Okay, so I admit it, I was never a big coupon lady. I blame it on the notion that I might have ADHD and looking for coupons just seemed like it would take that difficult word I struggle to have. What’s it called again? Oh yeah, patience. But it’s a whole new world out there. Couponing no longer requires such extreme patience and planning. Just click and print, baby. (And I’m working on the patience – I’ve heard it’s helpful.)
The Modern Mom Top 25 Coupon Sites!
- www.coupons.com Hailed as the gold standard for ease of use, variety of coupons and popular mobile apps (Coupons.com and GroceryIQ).
- http://www.redplum.com/ Reliable, easy to navigate, have printable and load-to-card coupons and offers a Redplum Coupon Book for selected areas.
- http://www.shesaved.com/ Warm and friendly layout, cool Disney and Travel Section.
- http://hip2save.com/ Can sign up to receive free text messages when a hot deal arises.
- http://www.retailmenot.com/ Boasts the ability to shop 500,000 coupons from 50,000 stores.
- http://moneysavingmom.com/ Nice site plus some cool posts like “How we are funding our emergency fund on a really tight budget.”
- http://www.frugaa.com/ Adds about 350 new coupons per day and claims the average savings per user is $26.
- http://www.mambosprouts.com/ For the organic crowd, this site is awesome! (To sneak another one in there, www.organicdeals.com ain’t bad either.)
- http://thekrazycouponlady.com/ Can easily view and select participating stores. Click on “Deals” and then “Extreme Couponing” to pump up the savings. She also has a cool Pinterest site: http://www.pinterest.com/uhmillion/krazy-coupon-lady/
- http://www.passionforsavings.com/ This site has a cool freebie section and clever money-saving tips.
- http://www.groupon.com/ Excellent for events and activities, pay close attention to the discounts on camps and places that cater to children. For the community minded they have a cool Groupon grassroots section. It’s a great way to get the kiddos informed and involved in causes close to your heart.
- www.livingsocial.com Great site, similar to Groupon, love their style, great weekend excursions and total guarantee of satisfaction for the customer. (Also boast a “best price promise.”)
- http://www.priceblink.com/ When you are viewing a product, PriceBlink automatically scans over 4,000 merchants for lower prices. Whatever you are shopping for – from apparel to appliances, or toys to tools – PriceBlink has you covered.
- http://www.savings.com/ Swiftly search through 200,000 coupons. Has a great “Summer Deal” section.
- http://www.pronto.com/ Searches the stores and compares for you – great for drugstores and sports and fitness deals.
- http://www.dealsformommy.com/ You have to sign up but they categorize their deals and present them in a customizable “Deal Dashboard” according to your likes/needs.
- http://www.shopathome.com/ A one-stop shop. And they have a cool coupon and cash back app.
- www.woot.com I can’t say enough about their daily deals. You do have to check it daily – but it could be true love.
- http://slickdeals.net/ Compares sites to find a collection of the best offers. Look at the deals in your city (can compare Groupon, Travelzoo, Goldstar and Living Social all in one place).
- http://www.fatwallet.com/ Another comparison site – can see back-to-back deals from Amazon Local, Groupon and Living Social.
- http://about.bizrate.com/ Great site for honest customer feedback including easy access to customer ratings to make a smart and quick decision.
- www.smartsource.com Input your zip code and the deals pop up – or they will send you a selection straight to your e-mail.
- http://www.shopzilla.com/ Love the “trending now” and “Sizzling hot deal” sections.
- www.Shop.com Boasts insider connections to bring you the best stores and most popular brands.
- www.everydayfamily.com Okay this one is not exactly coupons but it is savings – free samples for baby in your mailbox on a regular basis. Easy and free!
Straight to the Source Couponing:
You can also go straight to the source if you have a favorite product or store.
Check out:
Proctor and Gamble: http://www.pgeveryday.com/tag/coupon
Walmart: http://coupons.walmart.com/
Pampers: http://www.pampers.com/
Target: http://coupons.target.com/
Kmart: http://www.kmart.com/coupons
Johnson’s baby: http://www.johnsonsbaby.com/baby-skin/coupons
Diapers, Diapers and More Diapers: http://www.diapers.com/
Carter’s: http://www.carters.com/
Valpak: (great for grocery) http://www.valpak.com/coupons
Ever Think You Are Getting a Fake?
Sometimes a deal that looks too good to be true is just well, too good to be true. If you suspect you might be a recipient of a false coupon, read this article on recognizing a counterfeit: http://www.moneysavingqueen.com/April-2011/Couponing-101-How-to-Recognize-Fake-Coupons/
And, believe it or not, there is a Coupon Information Corporation (the CIC) that compiles a current list of fraudulent coupons. Go here to find out if your coupon is on the naughty list: http://www.couponinformationcenter.com/psa-list.php
Ready to Become an Extreme Couponer?
I must, as a therapist, first caution you about heading down this path. It can be surprisingly addicting. But if I cannot dissuade you, check out these sites to start off your couponing journey on the right foot.
- Coupon 101 (Where to find coupons, what the abbreviations mean, how to read and understand the coupon and organizational tools) http://www.pennypinchinmom.com/
- Thrifty Tips (practical ideas, understanding freebies and grocery matchups and love the debt-free zone) http://athriftymom.com/
- Ready to learn the lingo: http://www.thecoupongirlz.com/ will teach you what ECB, RP, SS and WYB mean.
Couponing for the Lazy:
If you feel that this is all just a bit much, but wouldn’t mind saving without too much thought or effort here’s what to do:
Pick one of the biggies like Retailmenot (I like this one for ease of use) or Coupons.com. Think of one thing that you use often that you’d like to save on. (I chose printer ink.) Type the item in the search bar and find the store that has a sale. They will text the coupon to your phone.
If you have a store that you frequent (mine is Vons) sign up on their site. If mildly lazy, you can create a personalized shopping list and they will send your coupons accordingly. If you are barely awake, just download the store app and use at the store.
Be smart out there, people! Go forth and coupon like a queen.
