Northern Cheapskate » coupon tips

Coupon Clipping Isn’t What It Used to Be

Christina Brown — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:30:04 +0000

photo credit: krossbow

I’ve been clipping coupons for more than a decade, and writing about the topic for nearly four years.During that time, I’ve seen many changes occur in the way coupons are distributed, redeemed, and honored:

You used to see coupons with no expiration date, now you never see that.
Newspapers were chock full of coupons, now there are less in the papers and more online and in magazines.
Companies are shifting the costs of printing coupons to consumers with a huge increase in printable coupons.
Coupons have gotten more complicated as companies try to prevent coupon fraud. Stores are scrutinizing coupons more closely so that they don’t lose money.
Unlimited printing of coupons is a thing of the past. You can usually print two of any online coupon, but sometimes it’s just one.
Stores are limiting the use of coupons. There may be restrictions on how many coupons you can use in a transaction or special rules regarding how you stack coupons.
Many stores are no longer doubling coupons.
Cell phone coupons and electronic grocery saver cards are increasing in use.
Facebook is becoming a major player in the distribution of coupons.

Television shows like TLC’s Extreme Couponing are also having a big impact on couponing. Many people inspired by the unrealistic savings of extreme couponers are flocking to the stores to duplicate the savings. In turn, companies work harder to protect their bottom lines and make it more challenging to save big with coupons.

Despite all of the changes, you can still save money using coupons. Here are some ways you can continue to save money with coupons in an ever-changing marketplace:

Have a positive attitude. Being rude to a store cashier or throwing the mother of all hissy fits on Twitter or Facebook isn’t going to change whether or not your coupon is accepted. Be friendly and patient. Causing trouble will only lead companies to eliminate coupons to avoid a marketing hassle.

Ask questions and learn the policies. If a coupon is rejected, politely ask for a reason. Ask if you can get a copy of the store’s coupon policy. Head to coupon forums like Hot Coupon World and A Full Cup for the latest discussions on changes to coupons and coupon policies.

Report fraudulent activity. If you know someone is using coupons incorrectly, report it to a store manager. Learn how to spot fraudulent coupons and report them. If you discover that someone is stealing all of the coupon inserts out of the newspapers in your neighborhood, report it to the authorities. When rules and laws are broken, we all pay more in the store.

Be willing to adapt. With more people than ever using coupons and sometimes going to extremes, you may find yourself holding your coupons and staring at empty store shelves. Ask the manager if they will be getting in more stock before the sale is over. You can also ask for a rain check on the sales price. It may become more difficult to get coupons for some items, and if that’s the case, consider going with generic products instead.

Your turn: What changes have you seen in couponing and how are you dealing with them?

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Gift Ideas for the Coupon Clipper

Christina Brown — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:12:00 +0000

Shopping for coupon fanatic in your life?

Here are a few gifts ideas for the avid coupon clipper:

Coupon Organizers
You can find coupon organizing systems like The Couponizer, or you can buy a binder and let your coupon clipper start their own system. If you’re looking for something a little more fashionable, try these cute coupon organizers from Austin Artisan.

Coupon Instruction
If the person on your shopping list is a hardcore coupon clipper, these reads may be too elementary for them. But if your loved one is just starting out, check out books like Better Groceries for Less Cash, or pre-order the new book The Coupon Mom’s Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half (due for release Dec. 29, so you’ll have to print off a photo of the book and wrap it up!)

Coupon Books
What better way to show a coupon clipper you care than to give them books full of coupon savings. Check out the Everyday Coupon Book: Exclusive Offers on Hundreds of Food and Household Items or The 2010 Entertainment Book.

Coupon Clothing and Gear

Surprise your coupon clipper with coupon-themed clothing, coffee mugs, and more from CafePress. There are lots of fun designs to choose from or you can design your own. You can also search for the term frugal and find some other fun items.

Coupons!
Let your favorite coupon fanatic pick out his/her own coupons with a gift certificate to coupon clipping services like The Coupon Clippers or The Coupon Master.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

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What I Learned From My Coupon Mistake

Christina Brown — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:00:00 +0000

I had a busy day last Tuesday. I shuttled children to various preschool classes and therapy. (Putting more than 90 miles on the car before all was said and done). I went to the library, the bookstore, and the dentist.

Then I ducked into Walmart for a quick run to pick up milk and a few other items. I was pretty proud of my productive day, and happy that I saved nearly 50 percent on my purchases at Walmart using coupons.

