Contacting companies...

One of the ways to ensure that the coupons you have are for products you want is to contact the companies of the products you use...

You don't just have to call with a complaint, but certainly if you have an issue with the product, they want to know about it... but you can also call or email with compliments, suggestions or just to ask if they have coupons available. 

I regularly try to contact several of our faves - usually once a quarter... and then as often as necessary to resolve issues...

I had a lovely response from Nestle Gerber after a complimentary email:

Heather, Thank you for your e-mail. We were glad to learn of your son's satisfaction with Gerber® 2nd Foods®. Since our primary concern here at Gerber is the health and well being of infants and small children, it makes our work more meaningful when someone takes the time to let us know that they enjoy using our products. Your comments regarding our plastic packaging and the possibility of offering allergen free snacks are also appreciated. The selection of products we offer is determined in large part by the preferences of parents. Your comments will be forwarded to the appropriate personnel here at Gerber. We have taken this opportunity to send you, via postal mail, some complimentary coupons which we hope you will find useful. Best wishes from your friends @ gerber.com.

Of course sometimes I am not so complimentary...

My letter to P&G about the new Bounce Dryer bars (sent recently so I don't have a response yet):

To whom it may concern

I am very disappointed in your lack of forethought.   I purchased the dryer bar several months ago and now that I am ready to replace the insert, I was shocked to find that I must buy another complete kit, and waste not only the enormous amount of plastic packaging, but also the plastic holder. 
The worst part is that I LOVE the product and have been telling all of my friends about it, but I may have to switch back to using generic dryer sheets because I cannot reconcile both the additional cost and waste created by the fact that you do not offer refill packages.
If you would like to keep me on as a customer of Bounce Dryer Bars, I respectfully request a coupon for my next purchase to offset the cost of buying another complete kit.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Heather Smith

I have had great luck with coupons from Campbells, Unilever, P&G and Nestle and have added Pillsbury, Betty Crocker and a few others to my contact list recently.. I'll keep you updated about my progress and I challenge you to contact two of your fave companies!