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Most of us use coupons. Coupons help us spend less. We previously posted How to Effectively use Vouchers and Coupons here. Sometimes the use of coupons does increase spending. Basically, manufacturers and distributors use a coupon to lure customers into shopping. I wrote about this in the article How Online Coupons Increased our Spending. This post covers the same subject with a different perspective.
The little dollars you see in discount coupons may not be something much to talk about; it might seem so on a cursory look. The truth is otherwise. Once a coupon is exhausted shoppers tend to forget about it altogether. To understand how your family has benefitted from using coupons, you need to keep track of the savings. You should take time off and get your numbers right.
Have you come across Groupon? They are famous for group discount deals that are negotiated low rates they offer for their subscribers in return of a spike in sells volume. Now they also have a specialized section called Groupon Coupons, where you don’t have to pay upfront to avail the discount. You have the free coupon that’s the ticket to your future buy at a discounted rate.
3 Questions about Coupons
The first few questions you may want to ask is, why keep track of the savings? The answer is simple – to plan and save even more. When you learn that coupons are actually saving money for you, it can encourage you to use more of it.
Reports say that typical American families can save upward of $1,000 annually if they used coupons wisely. And that remember is a conservative estimate.
You may ask if coupons can save a lot of money, then why is it that few shoppers actually use it? The simplest of answers is shoppers are either lazy or don’t care to find coupons. Reports even suggest that 50% or more coupons are never redeemed for their value.
The couple of dollars they save may seem trivial. If ever they sit down to add up all the savings they made, they will want to change their mind.
If everyone used coupons for shopping, what is the exclusive benefit to you? The fact is that manufacturers and stores cannot give coupons to every shopper because coupons add to the cost of selling products and services.
Some coupons give so much of discount they drive down prices even below the cost of production and distribution which businesses cannot sustain.
The Way Coupons Work
Coupons are issued to cover less than 10-20% of total production, and the loss incurred on this account is added to the 80% that is not covered. In short it means that those who shop without coupons subsidize those who do with coupons.
Manufacturers and stores know that coupons are a strain on their business but keep in using this strategy for retaining their product leadership and for driving sales upward. This the consumers should see as an opportunity for saving money.
If you are convinced that coupons are legitimate means for saving money, you should invest time to locate them. The first temptation may be the coupons brought to you in newspapers. Undeniably they do help you, but seldom will you find the coupons you want urgently.
There is simply no way you can wait for the coupons to show in the newspapers, mailbox or in your emails.
A better way is to reach out for the coupons. The coupons you get in your mailbox, those gifted to you, received in email or those given to you in stores can be swapped if don’t find the use for them.
Advantages of Going Online for Coupons
Smart moms today use the internet to find the coupons they need; mostly grocery and clothing. Online coupons are not absolutely free like the ones you come across in newspapers, emails or mailboxes.
You will have to pay a small amount of money to get them. There are many websites that specialize in selling coupons this way.
The advantages are –
- You get the coupons you want
- You can compare pre-discount prices
- Get free standard shipping if included in the coupon
- Compare best coupon prices across coupon websites
- Choose the right store to order your needs
- You can get them in the nick of time
With so many advantages to coupons bought from online websites, you shouldn’t mind the small payment you make to them. There is almost no product or service for which they don’t sell coupons.
Though groceries, dresses, jewelry and dress accessories are the most frequently traded coupons, don’t lose sight of the fact that there are more products covered by them. Even law firms sell coupons these days.
When you use online coupons, you are saved from the trouble of keeping them organized and carrying them around with you. Most shoppers who don’t use coupons consider carrying them around a nuisance.
Online coupons can be stored in your cell phone after you have bought them. You can even buy coupons when you are inside a store. They can be printed and freely redeemed any time you have the need for them.
Make a Beginning Today Itself
With so many advantages to online coupons, why not start using coupons today itself. Perhaps you may want to order photography lessons for your teenage college bound son.
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Laurentiu Mihai says
June 24, 2013 at 8:13 AMNice article. I am a person who uses coupons and I think I made a pretty significant cost reduction.
Linda says
June 24, 2013 at 8:16 AMI totally agree with you that most people don’t use coupons or even want to hear the word “coupon.” They automatically think that it is way too much work. I started using coupons a little over a year ago and was able to get out of debt totally and actually have money to purchase a house. I set a goal for myself to save at least $500 a week and hit that goal week after week. I feel sad when I see families in the grocery stores asking their children to put items back because they do not have enough money knowing that I am about to get paid for my purchase 🙁 Thanks so much for your post 🙂
KC @ genxfinance says
June 24, 2013 at 8:29 AMIf they take too much of your time, then it’s not for me. I’m not into extreme couponing. But I use coupons when I see one that is useful. I like the 20% – 50% off something. I use coupon codes more than printable coupons. They’re really good in giving you discounts with things that you need to purchase.
