Have you ever wondered how it can be possible to get so much for free with coupons? Do you not feel comfortable getting great deals, because you think you must be ripping someone off? I’d like to share some very informative articles that I’ve found with you:

Jenny at Southern Savers wrote this must-read piece titled Extreme Couponer 101: Coupon Redemption. It explains in great detail how coupons are processed, from the minute the cashier accepts them to when the coupon clearinghouse receives them. This whole process was somewhat of a mystery to me, so this was a fascinating piece. She also explains how coupon redemption benefits the store – a lot of people don’t realize that the stores are out no money when they redeem coupons, as the manufacturer reimburses them for the full amount, plus a shipping and handling fee. She also talks about store coupons and what the redemption process for those are. Jenny provides links to coupon clearinghouse websites at the end of the article, so that you can verify her sources for yourself.

But aren’t the manufacturers losing money? Mercedes at Common Sense With Money wrote this very informative piece titled The Secrets of High Value Coupons. She explains how high-value and free product coupons are a savvy promotional tool for companies, because it helps them get a strong foothold in the market and is often cheaper – and more effective – than other forms of advertising.

Being a successful coupon shopper is not about taking advantage of anyone. It’s about opening your eyes to all the promotional opportunities that companies are actively seeking people to participate in. I think it’s important to understand the whole scope of coupons – it helps you to be a smarter shopper when you know how and why it all works.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 9th, 2009 at 5:24 pm and is filed under Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.