Are your favorite brands cutting you a break?

Or are they just trying to (sometimes-not-so) subtly suggest that you remain loyal or try their "new and improved" products? Either way, popular brands of cosmetics, skin-care, snack foods, cleaning products and other household items, often offer free printable coupons on their website! So, if you're partial to a particular moisturizer, candied nut, or paper towel, and you can get it together to remember to visit their website, you may be rewarded for your loyalty with some small savings.

One of the best ways to start finding and using these click and print coupons is the most obvious: think about the types of products you use frequently, then think of and search for the brands of those products you prefer to buy. Companies that offer special promotions and coupons do so on the "special offers" or "promotions" sections of their websites. Sometimes you may have to click the "sitemap" in order to find this section, other times you may have to make a profile in order to view the offers. Unfortunately, due to the increased occurrences of coupon fraud, many websites will ask you to fill out a web-form or make a profile or install a special coupon-printing program before they'll allow you to print their vouchers. While these profiles and programs are always free, they can be inconvenient. Still, as inconvenient as it can be to make YET ANOTHER online profile or fill out YET ANOTHER form, being able to search for and directly print coupons from your home computer remains rather convenient over-all.

Always bear in mind that companies often offer discounts and coupons as a way to advertise their brands or to promote new products. The trick to something like this, is to remember that these printable coupons are only really going to save you some money if you had planned on buying that product in the first place. If you've never used that product before, or had no interest in trying it before you found that coupon, then it's just yet another trick employed by those artful ad-people. Before you print, ask yourself: "do I use this product? Would I be interested in trying this brand if the company wasn't offering a coupon? Am I feeling compelled to buy this item merely because I want the thrill of using this coupon I found?"


*Here are three offers I found on products that my household uses regularly:

$3 off the new President Brie
$1 off any one (1) Seventh Generation laundry product
Save $2 on any new Neutrogena suncare product

Good luck and chipper clipping!

*Unfortunately, some of these offers require that you fill out one of the aforementioned forms and install one of the aforementioned coupon printing program, before allowing you to collect the discount vouchers.