But then I made a really dumb mistake.

I left my beloved coupon organizer in the shopping cart in the cart corral outside of Walmart.

When it was raining.

And I didn’t realize it until I’d made the 27 mile drive home.

Ugh.

For those of you who read this blog (or for those of you who are ferocious coupon clippers) you can imagine how awful I felt. I tore apart my minivan and every bag I had, and was horrified at the thought that my coupon organizer was out in the rain, far away from me, or worse yet, stolen.

I immediately called Walmart, and the first woman I talked to didn’t really seem to get what this little coupon organizer means to me. I mean… seriously, there is more monetary value in my coupon organizer than there is in my wallet. She told me to call back in a half hour, after the employees reign in the carts.

I was polite, but I was also thinking, “COME ON, IT’S RAINING. I PARKED IN ROW 5. JUST GO LOOK!” But she hung up before I could say all that, and by this time it was dinner time and I had three hungry kids to feed.

So I called back in a half hour (on the dot!) and talked to a very helpful gentleman who understood exactly why I really wanted to locate this coupon organizer. He asked for a description, where I thought I left it, and for my name and phone number. And then I waited.

About two hours later, Walmart called! They’d found it. I asked if it was really wet, and the gal said, “Uh…. it’s not too bad.” It was a long wait until my husband picked it up the next morning on his way to work.

The best news of all? All of my coupons were still there. And as far as I can tell there was no damage from the coupon organizer being out in the rain.

WHEW!

Here’s what I learned from the experience:

Always check to make sure you have your coupon organizer with you when you leave the store. I usually put the organizer in one of my shopping bags when I put them in the trunk, but I totally spaced it out that day. A quick check before I left the parking lot could have saved me a lot of stress.

Always put your name and phone number inside your coupon organizer. I didn’t have my name or phone number in my organizer (although I did have a stack of Northern Cheapskate business cards with my e-mail address in there!) If I hadn’t realized it was missing until my next shopping trip, the coupon organizer could have been lost forever. Make sure you have a way for people to contact you if they find your coupons somewhere.

Consider only bringing the coupons you will use for your trip with you. I love to bargain hunt (that’s why I bring my whole stash of coupons), but it might be smarter to only bring what you know you will use into the store and leave the rest in the car. I’d probably make fewer impulse purchases if I had to run out to my car to look for a coupon.

I was lucky. Other folks I’ve talked to who have had a similar experience were not so lucky. Their coupon organizers were lost forever. I’m grateful that I live in a small community where people watch out for each other.

When I was missing the coupon organizer, I mentally went through it trying to remember what coupons were in there. It was a bit overwhelming since I’d been pretty lazy about coupon clipping recently and had only just put about a month’s worth of coupons into the organizer two days earlier. On top of that, my dear uncle had mailed me a bunch of diaper and training pants coupons that I had just put in there, too. (A big deal when you have twins!)

I was surprised at what coupons I missed. I really thought I would miss the whole stash of coupons, but it turns out it was just a select few: My printed Target coupons (complete with manufacturer coupon match-ups), diaper/training pants coupons, and coupons for dairy products and batteries, since they’re sometimes hard to find.

If I had lost my coupons forever, it wouldn’t have been the end of the world. There are far more important things in life than little scraps of paper. Coupons are replaceable. You can always find more. I may have missed out on a few deals, but I would have survived.

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More Coupons From Your Television

Christina Brown — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:48:00 +0000

My husband was browsing the channels on DirecTV this weekend and stopped on the News Mix Channel. There at the top of the screen, was a banner ad for “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter’ complete with a $1 off coupon.

Just click on the coupon offer and the coupon will be mailed to you. It was super simple to do. I’m not sure how soon I’ll get my coupon, but the website listed on DirecTV has an additional coupon for $1 off I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter.

This isn’t the first time coupons have been offered via television. A friend of mine received a coupon for $4.50 off Coffeemate awhile back from her TIVO.

I hope that we see more of this type of advertising in the future. It’s an easy way to access some high value coupons without having to clip them and the location of the coupon was not intrusive at all.

Have you ever received any coupons from your satellite or cable television? Please share!

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Show Some Coupon Courtesy

Christina Brown — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0000

It’s no secret that coupons can save you money. Just since January, I have saved $1,324.75 using coupons. And I don’t consider myself a hard-core couponer.

I’ve learned that there are definite tips to couponing: where to find them, and how to shop. But how many of you think about using common courtesy when using coupons?

