With financial times being as hard as they currently are, many of us have a newfound love for couponing. There are plenty of websites that will tell you how to match up your various coupons with the upcoming sales. However, if money is really tight, you may not have enough money to purchase the newspapers required to get the coupons. Here are a few ways to get some free coupons:

• Print coupons online. Many of the coupon websites offer coupon matchups for newspapers coupons AND coupons that you can print online. There are a bunch of sites that have numerous coupons that you can print. Many companies have websites that have a link to download coupons. This is true for most big companies. Some of my favorites are Dove, Kellogg, and Chef Boy R Dee.

• Request coupons from the companies that you can’t find coupons online for. If there are specific things that you use and their company’s website does not offer online coupons, utilize the company’s “Contact Us” link on the website. Tell the company that you are interested in trying their products and you would like a few coupons. If the company doesn’t have a website, send them a traditional letter that says the same thing.

• Check out the recycling bins in your neighborhood. In my neighborhood, every Tuesday is Recycle Day. On that day, all of my neighbors put out their green bins so that recycling truck can pick them up. When I walk through my neighborhood on Monday evening, I can usually see the Sunday newspaper in most of the bins. I can always find a few of the weekly inserts on my Monday evening walks.

• Have friends and family members put their coupons aside. Let your friend and family members know that you are a couponer. Ask if they can put aside the weekly coupon inserts and you can swing by and get them during the week.

• Talk to your fellow co-workers. I put a small box on a file cabinet in my office with a note on it that reads, “Coupons Wanted.” I have quite a few co-workers that faithfully bring in their coupon inserts and drop them in my coupon box at work.

• “Dumpster Dive” This involves actually going through the recycled paper in the big metal bins that hold recycled paper. You can usually find these on school campuses or in grocery store parking lots. While I have not personally done this, there are many couponers that swear by it. You’ll need a long tool that you can use to sort through all of the newspapers. In addition, be careful for spiders and bugs that may be lurking. Be sure to use gloves.

These are just a few helpful ways you can find coupons so you can save money on your next trip to the grocery store.

A great place to print coupons for free is Coupons.com