There are two main methods for getting coupons: printable coupons and Sunday newspaper inserts.

Sunday Inserts:

Sunday inserts include Red Plum (RP), Smart Source (SS), Proctor & Gamble (PG), and occasionally a General Mills (GM) insert.  Not every insert is included in the paper each week.  (Proctor & Gamble comes out once a month and General Mills is once every few months.)

I recommend buying at least 2 newspapers each week there are inserts (I usually buy 4-6 a week.)  If you miss out on an insert or just want to buy extras of a particular coupon that matches up to a great sale, you can order additional coupons from a clipping service.  I personally have used The Coupon Clippers several times, and have been very happy with the service.  They have a great selection and the coupons have always arrived in the mail within 2 days.

Be sure to check the paper before purchasing (unless you subscribe) because not all papers include the inserts each week.  If you live in an area with multiple newspapers, you will find that one generally has better coupons than another.  There is no sense spending money on a newspaper just for the inserts, only to find there aren’t any!

Be sure to look for free papers in your area too!  Some of them include inserts, which is an easy way to score free coupons!

In addition to newspaper inserts, there are several places to find free printable coupons online:

Coupons.com

RedPlum.com

SmartSource.com

CouponNetwork.com

To search for a coupon for a specific item, use the SWSL coupon database:

I highly recommend investing in an inexpensive black & white laser printer before starting to print a lot of coupons.  You will go through a lot of ink, and ink jet cartridges are expensive.  A laser printer will pay for itself within just a few months.  I use the Brother HL-2140 Laser Printer, which can usually be purchased for less than $100.