Grocery And Department Store Coupons - Are They Really Worth Your Time?

We all like to save a buck or two every now and then. So, we painstakingly cut out those coupons from the weekend copy of our newspapers or the neighborhood merchants store advertisements. Some of us even get coupon alerts sent directly to our phones and emails. But how much are you saving with those coupons, and are they really worth all the hassles?

Since the onset of our struggling economy, I've seen less and less of grocery and manufacturer coupons. Department store sales are now limited to just holiday sales, and even those sales are not so enticing to say the least.

We are getting so much less for our money, and yet manufacturers of those products we can't do without makes mega billions every year. You will think that that should equate to more coupons for their loyal customers, right? Wrong!

But, despite that, it seems that due to the state of our economy, using coupons just became even more necessary for those extra savings we get on groceries and other necessities. So, when does it NOT make sense to use grocery coupons?

My general rule with grocery coupons is this, if it's not going to save me at least 40% of the price of the item, then I don't need it. Think about the time it takes you cut out or download, and print a coupon that only saves you $.50 on an item that cost $7.99. Not only have you spent time getting the coupons and wasting ink on printing it, you'll also be spending time trying to use it.

On average we spend an extra 2 to 5 minutes (this is solely based on my observation and experiences) searching the store for each item that we use coupons on. The reason? Most coupon items, though we need them, are not everyday items that we use. So, we generally have to figure out where they are displayed on store shelves. That takes up extra shopping time

I love BOGOs, the buy one get one free deals. Nothing gets me shopping like those deal. But lately, most department stores have gone from BOGOs to BOGHA (buy one get half off another) for 50% off. Now, this I won't fall for. The way I see it, I'm being forced to buy two items when all I need is one. So not only do I pay full price for one, I also have to shell-out an extra 50% of the full price to get a deal.

Now, If you're a bargain hunter like me, I'll say this is not much of a bargain. This types of deal may work for some, I say, this is one of those deals that's not worth my time.

As I mentioned earlier, I love BOGO (buy one get one free). BOGO coupons are a great way to save of regular items, and stock up on items you need or use regularly.

At an authentic BOGO sale, you're simply buying one item, and getting the other item for free. Beware of BOGOs that make you pay a ballooned price (hiked price) for the first item. In such case, you are not really getting the second item free. Some BOGOs states that you buy one item and get the other half off. This is not my idea of a good savings. That's just me.

Now, let's take a look at those coupons that's worth your time. These are usually coupons that save you somewhere around 50% or more of the needed items. Examples are:

We all like to get free items, especially when the item is something we can put to good use. So, when I get a 'free item' coupon, that's a deal I simply can't refuse.

Free items coupons are those types of coupons that's basically a giveaway coupon. These are usually given by some stores to their loyal customers, or to a particular customer population. A good example of a 'Free Item Coupon' will be a Free Kids Meal Coupon given by Chick Fillet.

Another example is a 'buy one, get one free' coupon. These types are usually valuable coupons for items that you use frequently as you get the opportunity to stock-up on these items while getting the paid item for half of what it normally cost.

Free Item Coupons are a great deal as long as one is not required to buy something in other to get the free item. But, as we all well know, those are pretty hard to come by.

Product Sample Coupons are also good money saving coupons. Often, such a coupon will give you the option to get a free product at a specified amount. The store is then re-reimbursed for the price of such product.

These coupons will sometimes cover the entire value of the product in question, or at the least, you may only end up paying for the tax on the item in question. I get these a lot from Proctor & Gamble of items that I sometimes use. This is a common practice by manufacturers to keep and attract more loyal customers.

Double Value Coupons are fun to use. It's always a good feeling when my 50¢ coupon suddenly saves me $1 on a grocery items. These, when use in conjunction with a store sale or coupon can easily add up to great savings that's worth my time.

It's a fact, we all would love to save money on things we need and use. Using coupons are just one of the ways to get those savings. It's always worthwhile when we come across those great bargain coupon that gets us what we need for less, or maybe even sometimes for free.

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Author: Comfort Babatola - © 2013