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........go to the recycle bin to obtain as many free coupons as possible to use. Ask me how i know Back in the day, I could cut out many free trial sizes and have shampoo, conditioner, hot sauce, a candy bar here and there, all kinds of items in multiples which would last us a long time. I'd keep going in and out to different cashiers.
And that is exactly why coupons are dying out. Coupons were never intended to provide lots of free stuff to people who pulled coupons out of the garbage. The free samples were intended to give people a little try of a product to see if they liked it, not to fill the cupboards of couponers with free stuff.
I am pretty shocked (annoyed and ticked actually) that companies have decided (for the most part) to stop inserting coupons in our Sunday papers! Do they not realize that prices have gone up like crazy for many things, stores aren't having the sales that they used to, many people have a seriously reduced or non-existent income now? Do they not care that their products won't sell as much?
Personally, when having to watch money first things to go are "better/name brands" of products, etc. - seems like they are shooting themselves in the foot/bottom line.
Get a store card and use it. I"m probably saving $800 a year just from that card.
And that is exactly why coupons are dying out. Coupons were never intended to provide lots of free stuff to people who pulled coupons out of the garbage. The free samples were intended to give people a little try of a product to see if they liked it, not to fill the cupboards of couponers with free stuff.
Totally agree, couponers shot themselves in the foot. And what Harry Chickpea said too!
Honestly I'm happy to see them going digital, so much easier to keep people from committing coupon fraud because the registers now catch about 90% of that. Cashiers will no longer be stuck arguing with customers intent on getting items that don't qualify for the coupons.
But OP, check with your local newspaper to see if the coupon inserts have been moved to a different day (ours are now in the Thursday (?!) edition). Alternatively check to see if the paper might consider adding coupons back in as I think the decision to carry the inserts is up to the paper, not the manufacturers or retailers.
It would seem to me that if someone needed to watch their finances (my family does) that they wouldn't even be using coupons for brand name items is just not worth it. The stores here don't offer double coupons. Even when they have a sale on brand name items, it's still too expensive even with the coupons.
I'm not super frugal, at the moment, but neither trolling the thread. Saving a few bucks is always a good thing. That said, the quoted is my observation, too, frankly.
I sometimes look for hot deals via online coupons. Stores are regional and we have two main supermarket chains here, plus the Fred Meyer. We have an upscale market locally...code for, "charging 1.5 - 2x what they should because its a gentrified area" ...for higher-end quality produce, meats, cheeses, etc.
I believe the top brand coupons at groceries these days are right on the edge of being a scam: the foods and goods are overpriced to begin with, compared to store brands. A "coupon" brings prices to par with off-label. To me, that's Three Card Monte and I get a bit steamed when stores think they're smarter than me.
The upscale/swanky market I mention? Yeah, they send out fliers in the mail with "sale" and "two-fers" offers. Come to find out their prices on those items are 2x-3x what everyone else charges. There are RARE tolerable deals when they have something unusual, like Red Rock shrimp (an Atlantic-side, Florida delicacy) still at prices you'd find at the big chains...but if it's truly interesting and unusual, perhaps even unique, I might just go for it anyway. And shrimp/delicacies are NOT particularly "frugal," I suppose!
I'm not super frugal, at the moment, but neither trolling the thread. Saving a few bucks is always a good thing. That said, the quoted is my observation, too, frankly.
I sometimes look for hot deals via online coupons. Stores are regional and we have two main supermarket chains here, plus the Fred Meyer. We have an upscale market locally...code for, "charging 1.5 - 2x what they should because its a gentrified area" ...for higher-end quality produce, meats, cheeses, etc.
I believe the top brand coupons at groceries these days are right on the edge of being a scam: the foods and goods are overpriced to begin with, compared to store brands. A "coupon" brings prices to par with off-label. To me, that's Three Card Monte and I get a bit steamed when stores think they're smarter than me.
The upscale/swanky market I mention? Yeah, they send out fliers in the mail with "sale" and "two-fers" offers. Come to find out their prices on those items are 2x-3x what everyone else charges. There are RARE tolerable deals when they have something unusual, like Red Rock shrimp (an Atlantic-side, Florida delicacy) still at prices you'd find at the big chains...but if it's truly interesting and unusual, perhaps even unique, I might just go for it anyway. And shrimp/delicacies are NOT particularly "frugal," I suppose!
I just toss any fliers from Publix. Publix, here is a clue - if you don't put a real price in your flier, and just tout "Two for" or "great price" I'm going to go OUT OF MY WAY to avoid you. I like the Publix concept of an employee owned business, but I don't like being jerked around by a marketing department that has taken lessons from drug dealers and prostitutes.
And that is exactly why coupons are dying out. Coupons were never intended to provide lots of free stuff to people who pulled coupons out of the garbage. The free samples were intended to give people a little try of a product to see if they liked it, not to fill the cupboards of couponers with free stuff.
Well I am very fortunate since it allowed us to pay our rent and eat. I am very happy with it and would do nothing different.
Coupons mostly fizzled out due to the internet. Not because of what you are trying to blame me for but nice try
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Back in the day, I could cut out many free trial sizes and have shampoo, conditioner, hot sauce, a candy bar here and there, all kinds of items in multiples which would last us a long time. I'd keep going in and out to different cashiers.
