Couponing 101
Where do you get coupons?
Coupons are available in a lot of places. You can get coupons a million different ways like in the mail with a free sample, in a magazine, from your mobile phone or on the grocery store's website. I will explain the most common ways to find coupons but figure out what works the best for you.
Sunday Newspaper/Wednesday Mail
The most common are the inserts in the Sunday newspaper or in the mail on Wednesday. In Utah, both the Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret News both have coupon inserts and they are identical so it doesn't matter which paper you subscribe to. If you are getting the paper for coupons alone, there is a Sunday-only subscription that makes your paper only $2.15 per week! To subscribe or learn more, click here. I easily save $2.15 a week from my Sunday coupons and even for a family of 2, it's worth it to subscribe.
Coupons.com
My favorite website is Coupons.com but you can find a lot of coupons on the internet. Often, there is a limit of 2 coupons per computer. A lot of coupons that are found in the Sunday paper are also found on this website but not all of them. Often the best coupons (like for free items) are only in the Sunday paper. You can print in black and white to save on ink costs. Photo copies of coupons are NOT ALLOWED and can get you in big trouble.
Smartsource.com
Smartsource.com is another reliable coupon website. Smartsource is one of the companies that does the inserts in the Sunday paper. The selection will vary and coupons are limited to 2 prints per computer.
Redplum.com
Redplum.com is similar to Smartsource. Red plum is another brand that does inserts in the Sunday newspaper and Wednesday mail inserts.
Manufacturer Websites
Try searching for your favorite companies websites to see if they have coupons. Hormel, P&G and Betty Crocker are few that regularly have coupons to print.
You can also find coupons on Facebook by following your favorite companies.
Coupon Tear Pads
While shopping you may see these coupon pads. These can be very high value coupons and can be saved until the product goes on sale. Coupon etiquette is to not take more than you need and to not take the whole pad.
How to Organize Your Coupon Binder
- a 3-ring binder
- 20-30 full page sheet protectors
- 25-100 trading card pages
- Organization pages which you can print here: Binder Organization Pages
Coupon Policies
When you use coupons it is important to follow the store policy. I print off of the policies of my favorite stores and carry them with me in my binder. If I ever get a checker who is not familiar with their store policy, I can take it out and show them. I have gathered the following policies for you to print and use when you shop:
Hours
Monday - Friday
8 am to 5 pm
or by appointment
Contact
Ann House
Coordinator
ahouse@sa.utah.edu
Phone: (801) 585-7379
Fax: (801) 585-7888
Location
Olpin Student Union,
Rm 317