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 Now that you’ve mastered the A,B,C’s of coupons, let’s talk about where to find them so you can start saving! As you recall in the previous class, “Types of Coupons”, you can find coupons in many different places depending on the type of coupon you are looking for. The best resource for coupons is of course, the newspaper.
Sunday newspapers have always been the best place to obtain coupons. Even though fewer newspapers contain coupons because of the push to make everything paperless, the newspaper is still the best place to find coupons. You will need to learn which papers to buy and when, otherwise you could be spending more money buying newspapers than you are saving using coupons! So let's take a look at a short series which will teach you Everything you need to know about newspaper coupons. (This link will open in a new window so when you are finished reading it, simply close the window and you will be right back here where you can complete this class.)
Now that you are know all that you need to about finding coupons in newspapers, let's continue on with our discussion about Places to Find Coupons (including newspapers!).
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As you may know, there are two weekly coupon inserts that are delivered via your local newspaper, SmartSource (SS) and RedPlum (RP). There are others that are printed periodically such as P&G, however, we are going to focus on the SS & RP Coupon Inserts.
SmartSource (SS) is weekly coupon packet/insert published by News America Marketing. (They call it “The SmartSource Magazine”) They describe it as follows:
SmartSource Magazine®, our consumer-branded free-standing insert (FSI), is delivered in over 1,500 newspapers nationwide. Reaching an audience of 152 million readers each week, SmartSource Magazine® delivers advertising and coupon promotions to more consumers in a single buy than the top print magazines and television shows combined.
The SS (SmartSource Magazine/Insert) is not the same for everyone. The coupons themselves differ depending on the region as well as the quantity of coupons available. Determination of which coupons go where, and how many are made available to specific regions is explained by News America Marketing as:
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2010 Coupon Insert Schedule
SS = SmartSource Coupon Magazine Insert
RP = RedPlum Coupon Insert
P&G = Procter and Gamble brandSAVER
*Note: The P&G Insert Schedule is not exact and the schedule may vary and/or change without advance notice.
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Digital coupons are paperless coupons that are loaded directly onto your store's customer card or even sent to your cell phone if you use cellfire. When you check out, the coupons are automatically deducted without any clipping, organizing or hassle.
Stacking/Doubling Digital Coupons
While most digital coupon providers state that you cannot stack or double digital coupons with paper coupons, most people report being able to do just that. While technically you can stack or double these coupons for double savings or even overages in some cases, there is some controversy online about whether shoppers should or should not do so. No matter which side you stand on, until the digital coupon programs are perfected it seems to be a personal decision.
Where to find Digital Coupons
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A coupon train is a group of people who exchange coupons via postal mail. Coupon trains are a great way to obtain coupons whether you are looking for extras or coupons that aren’t available in your area newspaper. In addition, it’s a great way to share coupons you aren’t going to use.
The trains are usually made up of about 5 people with one being the “conductor”. The conductor will fill the train with the specified number of coupons and send it on to the first passenger. That person will take the coupons they want, replace them with new coupons and send it on to the next passenger. Each passenger will follow suit until the train makes it back around to the conductor with all new coupons. Sometimes trains will have a “theme” which makes it more fun and fruitful for all of the riders. Here are some of the most commonly themed trains:
- Food only
- Non-food only
- Pet Products
- Baby Products
- Potluck (anything goes)
- Internet Printed Coupons
- Non-SS (coupons not found in the Sunday Newspaper)
The list can go on and on but you get the idea.
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What is a coupon clipping service?
A coupon clipping service locates coupons, clips them and mails the coupons to you for a small fee. The fee is NOT for the coupons themselves (they are free), the fee you pay is for the time and effort involved in the entire process of obtaining and delivering the coupons to you. Coupons themselves have no value and cannot be sold.
If you need some extra coupons here are a few coupon clipping services with good reputations:
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