the first time. Many companies are happy to hear from you and will send you some great coupons, sometimes even coupons for FREE products, just for taking the time to write! Writing is easy since most companies have a contact form right on their site. A word of warning: Be sincere, don’t just write every company under the sun so you can get a free coupon and never complain about something just to get a freebie. If people abuse it, then manufacturers will be forced to stop sending us these great coupons.
Buying Coupons - It might seem silly to buy coupons, but if there are coupons that are really good and are going to enable you to get a free product it might be worth it. It’s important to make sure you buy from a legitimate company. Coupon fraud is a crime and there are some people out there who sell fraudulent coupons. My favorite site to buy coupons from is Coupon Clippers. They are trustworthy and reliable. You can read more about buying coupons and read my review of Coupon Clippers here.
Signing up for Coupon Programs – You get some of the best coupons and samples from joining product programs like VocalPoint, Home Made Simple, SheSpeaks, Kraft First Taste and General Mills Pssst. I regularly get high dollar coupons and free product samples from these programs.
Word of Mouth - Let people know you are couponing. I only purchase the one Sunday paper that I have delivered to my house. However, I usually end up with between five and ten coupon inserts because several people give me the coupons they don’t want. Chances are you know someone who gets the paper and doesn’t even use coupons. It is ideal to have at least two sets of coupons so that you can have two coupons to use in the B1G1 sales.
Now that you have your coupons, learn how to organize them in these “Becoming a Prudent Shopper” posts:
Organizing Your Coupons – My Binder
Organizing Your Coupons – The Insert Collecting Method and the Couponizer
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Thanks for linking up!
Thanks for linking up to my Thrifty Thursday post! These are great suggestions, especially for newbies!
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