What sources do you get all the coupons from for your big gigantic colorful stockpiles?

[wicouponuser]

Hi, I am totally new to stockpiling here. Since Ive seen some of your big stockpile pictures, where do all of you "stockpilers" get your coupons from to do all that stockpiling? I mostly check the sunday papers, clip the coupons out for items I use, save them, and if the item goes on sale, or if I can get the item for free, I pull the coupon out of my filing binder. I mostly try to match the coupon to the item that is on sale like at our local Walgreens. Of course, Wednesday is our double coupon days at all of our Pick N Save's. What I like about stockpiling is if I run out of an item, I dont have to make a special trip to the store, and I don't have to waste time pushing a shopping cart down almost every isle in the grocery store. Any advice you hardcore couponers have about stockpiling and where you all get good coupons for items on sale, you can always send me a response to my box.
With the economy the way it is, couponing, stockpiling, and buying items when they are only on sale helped me out a lot! Thanks to you all! By the way, this couponing started with me when I saw a woman on our local tv newscast bought $100 worth of groceries, and only spent about $10 out of her pocket at the checkout counter!

[searcher]

I live in a rural village without a lot of stores. I only have a Kroger close by that doubles. I buy three newspapers on Sunday. The lady at the local mini mart saves inserts for me from the papers that don't sell. I don't get them every week but a couple of times a month helps a lot!

I buy the "All You" magazine at Walmart, it is full of coupons. I have been paying $2.49 for it but I heard the price was going up.

I use to trade with other coupon users for what I need, but just don't have time right now. I am trying to garden and am trying canning this year. That keeps me busy!

Check manufacturers websites for coupons and email manufacturers of products you like and let them know you like their products and they will sometimes send some great coupons.

You can also order coupons from places like the Coupons Clippers, ebay, etc. their are a few places that do it. You pay for their time to clip and and postage and they mail the coupons to you. That way you can order only the ones you use and it saves you buying extra newspapers.

I placed an ad on our local Freecycle that I collect coupons and I have a local lady that gives me her inserts after she takes what she wants. It helps a lot too because we don't all use the same products.

HCW has RAOK that you can enter and win. That helped me so much when I first started couponing!

You may other things you are already doing that I did not mention.

Happy couponing! Just remember, not to let it stress you and you don't have to do every deal! It's ok to miss a deal, it will come back around. It's ok for a coupon to expire! More will come out. Besides, the military can use the expireds and some other folks can use expireds in their local stores.

HCW was the biggest help to me when I first started. This site is wonderful!

[thickbluebug]

I pay attention to the sales cycles and trade when I know the item should be coming up.
Look in my siggy for the link.
Like now it's cereal, juice and snacks for school lunches. In my area the quaker bars are about to start being on sale to where I can get them almost for free.
Does your local stores have a forum? Check in the old threads for what was on sale this time of year - just to get an idea of prices.

I also pay close attn to what is previewed to be on sale at cvs,wags and ra. Then start trading for coupons. Trading early is the key.

Plus in my area the grocery stores rotate sales. I know when I start seeing cheese, pillsbury crescents and mixes like hhelper, rice like uncle bens rice a roni at publix to go ahead and start trading. If publix has it now then winn dixie or fw or brunos will have it soon and vice versa.

My coupon sources:
ebay, traders on here, recycle bins and contacting companies for coupons

I buy a bunch of coupons on ebay. I buy from sellers that give me something for buying from them. Free shipping, .10 shipping on extra wins or free packets of coupons.

I trade on here too.
I love trader reez and a couple of other traders that trade a great prices. Tearpads I will trade at 10% but inserts I prefer to pay .03 .05 a q for.

I hunt in recycle bins and finds lots of great coupons.

I contact companies and tell them I love their product, I want to try their product or ask where can I find their product.
Look for a blog or our contact companies to cheer or jeer section on here and email the ones that have sent coupons recently - first. No sense in wasting time and emailing every company out there.
Anyway, some companies only send out coupons a few times a year. I save time by researching to see which companies are actually sending out coupons now and contacting them first.

How to do a stockpile the right way:

Basically my strategy is to see what is free after coupons, get rain checks and trade for more coupons.
Rain checks are the most important tool for me now. Then I hold those babies until the coupons come in.
I started building my stockpile with ok prices. :shrug7:Didn't know better. I wanted a stockpile so bad and thought 1/2 price was great.
I wished I had half that money back. For the last 2 years I know most things I can get 75% to free - if I wait.
Start slow and wait on the sales. You can't rush a stockpile.
Everything goes on sale at sometime, they key is to buy when it's a fantabulous sale not an ok sale. So learn patience.
Then learn how much you need until the next fantabulous sale. I thought I stocked enough pickles, ketchup and bbq sauce to last for ever, in the beginning. :giggle2:
My pickles were free in the summer and by xmas I was buying pickles to make deli trays for the holiday parties. Pickles are $3 a jar in the winter! BBQ I ran out like Jan - no sales in jan for bbq sauce.
Ketchup now I know to stock up with what we are eating. Lots in the summer for grilling, lots if ds will be eating pizzas and lots if we are going through an unhealthy frying chicken finger/fries spell. So 30 from June to next May - is iffy. 50 in my stash and I don't worry.

[shelleyf]

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