Within the current atmosphere of financial instability and hardship many are choosing the passage of frugality to get creative in their attempts to save monetarily. As an attempt to sieve through troubling increases within the food industry, the stark reality of stout economical issues may have you clipping coupons in an attempt to budget for your upcoming household expenditures. You are not alone in your quest. Whether couponing was your resolution for a new year or a mandate due to the disarray brought forth from economical deficiency, Couponing 101 was designed to assist you in the innovative and cent-savvy pathway to financial freedom.
By now you have sifted through a few weeks of Sunday newspaper inserts; attacking the rest of your household needs by printing from coupon resources and databases spoken about in prior Couponing 101 blogs. Your coupons should now be contained within a well organized binder awaiting your first savvy-cent saving venture. However, before your initial treks to the grocery store you may second guess your forthright future in couponing frugality. To dominate the greatest amount of savings from the coupons you have in your current stash you must get familiar with what you have prior to presenting them to the cashier. Let’s begin dissecting the anatomy of the coupon.
1. Graphic – You should be aware that the product appearance can be quite deceiving. Manufacturers commonly manipulate the attentiveness of the consumer by using the largest and most expensive item to highlight the brand. You do not have to purchase the largest item to redeem the savings depicted upon the coupon. Carefully examine your coupon for size restrictions, if none are listed go ahead and select the product size you normally purchase. Do note that most coupons exclude trial sizes.
2. Expiration – Each coupon you clip will be valid until the chosen date of the manufacture/store. Typically the date of expiration is located within the top header of the coupon and may be in a bolded or separate color font. You must abide by this date. If your coupon is expired by one day it will not be accepted by the register when scanned, please remember to use proper coupon etiquette when purchasing by coupon. In a similar way that you are mandated by the expiration date, your store is as well. Coupons must be scanned or sent in for redemption so to acquire the money they have provided to you in deduction; coupons are not accepted after the date to insure the store is reimbursed. The date is also placed into the barcode. Arguing will do you no good in the situation, you will have to follow both the coupon validity and the store policy.
3. ‘One per Purchase’ – Most coupons you will clip denote that only one coupon can be used per the purchase of the item specific. These three small words can be the most confusing to new couponers who believe such indication applied to the full transaction. Be aware this disclaimer indicates that you can use one coupon per item purchased instead of your entire store transaction. If you find yourself purchasing four bottles of laundry detergent you must use four coupons, one per bottle purchased. However, if your coupon indicates that you will save $3 off two pizzas you must have three coupons if you purchase six pizzas.
4. ‘Do Not Copy’ – All coupons indicate in fine print they cannot be copied, regardless of coupon type. Many people may be tempted to simply scan printed coupons again and print doubles or triples for their stockpile, you should know that doing this is illegal. Coupon fraud is a serious and punishable offense falling under theft by deception, similar to writing a check without the funds in the bank at the time of your purchase. The store/manufacture will only release so many coupons, the marketing team also knows how many coupons will be redeemed though unique number hidden in the couponing barcode. If this number is registered again on a copied coupon it will alert the cashier. Every coupon has multiple security measures, some that you will never see, to protect the company and the store from fraud.
5. ‘Do Not Double’ – Some coupons may provide indications that they cannot be doubled, simply meaning that a value of $0.50 cannot be deducted from your receipt as $1. Many stores do double coupons or give twice the value, some stores even provide triple the amount on coupons under fifty-cents. This is done as a gift to the customer as the store will be paid back the amount doubled or tripled, coupons with such indication will not pay the store; the store then will have to take a loss. Registers will not double coupons automatically that disallow such to happen, again this can be found in the scanned bar code giving computers the knowledge.
6. Value – This simply tells you how much will be deducted from the product with the use of the valid coupon. If your store doubles coupons the amount will be double the specific amount, you should check with you store or find a store that will offer you more savings by doubling coupons. Even doubling to a certain amounts will offer you larger savings.
