A lot of people ask me how I find all of the deals that I post on my blog. I used to spend more time searching than I do now, but my deal sources fall into a few categories:
-Emails from Companies: I sign up for "special deals and promotions from just about every company that I do business with. Anytime I place an order from a company or visit a website to print off a coupon, I click that little box that says "Check here if you would like to receive special offers and promotions." I sign up for every daily deal site, too. Yes, it means that I have a TON of mail in my inbox, but to avoid clutter in my REAL inbox I have an email that I use just for deals. I open up that account first thing in the morning and read through the email subject lines to see if anything catches my eye. Some days there are a few great deals/free shipping offers/coupon codes, and some days it's a whole lotta nothing. But more often than not there is a gem waiting there every day (whether or not I take advantage of those deals every day is another story...I try to resist at least some of them!)
-Facebook: There are SO many deals to be had on Facebook! On any given day you can find exclusive coupon codes, freebies, printable coupons, and hot deals on Facebook. I try to "Like" any and every product that I enjoy on Facebook to watch for special offers. I especially look for new products to "Like" on Facebook...companies are more likely to give away free samples of new products to get people to try them. The beauty of Facebook is that word travels fast when there are great deals because it is so easy to "share" them with your friends.
-Blogs: I may write a blog, but I also am a big blog reader! There are a bazillion money-saving blogs out there that can help you find deals and save money. You have to find the ones that fit best with your shopping style and interests, but there is something out there for everyone. (Some of my favorites: Money Saving Mom, Couponing to Disney, Totally Target, Deal Seeking Mom, KC Parent's own Penny Pinchin Mom, and my blog is Sara The Savvy Shopper). Once you find a few blogs that you enjoy, consider using a blog reader to keep up...instead of having to visit 5-6 different websites everyday to see if there are new deals, you can just visit one site that will show you a running list of all of the new posts from the blogs you read. I use Google Reader, which works great for me! I have a variety of blogs on my Reader that cover different interests. Some focus on coupons & grocery deals, some focus on specific stores, some focus on online shopping. With a nice variety of blogs you will come across a nice variety of deals on any given day.
Lastly, I will leave you with this. One of the hardest parts of being a bargain shopper and deal hunter is having the self discipline to say "No" to most of the deals. Because a deal is not a deal if you can't afford it or don't need it. So even though something is a GREAT price, that doesn't mean you need it. Sometimes even FREE items aren't worth it because of the effort you have to go through to get them. So, enjoy deal hunting, but remember to pick and choose the deals that are best for YOU.