Internet Coupons....Bah!
OK...let me talk about coupons. I absolutely love them. I have been using them almost addictively for about four years now. I love using both the CVS and Walgreens rewards programs to get stuff for free or ridiculously cheap.
Now let me talk about Internet coupons. I seldom use them for two reasons. 1.) They use a ridiculous amount of printer ink, which is most definitely NOT cheap. 2.) They are met with a certain amount of scrutiny at the grocery store.
Example: Recently, I decided to use an Internet coupon at a local grocery store. This coupon, after doubling, ended up making the product free (excluding sales tax.) I also had several regular coupons that I wanted to use.
Sooooo I get to the check-out stand, and this guy rings me up. I hand him the coupons. He stops and stares at the Internet coupon for a good minute and a half. He holds it up to the light. Now understand, I bought the whole page with me, not just the clipped coupon. I figure it gives the added piece of mind. Also, it was printed in color. And it had the ad on it from the site that I printed it from, which is a well-known coupon printing site.
I felt like saying, "You waiting for it to get up and dance a jig?"
Finally, he scans it through. Holy Moly, it was legitimate! SHOCK!
He gives me my total, and I sift through my purse for money. He holds the coupon again, and starts leafing throught this notebook, full of copies of Web coupons that they are not supposed to take. He keeps giving me these glances.
I ask, "Is there a problem?"
He goes, "No, no..."
Sigh. I really need to stop wearing a ski mask to the grocery store. (Just kidding!)
In all seriousness, though, I understand that coupon fraud is a serious problem. And the vast majority of bogus coupons are Web coupons. The whole situation hearkened me back to the day when I was the one behind the counter.
The business where I work at used to run these coupons that were for free product with the purchase of product. Well, one day this lady comes in and gives me the top half of the coupon...the part that said, "Free product X". She had removed the bottom half, which said, "with the purchase of product Y." I nicely explained to her that our corporate office would not honor that coupon. She left in a huff.
Anyway, the point I am trying to make is, if you use coupons, please use them honestly. It makes ALL of us look bad if people abuse the system.
Now let me talk about Internet coupons. I seldom use them for two reasons. 1.) They use a ridiculous amount of printer ink, which is most definitely NOT cheap. 2.) They are met with a certain amount of scrutiny at the grocery store.
Example: Recently, I decided to use an Internet coupon at a local grocery store. This coupon, after doubling, ended up making the product free (excluding sales tax.) I also had several regular coupons that I wanted to use.
Sooooo I get to the check-out stand, and this guy rings me up. I hand him the coupons. He stops and stares at the Internet coupon for a good minute and a half. He holds it up to the light. Now understand, I bought the whole page with me, not just the clipped coupon. I figure it gives the added piece of mind. Also, it was printed in color. And it had the ad on it from the site that I printed it from, which is a well-known coupon printing site.
I felt like saying, "You waiting for it to get up and dance a jig?"
Finally, he scans it through. Holy Moly, it was legitimate! SHOCK!
He gives me my total, and I sift through my purse for money. He holds the coupon again, and starts leafing throught this notebook, full of copies of Web coupons that they are not supposed to take. He keeps giving me these glances.
I ask, "Is there a problem?"
He goes, "No, no..."
Sigh. I really need to stop wearing a ski mask to the grocery store. (Just kidding!)
In all seriousness, though, I understand that coupon fraud is a serious problem. And the vast majority of bogus coupons are Web coupons. The whole situation hearkened me back to the day when I was the one behind the counter.
The business where I work at used to run these coupons that were for free product with the purchase of product. Well, one day this lady comes in and gives me the top half of the coupon...the part that said, "Free product X". She had removed the bottom half, which said, "with the purchase of product Y." I nicely explained to her that our corporate office would not honor that coupon. She left in a huff.
Anyway, the point I am trying to make is, if you use coupons, please use them honestly. It makes ALL of us look bad if people abuse the system.
Great post! I think that coupons are a good way to stretch your dollar. (And most people need their dollars stretched, especially now!) YKW
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