Couponers galore

[Aragarthiel]

We ran into four different people with coupon binders and carts full of a single item today, and twice we got stuck behind groups of people arguing over who gets the entire stock of a particular item.

I love coupons, but I hate what people do with them. We ended up leaving the store with only half the things we came for because of them.

[greensinestro]

Sometimes I'll just happily pay whatever the groceries cost. My mother in law is one of the people who finds ways around the rules of using them. If she's in a restaurant, it's one per customer, but actually splits up the bill to use two of them. Pisses me off since I know I would not be allowed to do that.

[Aragarthiel]

This store has a membership card and they mail coupons out to members occasionally. When we get ours, I notice that the fine print is getting lengthier. "Limit one coupon per customer per transaction per day." My husband spoke with a manager there recently (job searching) and he said the manager mentioned they were trying to get corporate to okay a limit on how many coupon you could use period. At least they're trying though.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

"We reserve the right to limit quantities" is your friend.

[notalwaysright]

My mom is the type to go to the store with her list and buy everything on it, regardless of price. She's not wealthy, but she's not hurting either. So she considers sale shopping and couponing a waste of her time.

I do use coupons, and pay attention to sales. But I don't like all these blurbs on various news sites (news!?) which are like "how the grocery store is ripping you off!" They try to justify coupon abusing but implying that grocery stores are purposefully inflating prices. Unless things have changed, grocery stores operate on a very small profit margin.

[UncleImpy]

I'll occasionally use coupons if its on something I already buy, but it seems the general situation is that the coupon tries to convince you to buy something more expensive, where even with the coupon discount, it still doesn't make the item cheaper than the item I usually buy...so most of the time, I don't bother.

Now, I've seen how some of these people manage to combine coupons and discounts to get their groceries for next to nothing. I just...wow. Rather pay full price and spend my time doing something FUN, you know?

[Tama]

Well if there is a sale on that item, say almond milk, AND there's a coupon, then I'll do it. That is usually the case when I use them. Or it's an item I'd buy anyway.

[XCashier]

But I don't like all these blurbs on various news sites (news!?) which are like "how the grocery store is ripping you off!" They try to justify coupon abusing but implying that grocery stores are purposefully inflating prices. Unless things have changed, grocery stores operate on a very small profit margin.

QFT. I hate how they make it sound like the store's the villain, like we're a bunch of bloodthirsty pirates out to rob everyone who walks in the door, which in turn makes the customers treat us that way. Those "news" writers can kiss my underpaid arse.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I do use coupons, and pay attention to sales. But I don't like all these blurbs on various news sites (news!?) which are like "how the grocery store is ripping you off!" They try to justify coupon abusing but implying that grocery stores are purposefully inflating prices. Unless things have changed, grocery stores operate on a very small profit margin.

Well then, good luck finding that non-profit grocery store chain.

[WishfulSpirit]

Someone needs to convince the "cart full of one item" that they're SPENDING money (not saving money) unless they'd have bought a full cart of one thing already. Maybe some of them would. Maybe some lady who runs an animal shelter needs 25 bags of kitty litter. But I doubt most of those full cart types would have bought that stuff without the coupon. Or maybe it's a "I'll get this so you can't have it, na na nana na" thing?

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Someone needs to convince the "cart full of one item" that they're SPENDING money (not saving money) unless they'd have bought a full cart of one thing already.

Heh, they're not spending money. They may be making it by returning the stuff the next day.

[Aragarthiel]

It makes me wonder how much couponers spend every month between newspapers, internet/printer paper and ink for online coupons, smartphone apps, and gas trips to every store in a 60 mile radius.

[AccountingDrone]

Someone needs to convince the "cart full of one item" that they're SPENDING money (not saving money) unless they'd have bought a full cart of one thing already. Maybe some of them would. Maybe some lady who runs an animal shelter needs 25 bags of kitty litter. But I doubt most of those full cart types would have bought that stuff without the coupon. Or maybe it's a "I'll get this so you can't have it, na na nana na" thing?

I admit that we have certain stuff we stock up when we see a good deal, kitty litter being one. Toilet paper, paper towel, pasta and grains [we freeze for 3 days and vacuum-seal into heavier plastic bags and then store. We cycle our foods so in general nothing goes bad ] certain canned goods. We have a pair of 25 cubic foot freezers [one chest, one upright. Got to love freecycle!] so we can take advantage of good buys in frozen goods, and I have a number of cases of canning jars so we can take advantage of good deals in fruits and veggies too =)

[I have to admit, I *like* canning my own food - being able to tweak a recipe so it is exactly to taste is fun. If I were rich, I would kill for being able to afford a 'gardener' to take care of about 10 acres of garden and orchard so I would just get the produce to play with without having to play in the dirt. Though Rob does like to garden, work leaves him little time to play in the mud. ]

[WishfulSpirit]

I'd love to be able to do that. Our tiny apartment has no space to store anything. We have to buy in small amounts just to avoid having the clutter gain sentience and kill us in our sleep.

[Food Lady]

I'm terrible with coupons but I have no problem with people using them, unless they are trying to use them for the wrong items and argue with me. But I think our current policy is to just take them anyway. My boss literally said to me today "Give them whatever they want unless you think they're trying to commit fraud." How do I know they're trying to commit fraud? I can't read minds.