subject: Tips For Extreme Couponing 101 - Make Sure You Check The Coupon Dates! [print this page] With the slow down in the economy in the last several years, consumers are more and more drawn to receiving discounts on their shopping through couponing. As simple as the idea appears, the extreme couponing route can sometimes be fraught with difficulties. One lesson I learned is to be careful with checking out the dates of the coupons before making a trip to the store.
One time, I received a coupon for a special new food plate item at a brand name fast food restaurant. I was excited that they were adding a new item to their menu and couldn't wait to check it out. Unfortunately, when I got to the restaurant, they were not willing to accept the coupon, citing that the coupon was not valid until the next day. I took a closer look at the coupon and realized that they did have a start date printed on it the was going to be the next day. So I was disappointed, but took it in my stride. And yes, I paid the full price for the advertised item.
You would think that I have learned my lesson about coupons and their tricky start and end dates, but I was to face another lesson. A number of months later, I received a $10 offer coupon from a major office supplies store. Again, I was excited and went to the store that very weekend. It was about a day from when I had gotten the coupon. When I took my item to the checkout counter, they pointed out to me that the start day was a whopping 11 days away!
Now, in the previous example, the difference of 1 day did not raise any red flags, as I assumed restaurant merely sent their coupons out 1 day early. That seemed a reasonable timeframe. Now, with almost a 12 day difference, I have reason to believe that the office supplies store was making it more difficult for their customers to exercise their in-store coupons than need be. Perhaps they just wanted to lure people into their stores without having to provide any sort of coupon discount benefits. That may work in the very short term, but their reputation and repeat customer purchasing might take a hit as shoppers and couponers are smart.
In my case, I chose not to make the $40 computer bag purchase. And guess what, I found another coupon from a rival office supplies store that provided the same level of discounting. The clincher is that the coupon was valid on the day I found it without having to wait a ridiculous 1 1/2 weeks. I went out and bought the item.
