Give and take in grocery aisle

June 19, 2013
I receive a lot of testy email from readers reporting on coupon usage and shopping habits of fellow shoppers. One topic that continues to burn up my inbox involves people perceived to take more than “their share” of coupons.  (More)

How good is your good deal?

June 12, 2013
One of the questions I hear most often is, How do I know I’m getting the best price? Here’s my standard. Whether buy a bottle of barbecue sauce or a winter coat, my goal is always to cut the price by half or more. While I love to get “crazy” deals (such as matching a $1 coupon to that barbecue sauce when it goes on sale for $1!) my usual goal is to cut the price of products I purchase in half.  (More)

Unhappy returns using coupons

June 5, 2013
Oh, the woe of the shopper who must return a purchase. Most of the time it goes smoothly, but occasionally some of my readers hit snags when returning an item they decided they didn’t want or need.  (More)

Coupons vary in different areas

May 29, 2013
Recently, we heard from readers who feel it’s unfair that manufacturers and retailers use electronic coupons. They argue that consumers without computers or smartphones are unfairly excluded from these discounts. This week, readers continue to weigh in on so-called coupon entitlement.  (More)

Is it fraud or just unethical?

May 22, 2013
Have you ever seen another shopper using a coupon in a questionable manner? Decide for yourself: Are the scenarios below fraud, or simply unethical?  (More)

The ‘Battle of the Brands’

May 15, 2013
Last week, readers frustrated with the increasing number of low-value coupons shared their views. One said that if a coupon doesn’t make a large enough dent in the price of a national name-brand item, she doesn’t use it. She buys the retailer’s store brand instead. Will this emerging “boycott the 25-cent coupon” approach encourage marketers to offer better coupon values?  (More)

Are coupon values falling?

May 8, 2013
Last week, I featured an email from a reader who felt there weren’t enough coupons for fresh meat and produce. He also had a comment on coupons’ values:  (More)

Couponer: Where’s the beef?

May 1, 2013
Dear Jill, I’m tired of finding mostly coupons and discounts in the papers for women’s beauty products, toys for kids and junk food. What gives? In this economy we need food coupons! Where are the meat and produce coupons? Just to buy some vegetables and fruit, let alone any fresh meat or chicken, can break my bank account. How does the consumer get the attention of the producers/distributors and sellers to offer more coupons on ‘real’ food? – Fred T.  (More)

‘Extreme’ ruined everything

April 24, 2013
Dear Jill, I don’t know if there’s anything you can do but I have to vent. I have been a couponer for many years. It’s something my family needs to do to make ends meet. But ever since the TLC “Extreme Couponing” TV show came around, it seems a lot of things have changed. Companies’ coupon offers don’t seem to be as good any more and a lot of stores seem to be against coupons. I blame that ridiculous show. But it’s not like all of us are doing things to extremes. How do we tell companies to stop pulling back their coupon offers? Innocent people are suffering without the better coupon offers we used to see. – Chandra S.  (More)