Here are a few ways you can show some coupon courtesy:

Plan your couponing before you enter the store. Nothing irritates your family, store clerks, and the people behind you in line more than a someone who is frantically flipping through a ratty envelope looking for a coupon. Planning ahead not only saves you time, it can save you money.

Organize your coupons. Some stores prefer to ring up the store coupons first, and then the manufacturer coupons. Ring up items that are free after coupons last so that the clerk doesn’t have to scan the whole receipt to find out how much money to take off your tab. Find out what your favorite stores like, and you’ll make checking out a breeze.

Don’t steal peelies. You know those little coupons that you can peel off of packages in the store? Yeah. Those are for the people buying the products. If you aren’t buying the product, please don’t take the peelie.

Don’t tear all the sheets off tear pads. It’s nice when stores put little tear pads and coupon dispensers around the store so that you can grab a coupon or two. But please, leave some for someone else. Do you really need that many coupons for one product?

Don’t commit coupon fraud. This is a no-brainer. Don’t try to “sneak” an expired coupon past a clerk or use a coupon for a product it isn’t designed for. Don’t photocopy printed coupons. Don’t sign up for coupons under 10 different e-mail addresses to get coupons. Don’t be greedy with freebies. When we abuse the system, everyone ends up losing.

Don’t send someone else to shop for you unless they’re skilled at bargain hunting. Many a marriage has been strained by a woman who has the perfect money-saving deal worked out and a man who doesn’t read the fine print. If your coupon deal is a little complicated, be sure to carve out time to work the deal yourself.

Shop when the stores aren’t busy. If you know you’re going to use a lot of coupons, or you’re planning to do more than one transaction, try to shop during off-peak times. The cashier is less likely to make mistakes, you’re less likely to make mistakes, and people who are just trying to get home after a long day of work will be grateful they don’t have to stand behind you in line.

Be assertive, but polite. Anyone who has ever tried to redeem a coupon has had to deal with snarky salespeople at one time or another. If you’re certain you have a legitimate coupon and that you’ve purchased the right product for the coupon, be assertive, but polite. Ask to speak to a manager or contact customer service. The nicer you are to the them, the more willing they will be to help you save money.

Spread the coupon love. Got extra coupons you won’t use? Share them with your fellow shoppers. I’ve given diaper coupons to a busy mom while we were both browsing the baby section I’ve left toilet paper coupons in the paper goods aisle. Tell the people around you where you got your coupons and how you managed to find good deals. They’ll appreciate the information.

It feels good to save money, but it feels even better when you can help others save money, too.

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Want coupons and discounts? Just Ask!

Christina Brown — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 13:30:00 +0000

I’ve found that being a vocal consumer can help you save money. Whether you are a human guinea pig, a customer with a defective product, or someone who just wants to commend a company for a great product, making sure your voice is heard is a great way to get results.

One of the simplest ways to get results is just to ask. Nicole at Nicole’s Nickels recently just did that. Read about all of the coupons and free products she got and be inspired!

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Are Coupons Necessary?

Christina Brown — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:00:00 +0000

One of the local papers in our area does an “Orchids & Onions” column each week. In the column, people (most of them anonymous) give “orchids” to things they like and “onions” to things they don’t.

Usually I don’t read the column – there are far too many bad tasting “onions” for me. But a friend of mine pointed out this one in a recent issue:

“Onions: To coupons. They are a big nuisance. If stores want to give us a break, they should just lower the price for everybody.”

I understand why people may view coupons as kind of hassle. It takes time to clip, organize and print coupons, and sometimes it can be a pain to get them redeemed, too. Each shopper has to decide if the time invested in couponing is worth the savings.

The idea of eliminating coupons and simply lowering prices for everybody sounds great on paper. Who wouldn’t want to pay one low price for everything? But in actuality, what price is low enough and who decides what that price is? For an avid coupon clipper like me, I want the lowest, rock bottom price and I use coupons to get many products for free or nearly free. But for other people who don’t care about clipping coupons, they may be willing to pay the full price. Which price is the “one low price” for everybody? You can bet that companies would set prices for the people who are willing to pay the full amount.

Asking businesses to stop coupons is simply asking for prices to go up. No company is going to lower their prices out of the kindness of their hearts, or at least, not for long.

Companies offer coupons to make consumers feel good about their products. Consumers like to feel like they’re getting a good deal. If they are able to use a coupon to get a really good deal, it could very well build brand loyalty to that company. Many of those people will pay higher prices even when there aren’t any coupons available.

