this wasn't in the plan |but life is still pretty good

I love coupons, but don't use them too often anymore.  We used to get the Sunday paper, we used to get the paper everyday actually (we were sucked in by a fabulous introductory price and then hooked), but then their delivery people proved to be rather incompetent, so we gave up on the paper altogether.  So, I'm forced to get my coupons through other means.  I'll often pick them up from displays at the stores.  Even if I don't intend to use them on that trip, I'll pick up one (or two or three) so long as it's a product I'd buy.  I use internet coupons also.  Smart Source and Betty Crocker are where I get most of them.  I recently discovered Shortcuts, where you can load coupons onto your frequent shopper card.  I'm not positive on this, but these seem to work as store coupons, meaning you can use a shortcuts coupon along with a paper coupon for one product.  I only check the sites when there's something on sale that I know there is often a coupon for, while I'm there I might print out other ones I think might be of use to me.  Money Saving Mom is a great resource for me also.  She links to coupons that correspond to sales.  Even if the sale isn't going on in my area, I'll sometimes print the coupon anyway if it's for a product I buy.  I don't print coupons quite as freely as I cut them, because I do have to use paper and ink to print them out.

I usually buy store brand products, but I find that if I pair a coupon with a sale on a name brand, I can often beat the store brand price.  There are some products that I prefer the name brand, and for those I always try and use a coupon.  Do your homework and check prices, it's important to not let a coupon make you think you are getting a great deal.