The post 10 Ways to Find Coupons Without Buying the Sunday Paper appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.
Newspaper coupons are easy to get. All you have to do is check out the Sunday paper. The question is, are you subscribed to a newspaper service? Today, only about 7.5% of Americans (25 million or so out of 331 million people) subscribe to a newspaper.
That number keeps dropping as more and more people prefer to get their news online. So, there’s a pretty good chance you are not part of this 7.5%.
Even if you were thinking of joining them, there’s an even better chance that it won’t be because you want to get paper coupon inserts on Sundays; there are much more convenient and cheaper ways of doing this right at your fingertips.
So, if you aren’t interested in subscribing to a newspaper but still want your treasured money-saving coupons, here are my top-secret tips on how to get them.
Also see: How to get coupon inserts in bulk
Free Local Papers
The paid Sunday newspaper isn’t the only option for finding coupon inserts. You can find them in some free newspapers as well. The trick is in knowing which ones. Here’s what I do:
- Do a little research for free newspapers in my locale
- Ask local newspaper vendors for outlets that publish free newspapers
- Once I have a respectable list, I call up the publishers to see if they offer any free coupon inserts and, if so, when
Make a list of all the options that check all the boxes, and then just keep checking these papers on those dates. I have an agreement with my local newspaper vendor to keep copies for me. All I have to do is buy him coffee from time to time.
Additionally, some grocery stores either sell the Sunday paper on Monday for a discounted price or simply give it away for free. See what kind of deal your grocery store has going on. It never hurts to ask, right?
Free Newspaper Stands
Yes, we are still on newspaper coupons. There are numerous free newspaper stands around your town. You probably haven’t noticed them until now because there was no need.
These free newspaper stands can often be found outside of coffee shops, fast food restaurants, around the customer service desks at the local mall, inside liquor stores, and so on.
The problem with this is that you would have to keep checking to see which ones have free coupons.
Grocery Coupons
Yes, grocery coupons are a thing. They occur in many ways.
- Free manufacturer coupons on product packaging (I have a nice collection started)
- Free coupon booklets are available at the checkout counter.
- Tear pads at checkout
- Coupon peelies and coupon dispensers (you know, the ones your kids are constantly grabbing coupons from as you shop?)
Finally, always check your grocery store receipt. Sometimes, the grocery store prints coupons on the bottom of receipts. So, instead of shoving the receipt into the dark depths of your purse, fold it up and place it nicely in your wallet. After all, it’s money, right?
Solicit for Unwanted Coupons
We are in the realm of extreme couponing now. This is one of my best tips on how to get coupons without paying. I must warn you, it involves a lot of work at the beginning.
In many cities, newspaper carriers are only required to send back the front pages of unsold newspapers as proof. The rest is often discarded.
The trick is to contact as many newspaper carriers as you can in your city and ask them for those discarded parts. You’ll find that the Sunday coupon inserts that we are after are usually there and still intact.
Ask Your Family and Friends
Believe it or not, many people don’t care about using coupons. Some believe it makes them look cheap. To those people, we say, “Thank you very much. Let me have your Sunday newspaper coupons or any other coupons you have lying around.”
Sometimes, it’s as simple as just asking your friends and family for the coupons they never intend to use. And trust me when I say this: I have to fight like crazy to keep my coupons in hand when my mom visits because she collects them, too!
Ask Your Local Hotels
Most hotels provide their guests with free local newspapers. Most guests don’t care about the coupon inserts. Strike a deal with the hotel manager or one of the cleaning crew members to grab these for you.
Check the Local Recycling Center
Simply go to RecyclingCenters.org to find the nearest recycling center. Go and talk to them about grabbing any unwanted Sunday coupons. Warning: You might have to sort through the newspapers yourself, but that’s a small price to pay. And hey, it can turn out to be a fun game of seek and find.
Check Websites
Now, if you aren’t big on newspaper coupons, you might want to go for digital coupons. These are much easier to get, and they are almost everywhere. You just need to know where to look. Here are my best tips on finding digital coupons or coupon codes:
- Manufacturer websites: Most manufacturers offer coupons on their websites.
- Grocery store websites: Many grocery stores offer their shoppers discounts through promo codes and digital coupons on their websites.
- Black Friday sales: While this is very specific to the season, you can find a million and one Black Friday coupons in the days leading to the sale. In fact, you can find digital coupons several times throughout the year.
- Coupon websites: Places like RetailMeNot and SmartSource are always a good start.
Also see: Where can I find manufacturer’s coupons?
Use Browser Extensions
Have you ever heard of the browser extension called Honey by PayPal? It’s the most beautiful thing!
All you have to do is install it on your browser for free, and it will hunt down offers, discounts, and online coupons for you. Whenever you are done shopping online, the extension will suggest what items on your list have coupons or promo codes out there so you can apply them. Neat, yes?
Talk to Your Local Church
Churches have a lot going on. Some churches use newspapers to teach their youth how to stay current with current events. In many cases, these papers are either donated by the congregation or bought by the church. You can talk to them to get the coupon inserts.
These are just some of my tips and tricks on how to get newspaper coupons or coupons in general. While many options here might seem like a lot of work, to begin with, all you have to do is create the relationships.
Once that’s done, maintaining them is easy, and you get a constant supply of coupons and discounts, and then it’s up to you whether you want to share the spoils with your mother!
Also see: How to get free coupons in the mail (with contact info)
The post 10 Ways to Find Coupons Without Buying the Sunday Paper appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.