by Robin Alwine

Created on: October 17, 2009   Last Updated: October 25, 2009

Saving money is even more critical for most now that prices are higher and money is tighter. You've purchased the Sunday paper for the Valassis and Red Plum coupon inserts, clipped the coupons for the items on your list, and you're ready to shop. Well, that's certainly a good start.

Many people just toss the coupon inserts in the recycle bin, although the numbers of couponers have increased during this recessive economy. Most haven't taken the best advantage of them. There are plenty of additional sources of coupons and savings. Used actively, the coupons alone from a newspaper in a medium to large metropolitan area could make that Sunday paper worth buying multiple copies. Smaller, more rural journals don't often have enough savings to warrant purchasing extras.

Sign up for a savings card if your store offers one. It will be a source of major discounts and clipless coupons when you scan it at the checkout. Some stores actually send you Best Customer type coupons in the mail as well, which are targeted in conjunction with the items you have purchased with your card as recorded during your shopping trips. Be aware that the store computers are keeping track of your purchases in this fashion; if you are worried about your privacy, you may not want to take advantage of these savings.

You've likely seen the little red shelf-talkers from SmartSource at the grocery store, where you can pull out coupons or rebate forms or advertising concerning new products. They also have a great web site for printing coupons, which online couponers go to for printing their own coupons. Perhaps the best known site for this purpose, SmartSource is only one of a myriad of such sites. Other examples are Red Plum.com, ShopAtHome.com, Coupons.com and an interesting site called the Penny Pincher Gazette, or ppgazette.com, where you can not only print coupons but also find inexpensive recipes and much more. There are plenty of coupon sites; these are just a few. Try keying in printable grocery coupons in your search engine and see what you find.

Before your next shopping trip, spend a little time getting organized. Write up your list, gather your coupons, and then sit down at the computer. Visit SmartSource and Red Plum.com and other sites you like, printing the coupons for the items you need coupons for. If your list isn't already covered in terms of having a coupon for each item (wouldn't that be nice!), keep looking within a reasonable time limit.

Next, try some of the manufacturer's

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