[mamamia]

Or has anyone else been in a "coupon slump" lately?

Coupons, for the last 7 years or so what has literally kept us afloat on a tight food budget. Since the new year though, it seems I can't find the sales and coupon match-ups that were always there. It's a little scarey, if you kwim? And I can't help but wonder if the stores are changing the way it used to work. We lost our Albertson's, which was always great for cereal deals and meats. But even the Publix BOGO deals are just not what they used to be! I always saved at least 50% there.

So, are any of you noticing changes too? I really hope it's just coincidental, and it'll change back......FAST!

Theresa

 

[imagine]

Yes I have seen this too. I also saw a financial paper say stores are trying to wean Americans off of the deep profit busting discounts they excepted to get during the weak economy.

 

[khaski]

i must be missing something here- why would stores discourage coupon usage, assuming they don't double etc? They get re-imbursed by the manufacturer for the coupons, so it's not like they lose $, if you're talking sales/coupon match ups. i have only been seriously couponing for a little over a year, so not long enough to notice this change.

 

[mombottoo]

I agree with you OP. Coupons definitely aren't what they used to be and I do think stores try to discourage people from using them. I shop at Meijer and they offer coupons on one of their sites...but, most of the time they are a joke....save $1.00 for buying 5 of something.

I think it's the manufacturers too, the coupons that are published actually have very little value and sometimes the rebates aren't worth the time or cost of the stamp. Why would I spend 44 cents to send out a $1.00 rebate? I have noticed though that the coupons they have available onsite are getting better in value though.

Back in the 70s and early 80s I could go shopping with regular coupons, rebate coupons for free products and rebate checks and they would have to pay me to take the groceries out of the store. But, that hasn't happened in a very long time. I watch extreme couponing and wonder how they get their coupons...because we don't have those high value coupons around here.

 

[Ssindi]

I thought it was just me not "working" the coupons right now days.Although I've noticed that the grocery store sales are not there.ShopRite only did free turkeys for Thanksgiving and not for Christmas. I was looking for baking supplies on sale but it didn't really happen the way I remember in past years.

 

[RaineyDaye]

I've noticed the lack of good coupons - but I thought it might be because I don't use a lot of the coupons I once used. I wonder how newspapers are being affected. Coupons are the main reason people buy our local paper.

 

[Contrary Housewife]

The last 6 months or so have been pretty "dry" as far as coupons go. Almost no paper ones in the stores, and harder to find good ones on websites. I know one of the stores near me is not putting out the tear pads when the manufacturers sends them, I don't know if they are just too lazy or if an employee is taking them or what, but the display is there and the spot for the pad is always empty. Seeing a lot more recipes in the dispensers these days instead of coupons, too.

 

[auntie2many]

I am seeing that too. Also none of the stores in our area have those red blinking machines that used to spit out coupons anymore. We are currently eating down our fridge, pantry and freezer, but with the coupons not there, it will cost a lot more to do any restock.

A2M

 

[lotsadebt]

I thought it was just me too. But I convinced myself to get back into the couponing thing. I do thing that TLC show is ruining it for us everyday users. I do not understand where they get coupons for so many large ticket free items. I do think stores might be running scared of that mindset taking hold.

I did let my stock get low when I was teaching last semester (2nd job) and just starting buiding it back up. I do see less and less BOGO's and good coupons out there to match up. Or the coupons convienently expire right before the good sale starts.

 

[hnybny91]

I used to be a hard core couponer. I would never have to pay for things like toothpaste and had what my family called a store in my linen closet. It took a lot of time and effort and when I got sick with my "mystery" illness I got out of couponing. Well, my mystery illness turned out to be celiac disease so I couldn't eat a lot of the things coupons came out for so I never got back in. I have tried now that times are tough financially to clip ones like toilet paper and such but just can't get back in the groove.

 

[Uniwolf]

I have noticed that there are fewer and fewer coupons for things that my family actually use. Or the ones that we do use, are just plain crazy, .50 off of 6 containers of yogurt. $1.00 off of 2 packages of diapers. These don't even make it comparable with the lower priced brands that we usually buy instead. About to cancel the Sunday paper which is the only one that we get.

 

[Jetruth]

I too have found myself, in a couponing slump. 50 cents off of two of something. Plus I am seeing the same coupons over and over again. It would be nice to see different items. I started getting subscription to the All You magazine. I cleaned up right after Xmas.. I am also seeing the expiration date is not as long for certain brands. Almost makes me want to give up the coupon race. But I will be back at it tomorrow. Something is better than nothing.

 

[Ssindi]

Just came from the store. Another thing that I've noticed is that I never get register generated coupons anymore. You know ,you buy one kind of orange juice and they print out a coupon for another brand. I haven't gotten any of those for months.

 

[pollypurebred39]

Yes, I've noticed too. I thought I was losing my touch.

 

[conniebrightside]

I haven't had much of a problem...of course I just started using coupons and we have awesome stores here that double coupons up to 99 cents ...so that a 75 cent coupon doubles to 1.50 etc. Two of our big stores here in NC just ran super doubles...that was a huge help ( they double coupons up to 1.99, so a 1.50 coupon doubles to 3.00)

 

[strezzed]

Welcome to Canada, people (or at last my area of it). I just watch those Extreme Couponing shows with jealousy. Our stores don't let us double up or whatever. One coupon per item. Maybe ten years ago it was different, but I doubt it. I was a cashier at a grocery store 15 years ago, and those were the rules back then. Plus, you didn't get a discount just for being a regular shopper. Today, I can rarely find good coupons: maybe a dollar or 50 cents off something that costs a lot more than the no name brand next to it. Even then, using the coupon usually means actually paying more for the product.

 

[Stacia]

Or has anyone else been in a "coupon slump" lately?

Coupons, for the last 7 years or so what has literally kept us afloat on a tight food budget. Since the new year though, it seems I can't find the sales and coupon match-ups that were always there. It's a little scarey, if you kwim? And I can't help but wonder if the stores are changing the way it used to work. We lost our Albertson's, which was always great for cereal deals and meats. But even the Publix BOGO deals are just not what they used to be! I always saved at least 50% there.

So, are any of you noticing changes too? I really hope it's just coincidental, and it'll change back......FAST!

Theresa

I heard that after the Extreme couponing shows came on TV the stores and manufacturers started changing their policies.

 

[jas]

I guess I have noticed a change in the selection and amount of coupons over the last year, but I have also changed what I buy too. There are still a few of the things I buy on a regular basis that are still bogo at my Publix. If they stopped having what I need there on sale I won't be shopping there that is for sure. It is the only reason I step foot in there.

There are a few stores near me that I get specific things at like Aldi, a little produce store that now sell really good meat (go figure) and the dredded Walmart for random things that I don't use or count on coupons for.

 

[Hamada]

My coupon usage has dropped this past year. I did buy the newspaper in December to hopefully get good coupons for January personal care supplies. My eating habits have drastically changed. I have yet to see coupons for fresh produce.

Just keep the stockpiling going as much as possible. Glad I was able to get one set up so I wait for good sales. I can't help but think the length of the downward economy is making manufacturers realize they need to keep that extra 50 cents to make any type of profit and keep the factories running.

Really makes you understand why people do all the canning they do!

 

[Guest]

I've couponed on and off for about 10 years. I've noticed in that over the last 5 years, coupons in general have gone downhill. You used to be able to get free items with just a coupon that doubled, now you usually need to have a double coupon plus store card plus reward bucks on clearance to get free stuff. Also, they used to make coupons for lots of things, now it seems like most of the coupons are for brand new products.