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Employee scans smart phone to take payment at garden center or plant nursery
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If you’re deciding to finally get into the coupon clipping game, knowing how to coupon actually takes some time and skill. You may be wondering, where do I clip coupons? How do I find coupons without wasting time? What should I do if I don’t have a printer? How do I become an extreme couponer?

OK, maybe that last one is getting a little bit ahead of yourself. We’ve got you covered on the rest. Read on for how to get coupons in the mail without needing to physically print them out, as well as other helpful coupon hacks.

Related: Saving Strategies That Could Cost You Money

Reach Out to Companies

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Sam Edwards/istockphoto

Are there brands in your pantry that you just love? Well, send them a note. Go to their website, fill out a contact form, tell them how much you love their products, and ask for manufacturer coupons to be mailed to you. You never know what may appear in your mailbox when you ask.

Related: Stop Paying for These Things To Save Money Now

Join a Coupon Service

Closeup image of female customer paying for service subscription with credit card
DragonImages/istockphoto

Going this route may cost you money in order to save money, so read the fine print first. The coupon website Sunday Coupon Inserts offers weekly subscriptions of varying amounts and prices, and ships coupons out to you before they are published in the Sunday paper. Coupon Flea Market is another site where you can order coupons.

For more great money-saving tips, please sign up for our free newsletters.

Subscribe, Subscribe, Subscribe

Vancouver, Canada -- October 23, 2013:Close up of a pile of weekly retail advertisements from major retailers such as Walmart, the Home Depot, Sears, Safeway and Michaels.
AnthonyRosenberg/istockphoto

Subscribe to newsletters, rewards programs, weekly ads — basically anything and everything that may result in you receiving coupons in the mail. Some examples of stores that often have good deals are Kohl’s, Michael’s, and grocery stores. 

Take Surveys in Exchange for Coupons

filling form online, questionnaire survey on laptop screen
anyaberkut/istockphoto

Sites such as Shopper’s Voice prompt you to take online surveys, and in return will send coupons and free samples. The site also gives away cash prizes as another incentive.

Side note: Shopper’s Voice is free, but if you are asked to pay in order to take part in something like this, be careful — it could be a scam.

Use a Coupon App on Your Phone

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PeopleImages/istockphoto

There’s no need for a printer when you can use an app on your phone while shopping. Coupons.com and Coupon Cabin are well-known coupon sites with apps where you can access countless digital coupons while you shop. Just pull them up on your phone.

Shop Online Instead of in Stores

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Edwin Tan /istockphoto

Browser extensions such as RetailMeNot, Capital One, and Honey automatically apply the best coupon codes to online purchases. If you aren’t doing this already, start today. Like right now. We mean it.

Still Want a Hard Copy? Hit the Library

Interior of a large modern library with bookshelves.
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If you are feeling old school and absolutely must print out a stack of coupons, don’t rule out the library. Most libraries let you print for free.

Meet the Writer

Jennifer Magid has worked as a writer and editor in publishing and marketing for almost two decades. She has written for outlets ranging from InStyle magazine to Psychology Today and for a number of grocery and personal care brands. Jennifer is frugal by proxy: She is married to a certified cheapskate, which has been good for her wallet but bad for her shoe and handbag collections. These days, she never, ever buys her fashions at full price. Jennifer holds a Master’s in Journalism from New York University. She lives in Connecticut with her family and an admittedly expensive-to-maintain standard poodle — the one anomaly in her cheap lifestyle. Find out more about Jennifer at www.jennifermagid.com. You can reach her at [email protected].