Best coupon websites for grocery savings

Not couponing? Then you're paying hundreds of dollars more each year for groceries than you should.

That's the message Cincinnati area "coupon mom" Andrea Deckard shares in her blog "The Savings Lifestyle."

She agreed to share some of her favorite coupon sources with us.

Keep on clipping

The Sunday newspaper? Deckard has been there, done that, but even in this smartphone age she says it should be still your first stop.

"My first place is still the Sunday newspaper, my second stop is printable coupons,"  said Deckard.

She says printable online coupons means she never pays full price for any frozen food. "A lot of times you can get them at just 50 cents a bag, because there are lots of coupons for frozen vegetable."

Coupon websites even give her coupons for organic food, which she rarely finds in the newspaper.

Great coupon websites

So where does she find good legitimate online coupons?

Andrea has three favorite websites:

• Coupons.com
  
• SmartSource.com
  
• RedPlum.com

All three sites require you to install a coupon printing program on your computer: That's to prevent people from printing too many coupons at once. Deckard says printing programs are safe to install.

She also says it's a good idea to register directly at grocery store website sites.

Don't forget Facebook

Deckard says be sure to "friend" favorite brands on Facebook for new coupons all the time.

"Brands have their own Facebook page now. Just like them, and you'll get great coupons. For instance, Nabisco is a good one. On the first of the month, they have often have buy one get one free cookie deals when you get a gallon of milk," said Deckard.

Stores now accept online coupons

Deckard says some stores still reject printed coupons, but those are mostly e-mailed counterfeit coupons for free pizza, free Doritos or something else too good to be true.

Legitimate coupons come with current bar codes and Deckard says you should have no problem using them.

Smartphone coupon apps

Finally, Deckard uses her smartphone while shopping, downloading coupons in real time from coupon apps like Coupon Sherpa.

Go to http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/money/best-money-saving-shopping-apps for our previous report on Coupon Sherpa and other great smartphone coupon apps, so you don't waste your money.

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