by Jennifer Austin

Created on: March 23, 2009

While the Sunday paper is a somewhat reliable source for manufacturers coupons, it is definitely not the only source or even the best. With the use of the Internet, you have the world at your fingertips. With the addition of a printer, coupon sites, such as coupons.com, smartsource.com and boxtops4education.com offer you the ability to print the coupons you desire. Check those sites weekly as offers change. Some of these coupons can still be doubled if you have a local store that offers a double coupon in their weekly Ad. Here in Oregon, Safeway is the source for the mighty double coupon. However, recently Albertsons has jumped on the double coupon wagon, once per month.

Another best kept secret in the coupon world is a site called thecouponclippers.com. This site has an extremely large selection of manufacturer coupons. These are not free to print, rather, you order them like merchandise. Each coupon costs between 5 cents and 12 cents. The higher the value of the coupon, the higher the cost. If you order a $2.00 off coupon, it will usually cost 12 cents. You'll always save more than you spend, so it is definitely worth it. I usually check the Sunday Paper, then the free printable sites first. Anything else that I'm in need of, I look on thecouponclippers.com for. They may or may not have the one I need, but most of the time they do. They charge a 50 cent handling fee and a regular stamp for postage. A friend of mine, who coupons too, will sometimes order coupons with me, so we split the fees. It is best to order coupons the same day the store ad came out, this way you will receive your coupons in the mail before the sales end.

During my coupon search, I go through the weekly store ads, make a list of all sale items I wish to purchase, then search for coupons based on need. Say Albertsons has granola bars on sale for 10 for $10, If I can find a granola bar coupon on thecouponclippers.com site for 50 cents off each box, then I'll order 10 coupons. I'll use my store double coupon (usually there is a limit of 4) and I can get all ten boxes for $3 or less. All 10 coupons cost me 50 cents, but saved me $7, so there is the proof that paying a little for this valuable service is worth it. The owner is a mom from Florida and it feels good to support a small business as well.

Another surprise place I find coupons is inside magazines. If you order Good Housekeeping or Better Homes and Gardens, you will definitelyfind a small stack of coupons inside. If you don't order them, the library may. You can go ask them if they would give you the coupons from inside magazines. Removal of these coupons is not noticed by readers and is not part of the body of the magazine. If the library isn't able to help you out, you could check recycling centers for magazines or your local freecycle.org or reuseitnetwork.org group. Many times people will list coupons they don't need on these forums in addition to the magazines.

Finally, the entertainment book is a valuable source for coupons. They offer mainly restaurant and attraction type coupons, but they do offer store coupons, such as a $5 off coupon for any $50 purchase at Safeway. There are 4 coupons in each book, with a savings of $20 that almost pays for your book. When shopping, use your store ads, manufacturer coupons, double coupons and entertainment coupons together. You can spend $45 for $200 or more in groceries. I've done it and you can too!

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