Coupons are supposed to be easy. But sometimes they can be tricky with all that small print that gets you all confused and misleading pictures that might make you think that's what you have to buy! So here is everything that you need to know in analyzing a coupon for your strategic shopping. Some of this will be quite obvious, but I wanted to be thorough so bare with me :)
Here is our coupon that we will be using as an example:
1) Type of Coupon: At the top of the coupon you will see 'Manufacturer's Coupon' which means that Colgate is giving us $1.00 to purchase some of their toothpaste. If it is a store coupon you might see 'Target Web Coupon', the store's logo, or simply 'Store Coupon'. These words will let you know if you can stack your coupons, meaning: use a manufacturer's coupon with a store coupon. Note: You cannot use 2 manufacturer's coupons for 1 item.
2) Expiration Date: The expiration date is often placed to the right of the type of coupon. This means that you can use this coupon up to the date stated here - and I mean right up to 11:59PM of that day! :) Store's will not accept coupons unless there is an expiration date and they will not accept expired coupons.
3) Value of Coupon: This will be in large font in comparison to the remainder of the coupon. You might see SAVE $1.oo as seen in the Colgate coupon, or it might say $1.00 off, Buy One Get One Free, or Buy This Item and Get $1.00 off this Item. Ultimately, this tells you how much you will be saving thanks to the great manufacturer or store giving you "free money".
4) The Pretty Picture: If you have never seen the product that you have the coupon for, it is great to help you locate it on the shelf of the store. But, this is also where the manufacturer can really get sneaky so don't fall into the trap! Please know that just because there is a picture of Colgate Cavity Protection toothpaste on the above coupon, does not mean that you have to purchase that toothpaste. Go crazy and get the kind with the whitener, or the baking soda in it, or whichever your lil heart desires. Often the manufacturer and stores will place a picture of their newest item on the coupon and cross their fingers thinking you just might buy that newer, more expensive item.
Quick example of the Pretty Picture: I had a coupon that stated: "Buy ANY 2 Ajax, Fab, or Suavitel and get $1.50 off " BUT the picture only showed the brand's line of detergent so I could naturally think I need to find the detergent, buy that, and then use the coupon - wrong! That week I needed dish soap pretty badly, so since the coupon said "ANY" I bought the cheapest and smallest 16 oz Ajax dish soap possible to make sure I had the least amount of money out of pocket. I bought 2 Ajax dish soaps (not detergent as the picture showed) and spent less than $1 out of pocket. :)
More to come in Part 2. Happy Couponing!
2) Expiration Date: The expiration date is often placed to the right of the type of coupon. This means that you can use this coupon up to the date stated here - and I mean right up to 11:59PM of that day! :) Store's will not accept coupons unless there is an expiration date and they will not accept expired coupons.
3) Value of Coupon: This will be in large font in comparison to the remainder of the coupon. You might see SAVE $1.oo as seen in the Colgate coupon, or it might say $1.00 off, Buy One Get One Free, or Buy This Item and Get $1.00 off this Item. Ultimately, this tells you how much you will be saving thanks to the great manufacturer or store giving you "free money".
4) The Pretty Picture: If you have never seen the product that you have the coupon for, it is great to help you locate it on the shelf of the store. But, this is also where the manufacturer can really get sneaky so don't fall into the trap! Please know that just because there is a picture of Colgate Cavity Protection toothpaste on the above coupon, does not mean that you have to purchase that toothpaste. Go crazy and get the kind with the whitener, or the baking soda in it, or whichever your lil heart desires. Often the manufacturer and stores will place a picture of their newest item on the coupon and cross their fingers thinking you just might buy that newer, more expensive item.
Quick example of the Pretty Picture: I had a coupon that stated: "Buy ANY 2 Ajax, Fab, or Suavitel and get $1.50 off " BUT the picture only showed the brand's line of detergent so I could naturally think I need to find the detergent, buy that, and then use the coupon - wrong! That week I needed dish soap pretty badly, so since the coupon said "ANY" I bought the cheapest and smallest 16 oz Ajax dish soap possible to make sure I had the least amount of money out of pocket. I bought 2 Ajax dish soaps (not detergent as the picture showed) and spent less than $1 out of pocket. :)
More to come in Part 2. Happy Couponing!
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