I’ve shared with you in the past  my favorite way to get FREE item coupons and that is by getting them directly from the manufacturers. Just about every company has a website (and a lot of them have printable coupons right on their site). I email the company (or fill out their contact page) and request to be put on a mailing list for coupons or money saving offers. Most of them are very happy to do so and will even write back.

When you receive coupons directly from the companies they are usually high value coupons and the expiration date is almost always  much longer than those in the inserts.  And then there are those companies that will send you a coupon for a free item. I love those!! I almost always keep those for special sales where it helps to boost up my total, like for Extra Bucks or Rebates.

I suggest that you try and stay organized when contacting companies so you know who you’ve already contacted.  I make a list of all the products I use by manufacturer to work off of. I keep my list in a spreadsheet, but you can make it in a word file or even on paper.   When I have some free time, even if it’s just 10 minutes I grab my list and start emailing them. If you can’t find an email address they may have a contact page where you just fill out a form.  But be sure to include your mailing address even if they don’t ask for it.

When I contact them, I note that in my spreadsheet with the date. I also note if I received a response from them and what it was. This way if they tell me that I can only get the coupons in the paper, I won’t bother to email them again. Then when I receive something I note when and what I received.  Most of these companies will let you request coupons every 6 months. This is why it’s great to keep a list so you know when you can request them again.  I usually do it once a year for lack of time.

It doesn’t take much time and it pays because these are coupons for things you really use.   And it’s a great way of giving them some feedback on their products, which they enjoy getting!

I started my spreadsheet and emailed a few companies.  If you’d like to follow along with me I’ll keep you posted as to who I’ve emailed and what I receive!  Here is who I’ve contacted so far..

• Lean Cuisine
• Hood
• Frigo Cheese