So we all know about the magic of coupons but here is a tip from inside the supermarket industry that puts boring coupons in a new light.
The cycle of coupons is that they are typically used to launch or revive a product on the shelf. The coupon goal is to get you to try a product. We all understand that. But, if you clip the coupon and hold onto it for 4 weeks and then use it you will find your savings to be much more significant.
By the time the fourth week rolls around the store will have moved the price way down or to a clearance level if the product isn't flying off the shelf. Now, in combination with the initial coupon and the reduced price, you can buy these items for as little as possible. There once was the lady I saw who went to the store with coupons and not only got all her groceries for free, but cash back also. Now that's a professional grocery shopper.
In todays world with so many peopke living on tight budgets you may be looking looking for ways in which you will end up with more money in your pocket now and in the future.
Money off coupons offer a discount or saving on a specific purchase. They can be used as a trial of a product or a service and have the advantage that they can be distributed in many ways for example as labels, with the milkman, as coupons in local papers, as hand outs at checkouts and can really be effective in- opening up new markets
- supporting advertising campaigns
- generating repeat purchases
- reducing stocks in low selling periods
Supermarket owners know that about 98% of coupons are thrown away. Most people can't be bothered to wade through piles of magazines and pieces of paper looking for those magic words which, for people such as myself, can stir up a quiver of excitement FREE and MONEY OFF. They think it will take too much time and be too much trouble.
However coupons are one of the great temptations in life because they make you feel like you are getting something for nothing. Okay you're saving something by buying something but not if you end up by buying a box of sugary chocolate coated cereal that you wouldn't normally eat at any price! A $1 or £1 off coupon on a box of cereal is no saving if you do not like the cereal and you have still spent money on something that is going to do nothing more than take up space in your larder!
On the other hand they can also be a great deal. When you find a coupon for money off the toothpaste you always buy and you take it to a supermarket which has got an offer on you know you are getting a good deal. But it only makes sense to use the coupons when you are buying something you would normally use.
So instead of tossing out all those magazines and papers the next time you sit down with your cup of morning tea or coffee; get clipping and put them aside for at least a month. Being a coupon-clipper is not a pastime for the timid. This particular pursuit is filled with hazards. Paper cuts, eye strain, blisters from over-use of scissors, not just any one can handle the stress! Enlist the help of other family members. Turn coupon clipping into a weekly game your children will love it and look forward to it with a passion and in no time at all you can have a batch of coupons that will allow you to save a great deal of money.
Become a 'savvy' shopper and get in on the action. The local papers usually enclose numerous flyer from grocery stores listing deals for that week. Go to your bundle of coupons compare it to your shopping list and go shopping.
In the United States coupon clipping is a huge activity with the majority of Americans indulging in this pastime. It has been estimated that top clippers can save up to 15% of their grocery bill each week. Clipping and swapping are their watchwords. There are numerous websites offering an online coupon clipping service which take the time, effort and expense of clipping coupons from newspapers and circulars to ensure that you receive the exact coupons for products you already buy. For a reasonable annual fee and nominal processing fee you can browse for your coupons on line and then have them sent to your home address.
Helen says...Be a 'deal finder' wield those scissors, become a coupon clipper extraordinaire and save yourself a bundle!
Additional Resources:
- "The Super Coupon Shopping System: Ingenious New Ways to Save $$$$ on Every Shopping Bill" (Susan J. Samtur)
- "Coupon Clippers Clicking.(coupons as sales promotion): An article from: Global Competitiveness" (Michelle R. Bednarz, Blaise J. Bergiel)
- "The Directory of Money Saving Coupons 2004 Edition: Where to Find Coupons for Groceries and Everything Else You Buy (With Starter Grocery Coupon Certificate Book)" (Louis R. Gorchoff)