By Heather Sokol on August 7, 2009
When you first learn how easy it is to get things for free or bring home a cart of groceries for next to nothing, you may feel like you are getting away with something. The only thing you are getting away with is shopping smart. At Inexpensively, we strive to find the best deal available, but we will only report legitimate offers and encourage responsible couponing. When couponing rules are circumvented, it leads to companies ending the promotions that we count on to live our lives for less.
There are steps you can take to maintain the integrity of your coupon usage and ensure that more deals are always around the corner:
- Do not use photo-copied coupons. Only original coupons clipped or printed from reputable sources are valid.
- Never buy printable coupons from third party sources; you have no way to verify their legitimacy.
- Read all restrictions. If a coupon says one per household, you may not use one for each child. If the coupon reads “one per visit,” you must visit the store multiple times—even if it is in the same day—to redeem multiples of that coupon.
- Use coupons only on the product indicated. There are brand, type and size restrictions listed on most coupons.
- Pay attention to limits. You may only use 1 manufacturer coupon and 1 store coupon per item. Some stores impose additional limits on coupon acceptance and/or doubling.
- Be sure to use coupons before their expiration date. Some stores may have policies allowing expired coupon acceptance, but check with the store manager. A coupon redeemed past its expiration date means the store may not be reimbursed for the coupon.
It is important to practice ethical couponing as coupon fraud and misredemption affect consumer pricing for everyone. Any lost revenues will be reflected in price increases with fewer and less beneficial promotions. Stores that are victims of coupon fraud will also tighten their coupon policies and altogether cease promotions that are valuable to smart shoppers. We will continue to share the best coupons and offers as they become available, knowing that our community will use them responsibly.
By Heather Sokol on July 15, 2009
Some stores offer their own coupons, in addition to the acceptance of manufacturer’s coupons, either in their ad or through the company’s website. The most notable include CVS ExtraCare Bucks (ECB), Meijer Mealbox and Food Lion Internet Printable (FLIP) coupons. Store coupons can be used in conjunction with brand coupons. They are a great way [...]
By Heather Sokol on July 14, 2009
The key to big long term savings is buying the items you need when they are on sale before you need them. This means taking advantage of each sale as much as you can with as many coupons as you have available. You will begin to create a “stockpile” of products you use on a [...]
By Heather Sokol on July 13, 2009
To maximize your grocery spending, you have to do more than just use coupons at the store. You need to store your coupons to use at the best possible time. Matching your coupon to a sale price will result in the greatest possible savings. In addition to tips, ideas and deal alerts, the Inexpensively network [...]
By Heather Sokol on July 12, 2009
You have probably seen the envelope-style coupon organizers the stores sell. You will need something larger for the coupons you will begin to amass as you clip and file multiple coupons each week. There are many ways to organize your coupons. One simple way is to date a file folder and slip the inserts into [...]
By Heather Sokol on July 11, 2009
Manufacturers print out coupons to get you to purchase their products. These can be found in many forms, but are generally for cents off a product. They can be found in a variety of places, but your local newspaper is still the number one source for coupons. Our database displays all current coupons from the [...]
By Heather Sokol on June 6, 2004
Always check for clearance items throughout the store. You can get incredible deals when you use a coupon on the discounted price. Brand names are often cheaper than generic foods when you use a coupon. Don’t be afraid to go for the name brand items. Catalina coupons will be printed when you are finished checking [...]
