Coupons: Sometimes not worth the paper on which they're printed
Turtlelover
believe they were from the 1960s. Along with the articles on how to be
the perfect hostess, and recipes for delicious meals, the magazine used
to include manufacturers' cents coupons. Of course, they might only
be for 7¢ or the extremely generous amount of 15¢, but these were
different times.
The coupons of today (although for significantly larger values) aren't
so generous, because of their restrictions.
When grocery stores first started doubling (and on occasion even
tripling) coupons, they would not double anything with a value over 50¢,
as they limited the maximum final value to $1 (and generally still do).
So, what did manufacturers do? They started issuing coupons with a
value of 55¢ and above, thereby denying the consumers their bargains.
Grocers have long since decided to double those coupons, but only for
the difference between face value and $1. I can live with that.
Today, however, coupons have become even more restrictive and not worth
the hassle. Because manufacturers *know* that most stores will double
coupons, there are a lot of $1 coupons out there, which are only
redeemable at face value. All well and good. However, not only must
we now buy TWO six-dollar items to save a dollar, we must buy them
within a period of about two months. (Yes, most coupons now expire
about two months from the time they're issued.)
That was another "plus" of couponing that has fallen by the wayside.
They used to have expiration dates MONTHS --and even a year-- in
advance. Now they're expiring a few days into the month, or a few days
before the month ends! I think I spend more time weeding out the
expired coupons than actually using them. ***By the way, the coupon
holder that I made many years ago (in plastic canvas!) has officially
been retired. It's too big to hold the minuscule number of coupons that
I might be able to use.***
I realize that they're just trying to get us to buy their products
(hence the short dating), but since products today are so expensive,
those of us who use coupons have to wait for a sale before we can
consider purchasing anything, hopefully using a worthwhile coupon.
Perhaps I shouldn't give manufacturers any more bright ideas, but I'm
sure it won't be long before we can only redeem their coupons on the
second Thursday of any month that starts with an "M," only if our last
name is Smith, and only when it's raining.
I admit that having coupons (even with restrictions) is somewhat
better than not having coupons. I only wish they weren't so impossible
to use.
Turtlelover
Jarkat2002
~Kat
There is no wisdom greater than kindness.
Lucky Numbers 1, 4, 19, 24, 29
Sewmaster
> >
> >I admit that having coupons (even with restrictions) is somewhat
> >better than not having coupons. I only wish they weren't so impossible
> >to use.
> >
> >
> >Turtlelover
> >
> I used to love using Coupons ... I hardly bother now for the same reasons.
>
> ~Kat
I gave up on coupons a long time ago, except for
occasional good ones from BJs. Not worth my time.
Sewmaster
Ned Flanders
they do not even follow the "Do not double" guidelines or the must buy
two restriction.
Cheers,
Ned
jean and bill
Turtl...@enterNOSPAM.net says...
> I realize that they're just trying to get us to buy their products
> (hence the short dating), but since products today are so expensive,
> those of us who use coupons have to wait for a sale before we can
> consider purchasing anything, hopefully using a worthwhile coupon.
>
>
>
for basic food items, like butter. Cereal coupons have nearly
disappeared entirely. I mostly get to use coupons for drug-store type
items, and detergent, etc.
Jeannie
--
To reply to me, remove *spamenot* from address.
