One of the most common statements I hear from people who are new to couponing is something along the lines of “I would like to use coupons, but I can never seem to find coupons for the things I need” or “I always end up using them to buy things I don’t need.

I have been using coupons for about five years now and have been able to find coupons for almost everything that we buy. Here are some tips for finding coupons for the things you need.

Expand your horizons and look beyond the inserts

People often assume that the Sunday inserts are the only place to find coupons. Lately, the majority of my coupons that I use don’t come from the inserts. There are a number of other resources where you can find coupons.

*Manufacturer’s websites – check out manufacturer’s websites for your favorite products. They will often have links to print coupons. If they don’t have coupons available for print on their website, use the “contact us” link to send them an e-mail letting them know how much you like their product and asking them to add you to any mailing list they may have. More often than not, they will send you coupons in the mail.

*Printable coupons – The following websites offer great money-saving coupons and you can usually print two per computer:
Coupons.com

Smartsource.com

Coolsavings.com

SlickDeals also has a comprehensive A-Z list of coupons available to print here

*Reconsider your brand loyalties – If you want to save big on items, sometimes you have to sacrifice brand loyalty. I have found that coupons typically come out at some point for my favorite brands, but for some of my favorite brands, I have not been able to find good enough sales (or get my hands on enough coupons) to stockpile enough until the next big sale. In the meantime, on some things, I have been willing to reconsider brand loyalty and in the process I have found some new favorite products!

(My husband is still pretty brand loyal particularly when it comes to his razors and deodorant, so I just do my best to stock up on those items whenever they go on sale)

*Sign up for store loyalty cards – If your stores offer customer loyalty cards, sign up. You can take advantage of special promotions and sale prices, but they also will often send you special coupons in the mail for some of your favorite products. My grocery stores will also often include coupons for items such as produce and dairy products.

*Check out catalina offers – Look for catalina offers that provide coupons for a dollar amount off your next purchase. I like to use these for meat, produce, and dairy products because it is not as easy to find coupons for these items. If you are not familiar with catalinas, check out this post here.

If you use primarily organic products, try e-mailing the manufacturer’s and check out the Organic Grocery Deals website.

For more ideas about how to find coupons, check out these posts:

Where To Find Coupons, Part 1

Where To Find Coupons, Part 2