Where to Find Coupons: There are a lot of ways to get your hands on coupons in Canada. Here are some examples of where you can look to increase your coupon count:

• Online Coupon Sites: There are a couple of sites that will mail you out coupons. The main site that comes to mind for this is Save.ca. You choose the coupons you want and they print them out and send them to you.
• EBay: Ebay is a great place to find lots of coupons if you want to start a good colection of active coupons. Make sure they are accepted in Canada, the expiry has not passed and shipping is not a lot. Click HERE to start searching EBay for coupon lots. (I suggest you start by searching the words ‘Canadian Coupons’).
• Contact Manufacturer: If you like a certain product, or want to try a product out, just go to the manufacturer’s site, call them or write. Online, there is usually a ‘contact’ link where you can just send them an email and request either samples or coupons if any are available. Sometimes you get a yes, sometimes it’s no, but it never hurts to ask. (If it is a product you like a lot and you get a no, you may want to try back in a few months). If you like a manufacturers product, write them and tell them. Companies like hearing good things and respond well to compliments (who doesn’t?). Or if you have one concern or question, tell/ask. You may get something for your time.
• Newspaper Inserts: Throughout the year flyer inserts are included with your local newspaper. There are three of them that I know of and you can get some GREAT deals with these.
1. Brandsaver is put out by Proctor & Gamble and is available through newspaper insert and online by clicking HERE. Smart Source and Shop & Save are only available as a flyer inserts in the newpapers.
2. For 2010, the Smart Source should be in the newspaper on the following days: January 2, January 23, February 13, March 6, March 27, April 17, May 15, June 19, July 10, August 7, August 28, September 25, October 16, November 6, December 4.
3. For 2010, the Shop & Save (Red Plum) should be in the paper on the following days: January 9, February 6, March 13, April 10, May 8, June 5, July 3, August 14, September 11, October 2, October 30, November 27.
• Product Packaging: Coupons often come on products you already buy. Check the boxes on store shelves. Some will give you an instant rebate (you can use it on that item), and some will apply the rebate to your next purchase. You can also check the package to see if they list a website or toll-free number to call to either be put on their mailing list or to receive free samples/coupons. Another tip that goes along with this one is if I see a product on the shelf that looks interesting or if it is from a manufacturer I haven’t checked yet, mark the name down on your grocery list (along with any contact info) and check out their website when you get home. You don’t have to buy the product to get the info off of it. Then if they send you out a coupon, you can use it towards your first purchase.
• Hanging on Store Shelves: You will find some coupons right beside the products in the stores. If you have the time, but you don’t need many things during your grocery shop, still stroll the aisles. You may find a coupon good for something you may need next month, and Murphy’s Law dictates that when you do need it, it most likely won’t be there anymore. Stock up on those coupons (take more than one if the expiry is far enough into the future that you will be making multiple purchases). Even if you don’t use the product yourself, they are good for Coupon trading/trains (see below).
• Coupon Forums/Trading/Trains: You can join a group interested in saving money and finding deals. I have a few of these listed in my left sidebar at the top. Here you can meet members interested in collecting and trading coupons. The most interesting idea I have seen out there are coupon trains. A coupon train usually consists of 6-8 people. The first person in the train puts a certain amount of coupons in an envelope (say $10 worth) and mails it to the first person on the list. That person then takes out what coupons they can use and leaves the rest. They also add an equal or greater amount of coupons into the envelope to replace what they took out, then mails it to the next person on the list. Once it gets to the last person, they do the same thing, then mail it back to the original sender. That’s it in a nutshell. This is good if you can trade with people across the country as the same coupons might not be found in different provinces.
• Check My Site: I will post any deals or great coupons I find. As well, I maintain a list of coupon and deal sites to visit at the top of my left sidebar, and a link to various clubs you can join in my top menubar. Add me to your favorites or add yourself to my Followers’ list on the bottom of the page so you don’t lose me.

Make Coupons Work for You: You should always be asking yourself if you are spending money just to get the deal. Now if your coupon(s) make the item free or very close to it, then I usually go for it… just make sure it is something you will use and that you can use it before it expires. If you still need to pay for the item after your coupon, ask yourself if:

• you need it, or are you just wanting to get a deal.
• there is another product out there that is still cheaper than this one even after the coupons.
• the purchase can wait until you possibly find more coupons to stack to get an even better discount or the item goes on sale and you can use your coupon at a better time.

If you don’t need the item right away and the deal just doesn’t seem as ‘good as it can be’, then check your expiry date on the coupon. If you still have lots of time, then put your coupon away and wait. Chances are someone will put it on sale soon and you can get a better deal. Or better yet, you will find another coupon for the same product somewhere else (wuth a different UPC) and you can stack them. Then you STILL have the option to wait until a sale happens. That is how I get a lot of my items for free when I shop.

Avoid Spam: If you are looking around online for coupons, you will notice a lot of sites and manufactures ask you for an email address in order sign you up to receive the coupons, samples, etc. some of these sites will send spam your way. I set myself up with a separate Gmail account to filter out everything. This way, all of my deals and offers (and the spam that goes along with it) are sent to a separate email account, freeing up my personal account. Then, when I want to spend the time going through my email offers, I just log into that account.

Expiry Dates: When you find coupons on store shelves, check the expiry date. If the coupon doesn’t expire for a year, you can take a couple of extra to use throughout the year. I just found one today that doesn’t expire for another year and a half.