7. – ‘Limit One Coupon per Transaction’ – If you are purchasing in bulk you will not want to use coupons that limit in this way. Under these restrictions you will only be allowed to submit one coupon and no other coupons, regardless of the items that you have coupons for. One coupon can only be used with the transaction. If you are purchasing less than ten items you will want to split your transactions up to be able to use these coupons. I do not recommend splitting up your grocery purchases over 10 items due to the additional time, please be aware of the line behind you.
By now you have sifted through a few weeks of Sunday newspaper inserts; attacking the rest of your household needs by printing from coupon resources and databases spoken about in prior Couponing 101 blogs. Your coupons should now be contained within a well organized binder awaiting your first savvy-cent saving venture. However, before your initial treks to the grocery store you may second guess your forthright future in couponing frugality. To dominate the greatest amount of savings from the coupons you have in your current stash you must get familiar with what you have prior to presenting them to the cashier. Let’s begin dissecting the anatomy of the coupon.
1. Graphic – You should be aware that the product appearance can be quite deceiving. Manufacturers commonly manipulate the attentiveness of the consumer by using the largest and most expensive item to highlight the brand. You do not have to purchase the largest item to redeem the savings depicted upon the coupon. Carefully examine your coupon for size restrictions, if none are listed go ahead and select the product size you normally purchase. Do note that most coupons exclude trial sizes.
2. Expiration – Each coupon you clip will be valid until the chosen date of the manufacture/store. Typically the date of expiration is located within the top header of the coupon and may be in a bolded or separate color font. You must abide by this date. If your coupon is expired by one day it will not be accepted by the register when scanned, please remember to use proper coupon etiquette when purchasing by coupon. In a similar way that you are mandated by the expiration date, your store is as well. Coupons must be scanned or sent in for redemption so to acquire the money they have provided to you in deduction; coupons are not accepted after the date to insure the store is reimbursed. The date is also placed into the barcode. Arguing will do you no good in the situation, you will have to follow both the coupon validity and the store policy.
3. ‘One per Purchase’ – Most coupons you will clip denote that only one coupon can be used per the purchase of the item specific. These three small words can be the most confusing to new couponers who believe such indication applied to the full transaction. Be aware this disclaimer indicates that you can use one coupon per item purchased instead of your entire store transaction. If you find yourself purchasing four bottles of laundry detergent you must use four coupons, one per bottle purchased. However, if your coupon indicates that you will save $3 off two pizzas you must have three coupons if you purchase six pizzas.
4. ‘Do Not Copy’ – All coupons indicate in fine print they cannot be copied, regardless of coupon type. Many people may be tempted to simply scan printed coupons again and print doubles or triples for their stockpile, you should know that doing this is illegal. Coupon fraud is a serious and punishable offense falling under theft by deception, similar to writing a check without the funds in the bank at the time of your purchase. The store/manufacture will only release so many coupons, the marketing team also knows how many coupons will be redeemed though unique number hidden in the couponing barcode. If this number is registered again on a copied coupon it will alert the cashier. Every coupon has multiple security measures, some that you will never see, to protect the company and the store from fraud.
5. ‘Do Not Double’ – Some coupons may provide indications that they cannot be doubled, simply meaning that a value of $0.50 cannot be deducted from your receipt as $1. Many stores do double coupons or give twice the value, some stores even provide triple the amount on coupons under fifty-cents. This is done as a gift to the customer as the store will be paid back the amount doubled or tripled, coupons with such indication will not pay the store; the store then will have to take a loss. Registers will not double coupons automatically that disallow such to happen, again this can be found in the scanned bar code giving computers the knowledge.
6. Value – This simply tells you how much will be deducted from the product with the use of the valid coupon. If your store doubles coupons the amount will be double the specific amount, you should check with you store or find a store that will offer you more savings by doubling coupons. Even doubling to a certain amounts will offer you larger savings.
7. – ‘Limit One Coupon per Transaction’ – If you are purchasing in bulk you will not want to use coupons that limit in this way. Under these restrictions you will only be allowed to submit one coupon and no other coupons, regardless of the items that you have coupons for. One coupon can only be used with the transaction. If you are purchasing less than ten items you will want to split your transactions up to be able to use these coupons. I do not recommend splitting up your grocery purchases over 10 items due to the additional time, please be aware of the line behind you.
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