Consumerism: Using coupons to save money
Gina York
ENG102
May 23, 2012
Sarah Giragosian

Consumerism: Using coupons to save money
Consumers face daily struggles. However, many would say that the one thing they struggle with the most is how to find ways to stretch their paycheck enough to cover the bills and put food on the table. In fact, despite having two paychecks coming in, the average American family is still unable to make ends meet. While we can eliminate some things from our daily lives, such as the $5 cup of coffee at the local “Java Joe’s”, we cannot eliminate our daily need for food and basic necessities. Consequently, with the continued downturn in the economy, people have had to become more creative in finding ways to save money. Using coupons to aid in discounting products is widely becoming the method of choice.
Consumers have had to make some very hard decisions based on income and necessities. We have all had to “tighten our belts” and “watch our pennies”. “During these hard economic times, many people are looking for new ways to save money on as many things as possible. Groceries, electric and other utility bills, as well as on other items like diapers and baby care supplies, cleaning supplies and paper products.” (How to Save Money With Grocery Coupons, 1999-2012) Along with the ever present thought of saving and keeping our hard earned dollars in mind, many have returned to the days of our grandmothers, known for saving their pennies. We realize that the economy will most likely not change and so it is time to take matters into our own hands. We must learn to live by a new set of rules and a new way of thinking when spending money and buying brand name items at the store is also no longer an option.
Of course, I’m quite sure we have all heard of coupons, they have been around for years. In fact, your grandmother was most likely using them to save on her own groceries before you were born. While the premise for using these “little paper money savers” is basically still the same, the ways use them today has morphed into something altogether different. Although, we still fall back on the newspaper to provide us with the bulk of our coupons, the coupon inserts reportedly have been the reason for the up-turn in Sunday newspaper sales. “The recession has hurt many industries, but it may prove to be the savior of print coupons. Even consumers in their 20s and 30s appear to be joining the coupon-clipping habit.” (Neff, 2010, para.1) It also can be noted that the stereotypical “grandmother” is also no longer the “norm” when using coupons. The average age for a couponer is now 24-44 years of age.
Along with the upsurge in “couponing”, has come a new class of couponer, the “Extreme Couponer”. You have most likely heard this term because of the very popular cable “reality” television show on “TLC”. A “couponer” by definition is “a person who seeks out or saves discount coupons for buying grocery items.” (Dictionary, 2012, pp. 1) While an “extreme couponer” would be someone who uses coupons in an effort to save as much money on as many items as possible with the express purpose of building a “stockpile” of a specific item or a variety of items. Another type of couponer would be the “frugal couponer”. A frugal couponer is only concerned with saving as much money as they can to get them through to the next shopping trip. Unfortunately, there has also been a stigma placed on people who are avid couponer’s because of TLC’s “Extreme Couponer” show. That stigma is that extreme couponer’s are also “hoarders”, in most instances this is simply not the case. In fact, the majority of “extreme” couponer’s are the complete opposite of a hoarder. They are by comparison, very neat and organized. “Many extreme couponer’s will donate their products to charities such as women’s shelter or even animal shelters. TV shows and news features usually does not highlight the good side of couponing.” (Laverty, 2011, para. 4)
In addition to the traditional “paper” coupons, consumers now have another option at their disposal when it concerns ways to save money with coupons. A new database has emerged, known as “digital couponing”. According to Chain Store Age (2008), a magazine geared towards retail management, “AOL launched an online service for paperless (digital) coupons and also announced that The Kroger Co. was the first retail partner to join the program. Shoppers simply search online for coupons and click on the grocery coupons they want to add to their Kroger loyalty card. When they are shopping in the store, the coupon discounts are automatically applied to their purchases when the card is scanned at checkout.” (para 1-2)
An added benefit to using these “digital” coupons is that they are environmentally friendly. No trees or forests were lost to produce the paper required for the more traditional “paper” coupons. Manufacturers are also beginning to see how serious consumers are to save as much money as possible and are offering coupons printable directly from their websites. Similarly, they are finding new ways to reach the masses and lure the consumers into the world of “digital couponing”, including advertising via text messaging as well as on social networking websites.