The College Investor says
June 24, 2013 at 12:20 PMCoupons can help us save some money, but some people take it to extreme and use it to buy things they don’t really need. it’s good to connect with people who are also into couponing and exchange coupons you don’t needs with the ones you find necessary for you.
[email protected] says
June 24, 2013 at 5:51 PMHadn’t considered online options for some reason–thanks!
Greg @ Thriftgenuity.com says
June 24, 2013 at 9:44 PMWe need to use the online coupons more. We know they exist but don’t grab them before hitting the store as much as we should. We are pretty good about cutting out the ones we want from the weekly saver.
Little House says
June 25, 2013 at 9:40 AMI’m not a huge coupon user, but I do hunt down online coupons for more expensive, everyday items – like pet stuff. Saving $2 – $3 bucks on cat litter makes me giddy and let’s me keep buying the higher quality pet items.
Rob @FinancialSprout says
June 27, 2013 at 11:37 AMHow much do these online coupons actually cost? To me the thought of paying to save is a little backwards. We could just tailor our grocery lists a little to fit what coupons we do have at the time, instead of paying for the convenience of having a coupon for something we want. What did you mean about swapping coupons?
dhaval shah says
June 27, 2013 at 2:22 PMDo you have coupons for amazon india site too??
David @ PBC says
July 1, 2013 at 8:39 PMMany consumers are not familiar or interested with coupons or vouchers. These are beneficial particularly in the online shopping process. By pointing out these benefits, you help a lot of people save money.
Lisa Evans @ ClothingRIC says
March 20, 2015 at 7:09 AMIts a great article, SB. There are many advantages of using coupons, out of which I would like to mention a few of them:
1) You gets discount and good savings of your valuable money.
2) You learn about the Brand/store
3) You refers it to someone else and gets referral earning by some stores.
4) It saves your time when you do shopping by order online using these “Coupon codes”.
The #Couponing #Trend has gone Viral in the last few years and people are searching for more & more coupons than before.
[email protected] Coupon says
April 5, 2015 at 9:54 AMMost effective of all, you will get No cost Printable coupon codes as part of your mailbox regularly, so decide and pick out the want that you will need. Discovering hold from the most looked for not long after Gain Coupons or Any Grocery Coupon codes won’t whenever be discouraging any more.
SHWETA says
August 6, 2015 at 8:26 AMCoupons for online shopping are what the shoppers are mostly looking for.
Online coupons can save you numerous money.
SB says
August 10, 2015 at 10:49 AMBut remember search for coupons for the items you have to buy. Do not buy things just because you have a coupon, this defeats the purpose.
shweta says
October 30, 2015 at 8:30 AMOnline shopping is perfect for those items that you want to remain a secret, such as a surprise gift or other item you may not want to purchase in public. If you have not joined the ever growing population of online shoppers, this is your opportunity. With online shopping, you save money, time, and effort all with the click of a mouse.
Michell at ClothingTrial says
September 1, 2016 at 12:59 PMA series of coupons, deals, offers and promo codes are great to way to save money and its win win situation for users and also for merchants. Its save money and time for users and at the same time helps merchants to boost their revenue. Merchants always used to help customers for easy experience to users and i believe that coupons and deals are the best option to spread joy in customers.
Nellson @ BravoCoupon says
June 21, 2017 at 2:44 AMMichelle,
You are right that really affect. There are many sites which are providing quality coupons, deals and discount codes,
John at savingsfree says
February 22, 2018 at 9:07 AMI Nellson,
I’m agree with you
Sam says
March 3, 2017 at 3:31 AMI never things about coupons that they are so effective like this. It can help us to get upto 90% off on several brands of products. Next time i would always love to use those types of coupons.
Bernard Clyde says
April 24, 2017 at 11:26 AMIt’s true that going online will give you more options when looking for coupons that you actually want. I think that putting time in to find coupons that are applicable to your purchasing habits can end up saving you a lot of money. Plus, when you put a little more effort into getting the most for your money, I think you tend to value what you buy more in the end.
Andy says
July 19, 2018 at 7:25 AMI love this article and I lot of learned from it! It’s true that Offering coupons can get new clients. As per an examination, 78% of individuals who don’t typically make buys from a brand are slanted to do as such when a coupon is advertised. At the point when these clients visit your store to reclaim a coupon, they’re probably going to purchase items that aren’t a piece of the offer as well!
Nilson says
October 4, 2018 at 3:52 AMI concur, most discounted things are generally old stocks. They give it as a blessing on the off chance that you bought a tremendous measure of things or items or through arrangements and coupons.