Clip! Tap! Save! Consumers choose to either use coupons or ignore them. If you are the offspring of a parent who uses coupons to stretch dollars in their family’s budget, then you have probably continued the practice on your own. You would show a true desire to save enough on a purchase or service to make the deal worthwhile and rewarding. The trick is to know how and where to access the best coupons for your lifestyle.
A dictionary provides a logical meaning of the word coupon. It is a ticket or document that can be exchanged for a financial discount or rebate when purchasing a product.
The best way that I can explain the meaning of coupons is to recall my family’s use of coupons in this essay.
The coupon craze all starts on a Sunday. The local newspapers have been inserting coupons for groceries, household essentials, personal services, home improvements, etc. in the Sunday editions, for as long as most of us can remember.
My mom would grab the coupon section of the Sunday paper before the sports section was even opened, she get coupons from rebates zone as well. She knew that someone would retell the stats and scores of favorite teams, so it was more important to catalog the weekly coupons that no one would read aloud. Now whether you’re a filer, stacker, or shelver, coupons end up in an organized manner no matter what way they are kept.
I would even help cut out all of the coupons, because we would share the ones we would not use with other coupon cravers, such as grandparents or neighbors. The savings grew when we would swap those coupons not being used for ones with more benefits for our family.
If magazine subscriptions are sent to your home, coupons are easy to find before or after the featured articles. Although the quantity of these so-called tickets is fewer in these publications, they are usually for a new product that you just have to try.
Merchants are smart to advertise the most recent hair product, toy, or gadget in their respective magazines.
We love the value packs of coupons that come monthly to our outside mailbox. Often there are favorite restaurant deals, pet care discounts, and home improvement savings. Of course, the unwanted coupon ads may just be used for a bookmark. There are also coupon inserts that come in local brochures and community magazines. Some retailers even go to the trouble of perforating the coupons for our convenience.
Fast food chains want you to quickly tear out those coupons while going through a drive through window.
Don’t forget to mention the coupon when placing your order.
School and other non-profit organizations have fundraisers that sell local coupon books. We purchase several savings books on a yearly basis. Some are even received as gifts. I was surprised to find a free movie pass for my birthday in one of these books. Stumbling upon a coupon gem like that makes the practice even more worthwhile!
Today, the applications for displaying coupons on our computers and devices make older generations wonder if paperless coupons will replace the beloved paper ones. I doubt if paper coupons will disappear, but it is easy to show a coupon on your mobile phone. Even my uncle showed my mom a coupon he used for airport parking on his smartphone.
She has learned to search for coupon codes online and download coupons from email advertisements for her favorite craft stores. These coupons can be used on a weekly basis, which makes saving money a routine when shopping.
The ways that coupons can be used and retrieved are easy enough. The most important result of using coupons is the frugal lifestyle we create in our personal lives. “Stretching a buck” is an easy and necessary goal for all smart consumers.
For those who do ignore coupons, you may find yourself reading this essay someday. I hope what I have conveyed about the ease and merits of coupon consumption will convince you to try them. If a feeling of satisfaction is achieved, then you are ready to use coupons as a way of life.