How to Get Coupons and Discount Codes

For decades, coupons have helped shoppers save money on groceries and household items. But the number of ways to find them has grown in recent years.

Now, discounts are available almost everywhere, including inboxes, websites and smartphone apps. Here’s how to get coupons, in both paper and digital form.

1. Shop at stores with rewards programs

Enroll in rewards programs or sign up for the mailing list for the retailers you frequent most. Many stores send returning customers exclusive coupons or apply discounts automatically during checkout.

“Those are savings that you’re going to get without doing a thing except for swiping your card,” says Cindy Livesey, frugal-living expert from coupon website Living Rich With Coupons. Livesey says coupons have saved her family about $11,000 a year, on average, on groceries.

Be prepared: Retailers may flood your inbox with messages or use your information, such as demographics and shopping habits, for marketing purposes. Depending on your email service, you may be able to divert messages into a separate inbox to manage the volume. Also, check the retailer website for a “do not sell my information” link, and also customize the internet cookies you accept.

2. Install a browser extension

When shopping online, use a browser extension to track down discounts on your behalf.

These extensions, like Honey typically locate coupons and automatically apply the codes to your cart, so you can save money without putting in extra work.

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3. Ask for manufacturer coupons

If you favor certain brands, contact the companies directly. They’ll often send manufacturer coupons or samples when you provide feedback (or simply request them). As a plus, you can use a manufacturer's coupon at any store that sells the featured product, barring exclusions.

Look for a “contact us” link on the company’s website. This should direct you to an email form, live chat feature, customer service phone number or mailing address. Another option? Leave a comment on the brand’s social media page.

4. Search a coupon database or app

Coupon databases are websites that compile printable and digital coupons, including rebates. You can use them to search deals by brand, product or store and save time. Search “coupon database” on Google to get started. For on-the-go savings, try a free coupon app.

5. Visit retailer websites and apps

If you plan to purchase an item, check retailer websites first. Most major merchants have a weekly ad, coupon or offers section online. Or you might see a limited-time discount code on the homepage or a banner ad.

Livesey recommends downloading apps for the stores you shop at regularly. Some, like TargetCircle, have features that make it easy to find store and manufacturer coupons in one place.

6. Check the Sunday newspaper

While you’re catching up on current events, look for coupon inserts in your local or national newspaper. These often feature coupons for food as well as personal care items. The Sunday edition usually contains $50 to $300 worth of savings, Livesey says. Typically, larger or more expensive publications will have bigger inserts with higher-value coupons, she says.

Before you pay extra for a subscription, make sure it’s worthwhile. You might be able to get access to newspapers through friends, businesses and other sources free of charge. Free papers often have coupons, too.

6. Pick up weekly ads at the store

Watch for weekly circulars on display near the front doors or registers. These might include store-specific offers that you can redeem immediately or during a future shopping trip.

8. Look at the product packaging

Some discounts hide in plain sight at the grocery store. Inspect items, like meat and cereal, for a peel-off coupon attached to the box or packaging. You could get instant savings.

9. Browse store aisles

Don’t see a voucher on the product itself? Check shelves and other locations in the store.

“Usually when they have a new product coming out, they’ll put a display with a tearpad on there enticing you to get that product,” Livesey says. Don’t let a good deal tempt you to buy something unnecessarily, though.

10. Check your receipts

Take a close look at your receipt after every transaction. Some stores print coupons on the back. The cashier might also hand over a few extra slips of paper printed from a machine next to the register. These offers, known as Catalina coupons, are usually based on shopping habits. For example, if you buy a toothbrush, you may receive a voucher for toothpaste.

11. Use social media

Follow social media accounts for stores, brands and products you like. Many share coupon codes on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

No matter where you find coupons, be sure to read the fine print and familiarize yourself with store policies.

The easiest way to save money while shopping online is to use coupon codes that unlock special discounts. However, finding the right codes isn't always easy, which is where deal websites and browser extensions come in.

Many of our favorite e-commerce sites don't want us to find these discounts, so having someone on your side is essential if you're looking for a deal. With the right tools in your corner, earning a discount is as easy as clicking your mouse.

Try These Coupon Sites

Many deal-finder websites gather up online sales and discount codes from across the internet, offering you a one-stop way to speed up the buying process for whatever you need. Sign up for their newsletters for deals delivered to your inbox. Some sites to bookmark include:

• Coupons.com focuses primarily on printable and digital coupons, though it also has sections for promo codes and current sales.

• Groupon is known for deals for experiences and activities, but the website has also expanded into coupon codes and deal tracking. Groupon also uses your location to provide you with deals local to your area.

• Offers provides both coupon codes and links to great deals, including many that are exclusive to the website. It also breaks down its best offers by category for easy browsing.

• RetailMeNot allows you to search its website for useful coupon codes, current deals, and cashback rewards for any number of brands. It also highlights trending deals, covers specific categories like travel, beauty, and food, and provides helpful buying guides.

• Savings.com provides you with coupon codes and special deals, while also offering editorial insights to help you make buying decisions. The website also features digital circulars, so you don't miss a deal.

• Slickdeals is a community savings site and app that provides coupons and promotions submitted by members and edited by a deal-editing team. The site has a social aspect, as coupons are displayed in order of popularity determined based on votes.

Install These Browser Extensions

RetailMeNot's Deal Finder extension

Don't want to spend time searching websites for codes and deals? There are services that do the work for you in the form of a simple browser extension. All you have to do is browse to an online store and click a button; these tools will then search the web for you and apply the best codes they can find. Some also keep track of how much money you have saved with them, giving you an idea of how valuable these little add-ons can be.

• Cently (Coupons at Checkout) finds and applies discouts at checkout automatically at retailers like Dell, GoDaddy, Hotels.com, Lenovo, Target, Udemy, Vistaprint, and more.

• Deal Finder, from RetailMeNot, searches for any coupon codes it can find in its database, including cashback rewards. When you browse to a supported website, the add-on will show a small number, indicating there are deals to be had. You can then click the extension and copy any useful coupon codes to apply at checkout.

• Honey offers several different services at once. Click the Honey add-on to view active coupon codes for the current site. The add-on will also track sale price history to tell you if something is a good deal or not. If you rather not play around with coupon codes, you can simply wait until checkout and click the big Honey button in your browser to apply any working codes. Signing up with the service also gives you access to a deal-tracking website.

• Rakuten mainly focuses on offering cashback rewards to its users. Install the extension to search for brands that have deals and rewards available. When you navigate to a site with a deal, Rakuten allows you to activate your cashback reward. The extension tracks the amount of money you have coming to you, which you can then get in the form of a check.

Disclosure: RetailMeNot and Offers are owned by PCMag parent company Ziff Davis.

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