From Smartmoney.com - favorite coupon websites

5 Best Coupon-Clipping Web Sites
Updated on December 11, 2008.

THESE DAYS, IT'S safe to assume that most consumers are looking to save a buck or two. And for a whole host of Internet entrepreneurs, that spells an opportunity.

A slew of new web sites offering coupons and online promotions are flooding the Internet. And while these sites offer a wide breadth of discounts, they're also causing a lot of confusion among shoppers, making it more difficult to weed out the really good deals from the duds. "There are hundreds, if not thousands of coupon sites out there offering the exact same thing," says Edgar Dworsky, founder of consumer advocacy site Consumer World1.

The proliferation of these sites isn't just about about saving shoppers money. As part of so-called affiliate marketing programs, retailers offer cash to these web entrepreneurs each time they get a consumer to make a purchase on their store's site. The enticement these sites use: coupons and other discounts. Each site uses a unique promotional code so the retailers know where the customer is coming from. Usually, though, that's the only differentiating factor among these discount sites. Most of the underlying deals are identical.

While choosing among hundreds of discounts may not seem like a bad thing at first, it's the relative sameness of these sites that makes it hard for shoppers to find the best deals and discern whether the offers they see are legit or not, notes Mary Hunt, founder of money management site Debt Proof Living2. Some have more extensive retailer partnerships and therefore offer a broader range of deals. Others are more diligent about updating offers and weeding out expired coupons.

We asked Dworsky, Hunt and other consumer advocates and deal hunters to point out the free coupon sites they turn to purchase after purchase. Here are five worth bookmarking:

Coupons.com3
Why the experts like it: Coupons.com offers as wide a variety of timely coupons as you'd find in the grocery shoppers' gold standard: the Sunday paper, says Dworsky. Phil Lempert, founder of news site Supermarket Guru4, praises the site's simple layout, which makes it easy to browse available coupons, and then print them out for in-store use. Enter your zip code for area-specific deals. There's just one minor drawback: "There are still some retailers that will not accept Internet coupons," cautions Lempert. Check that your supermarket does so before downloading the site's coupon-printing software.

Sample deal: Save $2 on two jumbo packs of Huggies Supreme diapers.

CouponCabin.com5
Why the experts like it: CouponCabin.com keeps its discount fare fresh, says Linda Sherry, a spokeswoman for Consumer Action6, a consumer advocate. Staffers update deals three times a day, and frequently check each coupon code to ensure it works. Sections for "most-used coupons" and "favorite deals" point shoppers toward the best ongoing promotions at online retailers. An added bonus: A weekly email newsletter alerts consumers to the latest deals every Monday.

Sample deal: Link to Eddie Bauer's (EBHI7) web site through CouponCabin.com and use coupon code "Perfect" at checkout to save 30% and receive free shipping. Offer expires Dec. 31.

CouponMom.com8
Why the experts like it: CouponMom.com covers a lot of ground, listing online coupon codes, printout coupons and free samples, among other types of discounts. And while other sites are riddled with offers and banner ads, CouponMom.com's simple design makes finding discounts easy, says Garen Daly, host of Massachusetts-based radio show "Frugal Yankee." Deals are reliably accurate, too, adds Tawra Kellam, founder of frugal living newsletter Living on a Dime9. Members can find all available coupons from several sources using the virtual coupon organizer. Sign up for email alerts on sales at favorite retailers, or on a shopping-list staple like the kids' favorite brand of peanut butter.

Sample deal: Link to discount gift certificate site Restaurants.com through CouponMom.com and save an added 40% on any restaurant gift certificate order. (Shoppers pay $6 for a $25 gift certificate, instead of the regular — already discounted — rate of $10.) Ongoing deal.

RetailMeNot.com10
Why the experts like it: RetailMeNot.com's dedicated community is what makes this site stand out. Users indicate whether a discount code worked for them or not, helping shoppers quickly filter out bad deals, says Hunt. They also add comments, pointing out when a code last worked, or any strings attached. "It's pretty darn reliable," she says. Email alerts notify you when new codes are posted for your favorite retailers.

Sample deal: Save 20% off neighborhood car rentals from Enterprise using code "ETC7HC." Offer expires Dec. 20.

SmartSource.com11
Why the experts like it: SmartSource.com merges local store sales and a wide array of printout coupons and online deals to help consumers maximize savings, says Lisa Lee Freeman, editor in chief of Consumer Reports' ShopSmart magazine. The selection is great, and entering your zip code yields even more deals specific to your area. (As with Coupons.com, check that the supermarket accepts printout web coupons before downloading the software.)

Sample deal: Save $3 on Johnson & Johnson (JNJ12) Red Cross first aid products.

Also See:
5 New Ways to Clip Coupons13
How to Save on (Almost) Everything14
5 Ways to Save on Online Shipping Fees15

1http://www.consumerworld.org
2http://www.debtproofliving.com
3http://www.coupons.com
4http://www.supermarketguru.com
5http://www.couponcabin.com
6http://www.consumer-action.org
7http://www.smartmoney.com/quote/EBHI/
8http://CouponMom.com
9http://www.livingonadime.com
10http://www.retailmenot.com/
11http://www.smartsource.com
12http://www.smartmoney.com/quote/JNJ/
13http://www.smartmoney.com/deal-of-the-day/index.cfm?story=20080602-five-new-ways-to-clip-coupons
14http://www.smartmoney.com/deal-of-the-day/index.cfm?story=20080625-how-to-save-on-everything
15http://www.smartmoney.com/deal-of-the-day/index.cfm?story=20080715-save-on-online-shipping

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Comments
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5 Best Coupon-Clipping Web Sites
Coupon sites are everywhere. Here's where you'll find the best, most reliable deals.


