A recent report from NCH, the global leader in business solutions for the redemption, settlement, and analysis of promotional offers, indicated that 80.9% of consumers use coupons. So, the coupon trend caught on, and it seems they are still quite popular. I can remember the days when we would plan our grocery shopping around double and triple coupon days. Of course you knew that you would be at the store with everyone else in town, and it would take longer, but the savings were worth it. However, if you search the web for stores that double coupon values in Illinois today, you wonât find many, and some stores in the chain donât participate anyway. I didnât find any in our area.
Have you noticed that most of the coupons now require you to purchase two or three of the item in order to use the coupon. We are getting closer to grilling season. Sue noticed a coupon for $1.00 off of any TWO packages of Johnsonville sausages. For the two of us, thatâs a lot of sausage. You have to read the fine print on the coupons carefully. Another coupon for Hersheyâs syrups offered $1.00 off any TWO syrups 17 OZ OR LARGER. So they not only want you to purchase more items, but the larger ones as well. Unless my memory serves me incorrectly, I can remember coupons that would give a $1.00 off for each item. So the value of the coupons has been cut in half by requiring the purchase of two items. Sue had an interesting experience at one of our local stores. She had a coupon for deodorant that required the purchase of two items. She picked up a two pack of the item and when she was at checkout the cashier said the coupon did not apply because she needed to purchase two SINGLE items. The store manager was called over to verify. Not only did the store manager deny the coupon, the manager wouldnât even explain it to Sue. The manager was very rude â not a good experience.
So how can we stay on top of these changes in coupons and ensure we donât miss any good deals? There are several apps that are available for free download to your computer or smart phone. For online shoppers, there is an app called âcoupons at checkout.â The app searches the web for the best coupon for the items you purchased online. Another app is called âShopular.â You indicate which stores you are going to shop at, and it gives you the latest coupons available for the store. Then there is âExtremeFreeCoupons.comâ that provides similar information. Happy couponing!
Send in your questions and ideas to: Sun Day, Frugal Forum Column, P.O. Box 761, Huntley, IL 60142, or, by email to: thefrugalforum@gmail.com.
