The above question might seem ridiculous to experienced couponers, but it is actually the most important question a newbie couponer can ask.
The average person doesn’t necessarily know where to find coupons and that’s sorta important if you want to start couponing. In reality, even long-time couponers often overlook various coupon sources.
While it’s impossible to list every possible place you can get a coupon, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 most reliable spots you should look.
Yeah, that’s right. The good old-fashioned newspaper remains a fantastic source for coupons. Between the traditional manufacturer coupons that come in inserts from providers like Smart Source and Red Plum and the store circulars that sometimes include their own additional coupons, the newspaper has both quality and quantity.
Just about any type of coupon you could ever imagine is available online these days. Obviously we’re biased in this one instance, but if you want a promo code we suggest Dealspotr.com (although there are other reputable providers as well). If you want a manufacturer coupon then Coupons.com is your best bet and for deal vouchers, Groupon and Living Social remain the industry leaders.
Within the past year, mobile app coupons have exploded in popularity. Target’s Cartwheel app has quickly become a must-download for any couponer and several other stores including CVS, Walgreen’s and Dollar General have created their own apps featuring coupons as a centerpiece. There are also a growing number of coupon apps that offer cash-back for in-store purchases such as ibotta and Checkout 51.
Facebook’s creation of coupon offers hasn’t taken off to a huge degree, but many stores, especially recently opened ones, do utilize them to attract shoppers. Instagram has rapidly become a leading source of coupons for major chains and small retailers alike. Yelp doesn’t do a great job of highlighting its coupons, but has a surprisingly strong selection of them as well. Some stores have also experimented with using Snapchat or Twitter for limited-time coupons.
Yeah, yeah, we know, snail mail was so 20th century. Despite the fact that email has largely replaced traditional postal mail in many respects, postal mail continues to be an excellent source of coupons to this day. Services like Valpak and Money Mailer continue to send our weekly coupon packets across the nation.
While not as prevalent as they once were, grocery receipts are still a good source of coupons. Instead of throwing away your receipt when you get home, make sure to check the back of it for potential coupons. They tend to be for local restaurants and shops and sometimes feature places that don’t normally distribute coupons.
There aren’t as many coupons in magazines as there are in newspapers, but they can still be a solid source. One area in which magazines really stand out is that they often contain coupons for niche products. For example, a fashion magazine might have a coupon offer for a designer brand that rarely has any discounts.
Those pamphlets you pick up in the hotel lobby or airport don’t just provide quick reading material, they also contain useful coupons. It’s very common for local attractions to include coupons in their brochures. Tourism guides regularly spotlight coupons for restaurants, taxis, rental car companies and other useful services.
Always check out those soda cans, cereal boxes and lunch meat containers before you throw them out. There might be a couponing treasure among what appears to be trash. Just make sure to pay close attention as sometimes it isn’t obvious there is a coupon.
Hang tags (coupons that hang from products like water bottles), tear pads (coupon notepads taped to the shelf) and peelies (coupon stickers attached to products) are all coupons that you can’t really plan for ahead of time (unless alerted to them by a couponer). They are like little gifts that come out of nowhere.
