If you've been searching for coupons for the purchase of a Kindle, you've likely become frustrated following link after link, only to learn that the already incredible price of $139 for the Kindle Wi-Fi is just about as good as it gets. We've searched high and wide ourselves, and were unable to turn up any legitimate coupons for discounts on buying a new Kindle from Amazon.

We do, however, know of a great strategy for saving $30 when you buy your Kindle, and getting free shipping to boot. Here it is, easy as 1-2-3.

Step 1 – Sign up for a free trial of . As noted before on these pages, Amazon Prime membership has some wonderful benefits, including free two-day shipping on eligible orders placed at Amazon. We think it’s a bargain at the annual price of $79, but you can get the same benefits at no cost for a month when you sign up for Amazon’s free trial offer. As long as you haven’t been a prime member in the last 13 months, you can sign up, enjoy membership benefits (including free shipping on your new Kindle) for a month, and as long as you opt-out before the trial period ends, your credit card won’t be charged. You can read our complete Friday Freebies post about the Prime trial here.

Step 2 – Sign up for an . Here’s where that $30 credit comes from, and it couldn't be simpler to obtain. First of all, follow this link to get started. Click the button on the right hand side of the page and complete the short application form. If you’re approved for a card, it will be instantly added to your Amazon.com account. Once you place your first order at Amazon with the new card as the payment source, the card will automatically be credited the amount of $30 within a few days. That’s all there is to it. You’ll also earn points on every purchase made with the card, and you can redeem them for cash and other rewards.

Step 3 – Order that Kindle! Actually, it doesn't even have to be a Kindle. You can use this process to save on most products offered for sale through Amazon. The free two-day shipping isn’t available on some items (particularly those not fulfilled directly by Amazon), and of course you have to be approved for the Visa card to get the $30 credit, but other than that there is no catch, and we can’t think of any downside to signing up for either of these programs.

You may actually find the Prime membership so useful and convenient that you’ll want to keep it after the trial period, but either way, you’ve saved on your Kindle – and since there’s no annual fee for the Visa card, you’re only incurring costs when you actually purchase something with it.

Now that you’ve ordered your Kindle, click here to take a look at the free books available from Amazon. You can also read our earlier post about additional sources of free books for your Kindle.

We’ll continue to scour the Web for the best deals and discounts on Kindles and other great gadgets, and when we find them, rest assured you’ll see them right here on the Blog. Happy deal hunting in 2011!