We clip coupons. Why not, right? If I’m going to get something cheaper for a minimal effort, why not? It makes sense.
What doesn’t make sense, is the supposed value that coupons represent. They seem more like advertisements to me… to get you to buy a product, or to get you into the food joint & make you buy more stuff than you need since you’re getting something for free anyway. So, I guess from that end, they do make sense to the coupon presenter.
To me, they fall in two categories, restaurant coupons and grocery coupons…. and there are several sub-categories thereafter.
Any more, they seem to be useless unless it’s something straight-up for free with no catches… or a straight dollar (or cents) amount off of one item. I don’t want or need to buy two packs of hot dogs to save a dollar. I don’t ever need two quarter-pounders or big roast-beef sandwiches.
Brand-name coupons usually don’t seem to bring the price down enough to compete with the off-brand, or the store brand. On some things, like Heinz Ketchup, the difference is important… but on others like laundry soap… I really don’t see the difference between Tide or All or Cheer or Purex the plethora of other ones out there.
Fast food coupons seem to be the most frustrating… now that everyone has value meals or value combos or combo meals, why are they still giving out “free fries” or “free side” coupons? You always need to purchase a sandwich and a drink to get the free side… which puts you at the price of the combo meal anyway… possibly more if you were going to “up-size” at all.
The breakfast ones are the best deals… most likely because no one is coming in for breakfast. We know this is just to get us in the door.
Perhaps I’m pessemistic. I’d like to put some research into seeing how much these kinds of coupons actually save you. I know… fast food is an evil that I ought to just avoid anyway according to my friend Dave. I know he’s right, but I seem to fall into the trap anyway.
Do you find coupons to ever be useful? Are they ever for something you were going to get anyway, or are you settling for something other than what you would order otherwise? Have you ever gone somewhere with a coupon, then pocketed it because there was a better deal existing already, or the savings really weren’t worth not getting exactly what you wanted?
World (and Lunar) Domination 
Always use coupons for items that you would have purchased anyway. Why shouldn’t you save on something that you were planning on buying? I would also suggest using coupons for items that you might be interested in, but you have just never purchased them previously.
There’s also a huge different in laundry detergents, just sayin’.
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Oh, I would use one for stuff I was going to buy anyway… but generally coupons don’t seem to be for things that I want to buy… or in the amounts that I want to buy them. I guess that we should freeze more BOGO food, I just don’t seem to have success defrosting.
When I freeze & defrost bread, it gets soggy. When I freeze & defrost a roast, I always just get weird leaving it out to defrost, but it never seems to defrost fully in the fridge within the times that I read online that it should take to defrost.
I’ve never noticed a big enough difference in laundry detergents to be worth the ridiculous price difference.
You’re not a fast food proponent, but do you see what I mean about the fast food coupons? They’re never for something that you’d get anyway. Why not just a straight $1 off of a combo meal, any combo meal, or even 50¢? It’s always a free (extra) sandwich, or side, or something that I wouldn’t generally get.
We used Arby’s coupons the other day. I had one that was a damn good price… $4 for two “toasted sub” sandwiches. And, there was a free side-kicker with a purchase of a drink. So… Bethany & I went in, I got the subs and she got 2 sides & 2 drinks because you can’t use more than one coupon on one order (of course). By the time it was all over, it was about the price of two combo meals.
Boston Market seems to give coupons that are straight-forward dollar off amounts for a certain dollar purchase. Why don’t they all do that? Because coupons are advertisements.
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The fast food coupons are for fat people.
I’m not kidding. I know that seems harsh, but it’s true. I have witnessed the usage of said coupons by said large people on many occasions. I do have an affinity for the Shamrock shake, no matter what others might say on that matter.
The regular coupons are really only a bargain when you know that you want more than one of something or if you go to Giant Eagle and the coupon is under a dollar. Giant Eagle doubles coupons to this day.
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I thought fast food coupons were for poor people? They certainly don’t help me save money… although I am fat.
People would argue that you like Shamrock Shakes…?
Giant Eagle is good people, even if the foodperks/fuleperks thing is a never-ending spiral. I clip their online ecoupons, and do take advantage of the coupon doubling whenever it’s something I’d buy anyway. I do like being able to look online and see exactly what I’m buying, how much I’m spending on it, and what they say I’m saving. They do general run good specials, and have good quality product.
Actually, I just also found out that they have a double-your-money-back guarantee sort of by accident. I wrote to them questioning the quality of a product, they looked in my purchase history, saw that I indeed did buy some for $3.99 and I was told that $8 even was being applied to my card… so I actually gained 2¢ on top of the doubling if we ignore taxes. I didn’t even mention that I wanted a refund or anything… just noted it was different form the last time I purchased it. Stand-up people at da Iggle.
Speaking of fast food, you’re going to love the next post…
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I have heard people argue that the Shamrock shakes are just vanilla shakes with green food coloring. No way, they taste like Aquafresh. haha
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Oh, they’re mint alright. If you can get someone to add the mint mix to a chocolate shake, it’s almost like Andy’s Candies… (Andie’s Candies?)
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