Couponing 101: How to get Coupons (Part 1)

The first thing that you need to do to start getting all of those great deals you hear about is accumulating coupons. Each week there are usually two different coupon inserts in most newspapers. Once a month there will be THREE inserts. And then there is that exciting weekend for us couponers that pops up once in a great while where you get four, five or even SIX inserts! It's rare, but it does happen.

Having multiples of each coupon makes it easier for you to take advantage of all of the sales and get multiples items at once. This helps build a food storage, which we refer to as a stockpile. Obtaining multiple inserts each week is not as hard as a lot of people think it is. The easiest and cheapest way is to ask family, friends, neighbors and co-workers to save them for you. I have been couponing for five years and I still get inserts from my family. I think purchasing multiple papers from the newsstand is not very valuable with the cost of the paper these days!

Another source of coupons is the internet. Before wasting your paper and ink, check to be sure that your store accepts internet printable coupons. Offers can be found at many manufacturer and coupon related websites. We have a section here at The Coupon Cupboard just for these coupons. Visit forums that have a Printable Coupons section. Also view a list coupons that you can get in the mail from samples and such. Many manufacturers also offer coupons which are sent right to your home mailbox .

Additional coupons can also be found in your local grocery store and in-store savings can be found at just about every grocery stores. These are called Blinkies. (Blinkies are available in red machines set up in aisles in the stores by SmartSource. They have a blinking red light on the box. Hence the name Blinkie. )

Don't forget to apply for your grocery store "loyalty" cards. Almost all grocery stores offer these nowadays. These will give you the extra discounts for their sale items and other promos they may be running. You can combine these sales with your coupons for maximum savings.