Serves: 5

DIRECTIONS:

Read these coupon myths and see if you have the True or False notions of coupon shopping.


NOTION: Only one coupon is allowed to be used per shopping trip

FALSE: Most coupons are one per purchase - meaning purchasing one item and using one coupon on that item. You can use several coupons in one shopping trip, or transaction.


NOTION: Coupons are only for expensive items

FALSE: If you watch sale prices and then add a coupon to an item on sale, often you can get the item for free.


NOTION: Coupons are only on items or brands I never buy

FALSE: General Mills cereal, Kodak & Fuji film, Green Giant frozen vegetables, Pepsi products, Stouffer's Lasagna, Skippy Peanut Butter, Cottonelle toilet paper, Tide laundry detergent, Right Guard deodorant, Garnier Fruictis shampoo, Always feminine protection, need I go on? If these are brands you do not use, but you were able to purchase them for free or nearly free, would you try them to see if you might find something better than what you are already using?


NOTION: Generic is always cheaper

FALSE: We purchased a 17 oz. box of General Mills Lucky Charms for $.50 ($.02 per ounce). Quaker Marshmallow Mateys (which many people consider as a generic brand) were on sale the same week. The 21 oz size was $1.00 ($.04 per ounce). Both items are great prices and were on sale and with coupons, but which one was the better deal?


NOTION: It costs too much to get the Sunday paper just for coupons

FALSE: One Sunday copy of the local Sunday paper will cost you around $1.75. There are anywhere from $40 - $100 worth of coupons in each edition. If you save even $1.75, you have made your money back.


NOTION: Coupons are hard to find

FALSE: Coupons are in the Sunday newspaper, but you can also find them in magazines, in the mail, at the grocery store as blinkies, on products as peelies or on tear pads, on the internet, by calling the manufacturer's 800 number, on products you purchase, in the store ads, and even on your cash register receipt.


NOTION: If a product on sale is out of stock, you are out of luck

FALSE: If you go to get your sale item that you have a coupon for and it is out of stock, you can ask the checker for a rain check from the store. This only works if it is an advertised special in their weekly/monthly ad. You can get the sale price a week or two later and still use your coupon if it has not expired yet.


NOTION: It takes too much time to use coupons

FALSE: Once you are organized with a method for storage, you should spend approximately 1 hour per week or less to clip and organize your coupons. Shopping should not take any longer as long as you stack your shopping trips with errands.


NOTION: Using coupons is not worth the time or money

FALSE: If you spend 1 hour per week organizing and 1 extra hour shopping more than you used to and save $40 in coupons and sales then you made $19.12 per hour ($40 - $1.75 for newspaper = 38.25/2 hours).

More Recipes from the Preparedness for Life Series Volume 1 Cookbook:
V1:Chapter 6: A Virtual Shopping Trip with Coupons
V1:Chapter 6: Coupon Myths Busted
V1:Chapter 6: Links to Coupon Sites and Forums on the Internet
V1:Chapter 6: Organizing Your Coupons
V1:Chapter 6: Price Points Information & Worksheet