If you consider coupons a nuisance, then don’t use them. Save money in other ways. Or learn to organize your coupons better so that it’s not as much of a hassle.

Using coupons is a choice. As someone who saves hundreds of dollars each month by using coupons, I choose to accept a little bit of inconvenience, for a whole lot of money in my pocket.

I choose to support all of the all of the marketing executives who work to design coupons and coordinate product promotions, the printing companies who make their living from printing coupons, and all of the folks whose job it is to process all of those redeemed coupons.

When we use coupons, we are sending a message to companies about what we buy and what we’re willing to spend. Without coupons, we lose some of our ability to be heard by companies.

Keep on clipping….

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Sunday Paper Coupon Preview

Christina Brown — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:19:00 +0000

Do you buy the Sunday paper just for the coupons? Hate buying the paper only to find out the coupons weren’t that great – or worse yet – there were no coupon inserts that week?

Check out Sunday Coupon Preview. Each week you’ll see a preview of the next Sunday paper’s coupon inserts, complete with expiration dates.

This is knowledge can help you plan your shopping trips and make arrangements to get extra coupon inserts so that you can save even more.

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Get RedPlum Coupons at Northern Cheapskate

Christina Brown — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:30:00 +0000

Looking for great printable coupons? Now you can get them from RedPlum right here at Northern Cheapskate!

RedPlum is a place where you can find great coupons and special offers. Just enter in your zip code, and you’ll get offers that tailored to your local area. You’ll have to install the coupon printer software, but it’s free and easy to use. Check out the FAQ’s if you get stuck.

You can also search through a variety of categories to find the deals you need. The offers change daily, so be sure to stop back often!

Here are a just a few of the fabulous coupons available right now:

Save $1 on Raisin Bran Extra
Save $1 on Hefty waste bags
Save $1.50 on Degree deodoarant
Save $1.50 on any two packages of Kellogg’s Frosted Mini Wheats, All Bran or Raisin Bran
Save $1 on Del Monte Fruit Chillers

Just click here to print these great coupons (and more!) and start saving today!

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Latest Coupon System Seems to Be Working

Christina Brown — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Like most serious couponers, I’ve struggled to find a coupon organization system that works.

I think I finally have a system I can live with! It’s not perfect, but it works for me. Since some of you have asked about my system, I thought I’d tell you about how I clip and organize my numerous coupons.

Each week, I take some time to look through the Sunday coupon inserts. I clip all of the coupons for products I know I will absolutely use if I found a good deal on them (diaper coupons are a good example of this).

I put these in my small coupon organizer (I think I paid $7 at Walmart for mine). It is organized by the types of products (i.e. baby care, cleaning/laundry, paper & plastic, beverages, etc).

I then take the remainder of the coupon inserts and write the date on the cover. Then I file the inserts by month in a giant 13-pocket expanding file folder. This file folder never leaves the house.

Before I go on a shopping trip, I make sure to visit AFullCup, Hot Coupon World, Money Saving Mom, The Centsible Sawyer, Common Sense with Money, Pocket Your Dollars, and Stretching A Buck to check out the deals. If I find a product I’d like to try that is free with a coupon, I can find it in my giant expanding file, clip it out, and put it into my smaller coupon organizer. I also look through the sales circulars to match up the deals with the coupons I’ve already clipped.

Throughout the week, I hunt for other coupons. Some are printables I find through my internet searches, some come with free samples, and others are tucked inside packaging. I file these in my small coupon organizer.

When I’ve got my coupons matched up to the deals, I put them in the front pocket of my small coupon organizer and head to the store. I always try to have the small organizer with me at the store in case I come across a good deal.

So far this system is working for me.

I used to clip all the coupons, and put them in a giant coupon binder. While I liked having all the coupons with me when I shopped, I found it way too time consuming to do all that clipping and organizing. I also found that I was more apt to buy things I didn’t need because I had the coupon! It finally reached its ugly peak when I realized that the binder – which weighed a ton – was full of expired coupons for products I didn’t use!

My new system allows me to have all the coupons I need with me in the store, but it takes far less time to clip and organize them. I also like knowing that if there is a really great deal for a product I’ve never had on my “must-clip” list, I can pull it from my giant expandable coupon file of coupon inserts I keep at home.

It’s definitely saved me time and saved me from impulse buys. Coupons don’t save you anything if you don’t spend some brain power using them!

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