Extreme Couponing Tip: Use Your Coupons Correctly

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Extreme Couponing Tips

If you have been watching the Extreme Couponing Series on TLC, you know that some of these shoppers walk away with a ton of groceries for next to nothing.  Lot’s of questions  pop up like, where do they get all their inserts, can you use that coupon on that product, etc.

Sometimes I watch and am sad to say that I’m disappointed to see couponing displayed so extreme.  And it upsets me that some of you may be picking up bad habits from things you see on the show.  So, each week I’m going to touch on one important tip you need to keep in mind in order to be a TRUE Extreme Couponer so that you will know how to coupon the right way.

This week’s tip is:

::USE COUPONS CORRECTLY

This tip is important because using coupons incorrectly is illegal and considered coupon fraud.  Now, before you get all upset because you used a coupon in error last week, do not worry.  If it’s one coupon and it’s a mistake, it’s fine.  We all make mistakes, me included.  However, using 25 coupons on an item incorrectly is not a good practice.

Here is what I’m referring to:

Manufacturers put out a coupon for a product in their line that is a higher price item.  The coupon will probably be a higher value coupon to make it worth your while to use it.  If you turn around and use it on an item in their product line that sells for less money and was not an item that the manufacturer intended it to be used on,  then the store will not get reimbursed for it.

Once the manufacturer matches up the coupons with the sales for that store and sees a discrepancy, they can refuse to pay the store for those coupons.  The store then takes the loss for those coupons.  Then, eventually, the store may take measures to protect themselves by limiting the amount of coupons they accept in a transaction or by the amount of “like” coupons they accept.

So, not only is it illegal to use coupons incorrectly, in the end, it hurts the whole couponing community.

Here is an example of what I mean:

Here is a coupon for $0.75 off on any 2 Starkist Products: Pouches, Gourmet Choice or StarKist Selects Can. This coupon CAN NOT be used on ANY StarKist product.  But, rather, you will need to use it on only the products listed on the coupon.

You can not use it on the regular StarKist Cans:

Here is what you can use the coupon on:

So be sure to read your coupons before you use them so we can all have a pleasant couponing experience.

And, make sure to check out Super Couponing 101 so that you can find out more info about how to be a True Extreme Couponer.