JonquilJan
Local store doubles all coupons under $1 up to the price of the item. For
example - a 70 cent coupon on a box of cereal will result in $1.40 off the
price. A 75 cent coupon off a box of Luigi's ice cups will get $1.50 off
(and they are on sale this week for $2 - net cost 50 cents). The bigger
stores further into town (15 miles) do the same. One store will triple
coupons (limit 3) up to price of the item with special newspaper coupons
once a week. (Requires a $15 additional purchase)
I get my coupons here
http://thecouponclippers.com/docs/customer/home.php
Buy what I want for 5 to 10 cents each. I am in New York - Coupon Clippers
is in Florida - which has very good coupons. Give yourself time to read all
about the procedure the first time you log on to this site. (Fast
delivery - less than a week) Lets me get lots of coupons for items I stock
up on - like Bush's Baked beans (40 cents per can coupon - doubled to 80
cents - on sale for 89 cents - net cost 9 cents - on 20 cans) or Bar S hot
dogs (35 cent coupons - doubled to 70 cents - on sale for 69 cents - get all
I can - for FREE - and feed them to the cats and dog and a few in the
freezer for me later on) and also items I get regularly such as 8th
Continent and Silk soy milk - those two seem to rotate for availability of
their coupons - and I will drink either. Good thing to get total of $1 off
a $1.99 item that I use 3 of a week.
But YMMV.
JonquilJan
Learn something new every day
As long as you are learning, you are living
When you stop learning, you start dying
Peale
news:3F3D2063...@enterNOSPAM.net:
> I once bought a few "vintage" women's magazines at a flea market. I
> believe they were from the 1960s. Along with the articles on how to be
> the perfect hostess, and recipes for delicious meals, the magazine used
> to include manufacturers' cents coupons. Of course, they might only
> be for 7в or the extremely generous amount of 15в, but these were
> different times.
<snip>
I am curious as why the manufactures care if the stores knock off money
on their own. The manufactures only have to pay face value on the
coupon, right?
--
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http://www.tombstones.org.uk - meet the alt.games.mame regulars!
http://www.pealefamily.net/tech/mame/ - My Own MAME site.
Sue Sorensen
use food coupons anymore if they are for around $1 off. And then I only use
them for items that I would be buying, anyway, or for something I've been
wanting to try, to see whether it's a worthwhile purchase.
Also, I only keep the coupons for a week or so, in the back of my notebook
where I keep my shopping lists. Often I'll look at the coupon items in the
store and decide they're not worth purchasing, even WITH the $1 off coupon.
So I throw out many coupons without ever using them.
Years ago, I used to live where I could get the coupons doubled, and I kept
them on file by food type, and they made a significant difference in my
budget. No more!
"Turtlelover" <Turtl...@enterNOSPAM.net> wrote in message
news:3F3D2063...@enterNOSPAM.net...
Bob Ward
<susanms...@comcast.net> wrote:
>Unfortunately, stores aren't allowed to double coupons in my state. I only
>use food coupons anymore if they are for around $1 off. And then I only use
>them for items that I would be buying, anyway, or for something I've been
>wanting to try, to see whether it's a worthwhile purchase.
>
What state interferes with private commerce in this fashion? I'd like
to know so I can avoid visiting.
Sue Sorensen
the GREATEST thrift shops and garage sales, and salmon is often cheaper than
hamburger. Sue
"Bob Ward" <bob....@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:89atjvk082rdurka6...@4ax.com...
Bob Ward
<susanms...@comcast.net> wrote:
>Bob, I live in Washington State. No coupon doubling here; however, we have
>the GREATEST thrift shops and garage sales, and salmon is often cheaper than
>hamburger. Sue
>
>"Bob Ward" <bob....@verizon.net> wrote in message
>news:89atjvk082rdurka6...@4ax.com...
>> On Sat, 16 Aug 2003 20:35:21 GMT, "Sue Sorensen"
>> <susanms...@comcast.net> wrote:
>>
>> >Unfortunately, stores aren't allowed to double coupons in my state. I
>only
>> >use food coupons anymore if they are for around $1 off. And then I only
>use
>> >them for items that I would be buying, anyway, or for something I've been
>> >wanting to try, to see whether it's a worthwhile purchase.
>> >
>>
>> What state interferes with private commerce in this fashion? I'd like
>> to know so I can avoid visiting.
>>
>>
Is it by law, or by choice of the retailers, though?
Sue Sorensen
moved here.