User Comments

Posted 1:31 AM EST December 07, 2008Posted by: coupons
Nice list for those victims of the sotck market collapse. To save money I will also add http://www.allfreecoupons.com which has online promos and coupons as well.

Posted 3:41 PM EST November 07, 2008Posted by: mardomania
http://www.retailmenot.com is excellent. http://www.dealalert.com is another great coupon website as well.

Posted 11:47 PM EST November 03, 2008Posted by: kar3nm
You list some nice sites, however when I am looking for a coupon code I usually check out http://www.mrdealfinder.com first.

Posted 1:43 PM EST October 16, 2008Posted by: Momof6Boys
Without a doubt www.thecouponcupboard.com and www.grocerypricebooks.com. the second one just opened up a blog with freebies and giveaways! (i am pretty sure you can get there from the home page) currently she is giving away coupons for Free franks Hotsauce! How awesome is that!

Posted 1:39 PM EST October 16, 2008Posted by: pullshot
Thats a nice list of sites! Thanks! My fav has got to be http://www.dealstop.com .

Posted 1:38 PM EST October 14, 2008Posted by: betyboop5386
Thanks for all the great sites. But I allways check 'NaughtyCodes.com' whenever I order anything online. I have found numerous codes on there for discounts that are not on web pages.

Posted 6:06 AM EST October 03, 2008Posted by: Gospelgal
I have been trying now for a very long time to print online coupons. My mom is a huge user of coupons when she can find them especially if it's for a brand that she uses. Herein lies the problem, all of the software is geared for PC users only. No one has taken into consideration that some of us are Mac users. I have tried with one site to download the software that they said worked on Macs using Safari browser. I tried several times downloading, opening and trying to install-no use. If more of them would make a universal software that would allow me to print coupons directly off the internet, that would be my one high point of the day. My mom thinks I made all this up. NO mom, just can't anything to print!

Posted 2:53 PM EST September 28, 2008Posted by: kitty626
I'd like to also say that www.afullcup.com has saved me hundreds of dollars on my grocery and drug store purchases. The people there are so friendly and always willing to share in their great deals. If you're trying to save money, that's the place to be!

Posted 10:22 AM EST September 28, 2008Posted by: shadowchasy
Momof6boys......just which two sites are you referring too? you said that but didnt bother to give the names of the two sites you claim are bad.

Posted 11:04 AM EST September 27, 2008Posted by: Momof6Boys
I see 2 people here trying to plug the 2 worst coupon forums on the net. Both of them are over garbage in my opinion. They both are jam packed with so much advertising and 9 million forums you can't find where to put anything! Their users go off topic so much you have to scroll through 20 pages just to find what the damn thread is even about! the owner of one of those boards is just a sell out and the other is so stupid she has no idea how to market her board. The users are nasty snotty people and they both already have a click. So if your thinking of joining, don't bother, they won't even notice you unless your in the 'in group'. Yes like high school.

Posted 10:55 AM EST September 27, 2008Posted by: shadowchasy
These sites are nice, but if you haven't visited www.hotcouponworld.com you really need to try it out.

Posted 12:23 PM EST September 25, 2008Posted by: MelTravler
Many of these coupons sites are great, but i'm not a fan of using coupons. i especially don't like printing them out. one site texts to your phone which is cool. someone posted about Cityskoop.com which is not a coupon site but tells you which stores are having sales and other local business deals. i've been using that a lot because i don't have to print anything out

Posted 8:28 AM EST September 17, 2008Posted by: discounts
I have found that there is quite a few new coupon websites in the last year. One of my favorites is BargainCat.com, they have a lot of exclusive ones there and often before other sites get them.

Mike

Posted 3:10 PM EST September 16, 2008Posted by: sunbare40a
CouponMom.com DOES TOO have tons of popups. I registered and after 15 min of clicking on Skip and other popups I gave up finding any coupons!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted 10:36 AM EST September 16, 2008Posted by: kmchamplin
I happen to favor AFullCup.com for all the UP TO DATE deals and coupon match-ups to the store sales. I have talked to many people who use to pay for the Grocerygame and then found Afullcup.com. They quit their membership since it is on Afullcup.com for free. Plus there are many times that a deal comes out later in the week and the GG site won't have it. AFC also has a place to print your own manufactuer coupons. The site is friendly and up to date. Check it out!

Posted 7:51 AM EST August 18, 2008Posted by: frugalshopper
I have most of these sites bookmarked and I agree they are very good. Another site I like which has a forum for coupon clippers and they are very helpful is fishingfordeals.com - Their members are very friendly and offer a lot of good advice about coupon clipping, how to make the most out of CVS Extra Care Bucks, etc...

Posted 11:02 AM EST August 13, 2008Posted by: couponer
Nice sites. Another good site is www.shoppinggenius.org. It is relatively new but I have honestly saved alot of money this month.

Posted 3:38 PM EST August 11, 2008Posted by: edgemyster
Great suggestions. I would also strongly recommend using Savings.com for online coupons because they allow their visitors to rate the coupons, thereby sending the best deals to the top, front and center.