READ THE WORDS

[BC Coupon Pixie]

Forget the PICTURE read the words!

One of the most common misconceptions about coupons is that the item you buy must match the picture that appears on the face of the coupon.

It’s true that you can use the coupon to buy the item that’s pictured. However, you want to pay close attention to the text on a coupon. The text contains the precise information that the coupon’s bar code is used for redeeming.

Krazy couponing secret: Forget the photos, read the fine print.

It’s a common marketing technique for a manufacturer to show a new or more expensive variety of a product on the face of a coupon in the hope you will buy this new or more expensive variety. If you read the coupon, though, you’ll discover that the offer is good for "$1 off any (brand) product."

Take for instant I like Carnation Canned Milk in my 1 coffee a day. $1.00 Coupon for good on any Smuckers product is a GOLDEN coupon I search for.


Consider a coupon for a new variety of cold medicine put out by a leading manufacturer. The coupon may show the new, multisymptom medicine in the picture, hoping you will want to try it, but the text states clearly that you can use the coupon on any medicine from this manufacturer.

Learning to recognise between what the photo suggests and the full terms of the deal that the text actually spells out is a skill that can really help you , giving the shopper more freedom to buy the item they may prefer versus the variety shown in the photo. When I didn’t see a good sale for the company’s lotions or body wash, I did see a bar of the same brand of soap — for 99 cents. With my coupon, it was free.
Look closely at the wording on these coupons. These coupons are a great way to save on products.



Ready for another tip?

This one involves brand loyalty. While we all have favorite brands of things, our brand loyalty can cost us in the long run if we aren’t shopping smart for those favorite-brand items when they’re on sale. Many brands often engage in what the industry calls "price wars" with one another. We see this frequently with items such as pasta sauce, where numerous brands compete to sell what is essentially the same product. Brand A may be cheap one week, but next week Brand B barrels in with an even lower price.

This works out well for shoppers who aren’t particularly partial to any specific brand. But, if we think "I really like Brand A, and I will always buy it no matter what," it’s great when Brand A is on sale for $1 . 29 a jar and we’ve got a 75-cent coupon for it. But when the sale ends and Brand A goes back up to $3.29 a jar, we’ll be paying the price.

f we can let some of our brand preferences slide a little bit and fluctuate along with the sales, we can save more money in the long run.

( Inspired by fellow couponer Jill)