"Bob Ward" <bob....@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:fm70kvsdgvjo3u018...@4ax.com...
su-texas, susan
=========
For weeks now, I've worked very hard, trying to get caught up on my
couponing, but never can seem to. Grrr!
It's a lot of work clipping them, ... labelling envelopes, putting the
coupons in them, & filing them in order, ... weeding out the expired
ones, ... keeping the boxes in the truck, & taking the whole lot into
stores.
If I could physically do anything else right now, then I probably
would.
It's very frustrating & annoying, to be getting so many "do not
double" & 55-cent ones now. And the "buy three" (four or six) items
to qualify for 55 cents to a $1 off. ?!
Plus, it's a lot of work walking the store aisles, checking &
memorizing prices, & looking for the bargains which the coupons fit.
Every now & then, I expect a coupon to read: "Hop on one foot while
turning in a circle, rub your nose with right forefinger, scratch your
left rib-cage ape-like, & cluck like a chicken at the check-out, or
this coupon won't work." (sigh)
Susan, Su_Texas my opinions
JonquilJan
> For weeks now, I've worked very hard, trying to get caught up on my
> couponing, but never can seem to. Grrr!
>
> It's a lot of work clipping them, ... labelling envelopes, putting the
> coupons in them, & filing them in order, ... weeding out the expired
> ones, ... keeping the boxes in the truck, & taking the whole lot into
> stores.
>
> If I could physically do anything else right now, then I probably
> would.
>
> It's very frustrating & annoying, to be getting so many "do not
> double" & 55-cent ones now. And the "buy three" (four or six) items
> to qualify for 55 cents to a $1 off. ?!
>
> Plus, it's a lot of work walking the store aisles, checking &
> memorizing prices, & looking for the bargains which the coupons fit.
>
> Every now & then, I expect a coupon to read: "Hop on one foot while
> turning in a circle, rub your nose with right forefinger, scratch your
> left rib-cage ape-like, & cluck like a chicken at the check-out, or
> this coupon won't work." (sigh)
>
> Susan, Su_Texas my opinions
My system (or part of it) might help you. I keep my coupons in order as to
expiration date and in the same order as things are found in the main
grocery store where I shop. (But they just enlarged and changed everything
around!!!) Keep all the coupons that expire in the currnt month with me. I
have a good feel of what I have - even though I have hundreds of coupons. I
get them here www.thecouponclippers.com/ very inexpensively - then I
only have the coupons I want. Also they are located in Florida which has
great coupons.
The first thing I do is read the sales for the week, write out a list not
only of what I need and want but what I have coupons for to stock up. Then
I pull the coupons that are not already in the month I am working on (the
current month). Everything gets wrapped up with the shopping list which I
take to the store with me.
My main shopping grocery will double coupons under a dollar.
Would be more complicated if you are shopping at more than one store.
Some of this might help.
Ben
> Thanks - great site. I just ordered some. They had them for my kind
> of cat food!
Eeek. Doesn't sound too healthy!
--
BTW. I can be contacted at Username:newsgroup4.replies.benaltw
Domain:xoxy.net
The Real Bev
> My system (or part of it) might help you. I keep my coupons in order as to
> expiration date and in the same order as things are found in the main
> grocery store where I shop. (But they just enlarged and changed everything
> around!!!) Keep all the coupons that expire in the currnt month with me. I
> have a good feel of what I have - even though I have hundreds of coupons. I
> get them here www.thecouponclippers.com/ very inexpensively - then I
> only have the coupons I want. Also they are located in Florida which has
> great coupons.
I regard our friend as the world's champion couponer. He has 7 or 8
plastic shoeboxes full (maybe more now), and keeps the coupons in
alphabetical order. The local supers are sometimes lax about observing
expiration dates so he never throws them away. Every once in a while he
accidentally leaves a shoebox in the market which is never there when he
returns to pick it up. He has tried to convince himself that coupons are a
renewable resource, but it still hurts.
--
Cheers,
Bev
==========================================================
There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness.'