Another good way that enables the shopper to save more money with coupons is by using a technique called “stacking”. This is where the consumer combines a store coupon with a manufacturer’s coupon. “The best time to shop is on double- or triple-coupon days, when your coupons will count for more.” (Trejos, 2008, para 31) Many people make fun of the devout coupon users, believing that they spend too much time trying to perfect their couponing strategies and then they don’t even save that much. When in reality, the Coupon Council found, “The typical family saves 10 to 25 percent each week using coupons. One shopper reported that she used to spend $150 on groceries for four people, but since she began using coupons she is now only spending about $200 a month.. She once walked out of a CVS pharmacy having spent $50 for $200 worth of items.” (Trejos, 2008, para 1-2) Becoming a “savvy shopper” takes time, practice and dedication to learning a “new way to shop”. Such as shopping at stores that offer “double couponing”. This practice is where the face value of the coupon is doubled ($.50 doubles to $1). An additional tip to save money is by using manufacturer rebates and refunds. Typically the manufacturer will offers the consumer a rebate or refund of some or even all of the cost of the item when they mail in the store register receipt. There are many tips and tricks to becoming a “savvy shopper”. Michelle Easter and Stephanie Nelson shared their couponing secrets in an interview with Good Housekeeping Magazine, (2005). “In minutes every week, Stephanie Nelson shaves $100 off her grocery bill. Her trick for saving 80 percent or more: She gets a double discount by clipping coupons and then matching them to what's on sale at the supermarket.” Michelle Easter adds some of her tips that help her family to save the most money. “Buying a freezer, even if it’s just a small one will help you make the most of great sales on meats and other perishables. Look at the shelves above and below eye level. That's where you'll find the cheaper items. Mix it yourself. You can pay up to 50 percent more for foods that come premixed with sugar. Buy meats in bulk or in family sized packages and then separate it into meals when you get home.” (Goff, 2005, pp. 64-68)
Expert shoppers will say that saving the most money when your shopping doesn’t have to be a difficult process. However, there are some rules to go by. The first thing and most important thing a couponer must have is an organizer. “Get a coupon organizer-and no, a plastic baggie doesn't qualify.” (Coupon Queen, 2009, pp. 65) You need to have some way of storing and your coupons in a manageable, organized way. The methods are as varied as the couponer’s themselves. Some prefer to use envelopes marked with the different departments of the store, while others prefer accordion folders or even a 3 ring binder. It’s all according to the individual preference.
On the other hand, some things are essential and must be adhered to. First, know-before-you-go, what the sales are, and where they are that is. Compare prices at different stores and shop at the stores that offer the best prices. Combining store sales and your coupons will give you the biggest savings. A shopping list is a definite Must Have! Knowing what you need and will buy before you leave your house will keep you from making foolish impulse purchases that will derail the best planned shopping trip. Explore options like coupon websites such as Coupons.com or Hip2Save.com for specific items that you need to purchase.
As with anything, there will always be skeptics and couponing is no exception. Of course this is only because they have not been educated in the ways of “the couponer”. An important thing to remember is that many people do not realize how much money they can save by using coupons. They mistakenly believe that the time it takes to clip, organize and plan the shopping trip is not worth the time and effort. When that simply is not the truth. In reality, while it does take a good bit of time in the beginning, during the initial “learning phase” of couponing, you do become better and faster at the process, which makes the amount you save, well worth the time and effort. “It usually takes a couple of hours to plan out your shopping trip. You can shorten this time by matching your coupons to the store sales papers. “A good way to find matchups for stores you may like to shop at is to go online to websites such as, AFullCup.com, Hot Coupon World, Slick Deals, and We Use Coupons. Not including shopping time, the total time per week (for a beginner): 3 hours. So that's $80 of savings for 3 hours’ worth of work, or $26.60 an hour! I like to think of that as what I get "paid" for couponing.” (Richard, 2011, para. 5) Once enlightened on the whole process of couponing, many “skeptics” become converted and take up couponing themselves.
In conclusion, as we face the day-to-day dilemmas of how to save money as well as provide for our families while trying to stretch the family budget, we come to the realization that not only must we change our way of spending, more important, we must challenge ourselves to change our way of thinking. Becoming a “savvy shopper” and a seasoned “couponer” will only cost a small amount of time and little dedication to learning a new way to shop. Moreover, you as the consumer can make the final decision to go all out and become that “extreme couponer” and create a “stockpile” that will fill a two-car-garage or a “frugal couponer” who clips just enough coupons to last until the next shopping trip. Either way, the most rewarding part of this process is looking back, not at how much you got for your dollar, but rather how much of your dollar you saved on what you got. Our new purpose as a consumer is now to save as much money as possible and our new mantra will be, “Do I have a coupon for that?”

References
How to Save Money With Grocery Coupons . (1999-2012). Retrieved from ehow.com: http://www.ehow.com/how_4849073_grocery-coupon-websites-coupon-clipping.html
Coupon Queen. (2009, August). Kiplinger's Personal Finance, 63(8), 65-65.
Dictionary. (2012). Retrieved from Dictionary.com: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/couponer
Chain Store Age. (2008, April). Coupon-clicking replaces clipping. 84(4), pp. 90-90.
Goff, L. (2005, January). Cut your grocery bill in half. Good Housekeeping, 240(1), pp. 64-68.
Laverty, B. (2011). Clip this not that. Retrieved from Clipthisnotthat.com: http://clipthisnotthat.com/extreme-vs-normal-couponing/
Neff, J. (2010, November). Coupon clipping stages a comeback. Advertising Age, 81(39), para. 1
Richard, J. (2011, October 29). Is couponing worth it? Retrieved from technorati.com: http://technorati.com/lifestyle/article/is-couponing-worth-it/
Trejos, N. (2008, October 26). Snipping, clipping, scrimping. The Washington Post.