Coupons: Where and How to Get Them

I know where to get free money. Yes, I said it: free and money in the same sentence. You scoff and ask me, "Where on Earth can I get free money?" Most people automatically associate the word “free” with “nonexistent,” especially when it deals with money. These people don’t realize that even though the mythical money tree might not be real, coupons most certainly are. And coupons are as good as gold.

Subscribe to receive the local Sunday paper. Inside of a Sunday paper you will find a wide variety and number of coupons. You are guaranteed to find a few that align themselves with your needs, and you can always save the ones you don’t have immediate use for. Most papers allow you to sign up for a full year of Sunday papers delivered directly to your door for less than $20. Compared to an average price of $1.50 for buying them at a stand or store, you are saving $58 and priceless time by subscribing to receive a Sunday newspaper. This is a highly recommended method for obtaining coupons.

Go to your grocery store’s website. The larger store chains have great websites that allow you to find coupons in a few different ways. Look for a link to a specific coupon website that will let you print coupons directly to your printer. Also, if you don’t mind signing up on their email lists and getting extra messages in your inbox, plug in your email and press subscribe. You won’t always find the best deals in the emails, but every once in awhile you will get a great coupon offer.

Join a coupon swap. These groups are getting more popular and are quite easy to find online. The concept is simple: Search for someone who has what a coupon you need, and trade that person for a coupon that he or she might need. Websites like www.cafemom.com will help you get started on this type of coupon-gathering endeavor.

Send the company a letter of praise. This method will only work once per company. Find the mailing address on a product or website then draft up a short and concise letter explaining how much you like and appreciate their product. A few weeks later, most companies will send you a small coupon package in appreciation for your feedback and loyalty. They store addresses in a big database so this will only work once per company or until you move to a new address.

When you get into the habit of gathering coupons, you will realize that these suggestions only scratch the surface of ways to get “free money.” Experienced savers develop a schedule of methods that allow for a maximum money-saving vs. time balance so that their efforts don’t outweigh the benefits. Even a cursory glance through the Sunday paper will reap rewards. Just think about coupons like you would money, if someone hands you a dollar, you take it.