Where to find coupons?
The first place to look is the Sunday paper. There are inserts filled with coupons. Make sure to check the Parade Magazine, if that is included in your paper. Often times there are coupons in the Parade Magazine or other syndicated weekly magazine insert. Coupons can also be in the individual sections of the newspaper, like travel, arts or food.
If you are looking for coupons other than grocery, take a few minutes to look through the paper each week. You might be surprised at what kind of the coupons are available.
Attached to displays, in or on products, in dispensers (called “blinkies”, because of their blinking light).
Check your junk mail too. Coupons usually come the same day that the grocery circulars for the next week arrive. Keep your eyes open for all types of coupons, not just grocery coupons.
All You Magazine- All you is a great a magazine full of coupons, usually $50-$80 in savings for grocery and HBA items. In addition, there are great articles on money saving, healthy, delicious recipes the whole family will love. It is available for purchase at Wal*mart only. You can also subscribe to the magazine, visit the Magazine website: www.allyou.com for more info on subscription info. Magazines.com also sells All You.
Other Magazines- Some magazines have coupons within advertisements spread throughout the magazine, or in the back with the advertising sections. Self, Shape, Parents, People all have had coupons for HBA products in them each month for the past few years. Each magazine usually has one or two coupons, that is for a higher value- $1.50-$3.00 off or a BOGO (Buy one, get one).
Store Circulars- Some stores, such as Walgreens, CVS, Rite-Aid and selected grocery stores distribute coupons that are valid only at their stores. These coupons tend to be valid for a shorter amount of time. These circulars may be mailed to you, inserted into the newspaper, or available for pick up at the store.
The Internet- is a great place to print coupons. Here are a few sites:
Coupons.com, Smartsource.com, Couponmom.com, Redplum.com
The best online/printable coupon-hunting tip I can give is: Google whatever item you are looking for plus printable coupon. Be as specific as possible. “Ovaltine printable coupon” will yield better results than “Chocolate milk mix printable coupon”. Please remember that when you print coupons from the Internet, not all stores accept them, as there is high incidence of counterfeiting and forgery. Using fake coupons hurts all couponers.
Other websites offer great printables, but ask you to sign up. They’ll email when new coupons are ready to print or, in some cases will mail you samples of new products.
http://vocalpoint.com (they also offer free samples from time to time)
http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/coupons/ (coupons for healthy products)
http://www.coffee-mate.com/coupons.aspx (Coffee-Mate coupons)
http://www.boxtops4education.com/earn/clip/coupons.aspx (Betty Crocker Coupons)
http://www.betterathome.com (More Betty crocker coupons)
http://www.kashi.com/account/new (Kashi coupons)
https://www.pillsbury.com/coupons-promotions (Pillsbury coupons)
http://www.livingnaturally.com/common/coupons/ (Health food coupons)
http://coupons.mambosprouts.com/online_coupons (Health food coupons)
Types of Coupons
There are two types of coupons: Manufacturer and Store coupons.
Manufacturer coupons are distributed by the manufacturer and can be redeemed at any store that accepts coupons.
Store coupons are distributed by stores and can be redeemed only at the store that issued the coupon. Store coupons can be found in store circulars, home mailers or the newspaper.
Using Coupons to your Advantage
This is very important for those shoppers who prefer to purchase organic or “all natural” products! When using coupons, it is important to read and understand the terms of the coupon.
Example, "Save $.50 on any TWO (2) Hunt’s Tomatoes." Then, there is a graphic of a can of Hunt’s diced Tomatoes. This graphic doesn’t limit you to that specific item (this is true for any coupon, unless the language prohibits specific items to be purchased with a coupon). The language or terms of the coupon state ANY TWO Hunt’s Tomatoes. For example, if you like the organic variety of the Hunt’s Tomatoes, you can use this coupon for those products.
Many companies make organic versions of their products- Prego, for example, makes an organic sauce. Prego puts out coupons about once a quarter.
Keep your eyes open, be an informed consumer!
Coupon Policies
It is important that before you pack up your shopping list, coupons, calculator and hit the stored, you need to understand the coupon acceptance policy of each store that you will be shopping at.
Most grocery stores and mass merchandisers (Wal*mart and Target, specifically), post their coupon policies on their website. I print the policies out and keep them with my coupons in page protectors, back to back in alphabetical order. Some couponers have them saved on their Smart Phones, instead of carrying paper copies with them.
It is important to keep up to date, since policies can change at any time without warning. In June 2010, Vons/Safeway changed their coupon policy, and they no longer accept Internet Printable coupons for free items, including BOGO coupons. Please refer to Appendix VIII. for selected coupon policies for grocery, mass merchandiser, and drug stores.
E- Coupons
There are sites that you can "load" coupons onto your grocery store club card. Leave your coupon wallet at home! Just swipe and save. Cellfire.com, Coupons.com, and shortcuts.com all offer Electronic coupons(sometimes called “E-coupons”).
Cellfire
Cellfire registry requires a valid cell phone number and appropriate store card. Card must be used at least once-this activates the card, in order to load e-coupons onto it.
The only down side is that if you have more than one type of store card on your account, you must choose only one card to add each e-coupon to. Electronic coupons can only be used once.
Coupons refresh every two weeks.
There is no maximum number of coupons that can be selected, however, in most markets there are not more than usually more than fifteen coupons available to be added to the card. Cellfire in newer, so it’s offerings tend to be smaller.
Coupons are automatically removed when they expire.
Cellfire is currently available for these grocery stores:
Baker’s, City Market, Dillons, Gerbes, Fry’s, Hilander, Jay C Food Stores, King Soopers, Kroger, Owen’s, Pay Less Markets, QFC, Ralphs, Randalls, Safeway, Scott’s Food & Pharmacy, ShopRite, Smith’s Food & Drug Stores, Tom Thumb, & Vons.
Coupons.com
Coupons.com registry requires a valid email address and appropriate store card. Card must be used at least once-this activates the card, in order to load e-coupons onto it. You can add as many cards as you possess, however, currently coupons.com only loads coupons to Safeway Brand store cards (see list below). When you select a coupon, it adds the coupon to all of the cards, however coupons can only be used once per card.
Coupons refresh every two weeks.
There is no maximum number of coupons that can be selected.
Coupons are automatically removed when they expire.
Coupons.com is currently available for these grocery stores:
Randalls, Safeway, Pavilions, Carrs, Dominicks, Genuardi’s, Tom Thumb, & Vons.
Shortcuts
Shortcuts.com registry requires a valid email address and appropriate store card. Card must be used at least once -this activates the card, in order to load e-coupons onto it. Coupons refresh every two weeks. The only down side is if you have more than one type of store card on your account, you must choose only one card to add each e-coupon to. Electronic coupons can only be used once.
A maximum of 75 coupons may be added to your account at any time.
The only way to remove coupons from your account is to either allow them to expire or to use them.
Shortcuts.com is currently available for these grocery stores: Baker’s, City Market, Dillons, Gerbes, Fry’s, Hilander, Jay C Food Stores, King Soopers, Kroger, Owen’s, Pay Less Markets, QFC, Ralphs, Randalls, Safeway, Scott’s Food & Pharmacy, ShopRite, Smith’s Food & Drug Stores, Tom Thumb, & Vons.
With all three, you will have to register you club cards. All three have the option of emailing you when new coupons are available, usually about once a month.
All three options also give you the chance to print out a list of the coupons that are loaded onto your card. This can be very helpful in planning your trips to the store.
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