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Now browsing: Hometown News > Counseling/Advice > Coupon Queen
Coupon Queen
This Week | Archive
July 9, 2010
Can couponers save too much? - In the past few columns, I've addressed some reader concerns about some aspects of coupon shopping. Wrapping up my series of "inbox complaints," here's a letter from a reader who wonders about the health consequences of eating low-priced meats: Q: I truly admire your talents for shopping. However, when it comes to saving money on meats, I wonder i... Full Story
June 25, 2010
Are couponers junk-food junkies? - Most mail I receive from readers is friendly. Saving money with coupons is fun and rewarding and readers love to share their stories. But I receive my share of complaints. Here's one: Q: I love a bargain as much as anyone, but I wonder if you have ever considered the health consequences of buying and eating so much processed food? Instead of buyi... Full Story
June 18, 2010
Why 'super couponers' love a deep freeze - As a child, I often stood in awe of the large chest freezer my mom kept in our laundry room. It seemed enormous. What exactly did she have in there? I never quite understood her love for that freezer. Later, as a young 20-something getting ready to buy my first house, a chest freezer didn't make the list of necessary appliances that I budgeted for... Full Story
June 11, 2010
How to organize your stockpiled riches - Last week, we talked about the importance of stockpiling, a topic that certainly shouldn't be lost among all the coupon talk. Simply put, stockpiling involves purchasing more of a product than a household immediately needs when the price of the item hits its lowest point. Most products at the supermarket go through a price cycle. Buying when pric... Full Story
June 4, 2010
Packrats, unite: coupon and stockpile for greater savings - Q: I recently read one of your columns about stockpiling and would like to know more. A: You got it! While my column is titled "the Coupon Queen," it's no secret that I am also a queen of stockpiling. Stockpiling and couponing go hand-in-hand. Stockpiling is crucial to saving big on groceries. Smart stockpilers follow three rules: . They wait to b... Full Story
May 28, 2010
Get creative with BOGO and save big - Q: I enjoy your column and have found some very helpful tips by reading it. I have a quick question. If I have a buy one, get one free coupon and an additional $1 coupon for the same product, can I use them in the same transaction? For example, I have a BOGO coupon for a jar of peanut butter and I have a $1 coupon for the same brand of peanut butt... Full Story
May 21, 2010
Where are coupons for healthy foods? - Q: "I've been following your column for a while now and I see that it can save me some money. But, I find that the products I want to eat, healthy, organic, fruits, vegetables, very rarely have coupons or have any such great deals. From reading your columns, it appears that you can save lots of money and even get free items, but you end up getting... Full Story
May 14, 2010
Why coupon shoppers shouldn't forget rain checks - Q: In a previous column, you mentioned shopping Sunday through Wednesday, or the days the sales cycles overlap at the store. A disadvantage is the stores may be out of sale items by the last day or two, but you can get rain checks and then purchase when needed or when you get a coupon. Just this past week toothpaste was on sale for $1.50 a tube, b... Full Story
May 7, 2010
Do store logos on coupons dictate use? - Q: Often, the manufacturer coupons in the Sunday paper and some that I get online have individual store logos printed on them so that the coupon can only be used at that store. Why do manufacturers allow this? We should be able to use coupons wherever we like unless, of course, they are store coupons. A: Believing that a manufacturer coupon must ... Full Story
April 30, 2010
Readers question one coupon limit - Q: I went to the store this week with a coupon for fabric softener. I was excited to see a coupon attached to the neck of the fabric softener bottle for immediate savings. When I went to the checkout, though, the cashier told me they only accept one coupon per item. I could use whichever one of the two coupons I wanted, but only one. Is this right... Full Story
April 23, 2010
Results vary when couponers return purchases - Q: Suppose you buy an item for $5 and use a 50-cent coupon. If for some reason you have to return the item, are you entitled to $5 or $4.50? A: Excellent question! Before I dig into this one, understand that the answer can vary by store. There are two possible scenarios. You return the item. The store's employee looks at your receipt, notes that y... Full Story
April 16, 2010
When coupon shoppers behave badly - Q: When I was at the store today, boxes of breakfast bars were on sale for $1.50. Many of the boxes had peel-off $1 coupons. I was excited about picking these up for just 50 cents a box. As I was putting some in my cart a shopper came up and started peeling bunches of the $1 coupons off the packages and putting them in her purse. She wasn't even b... Full Story
April 9, 2010
Feeling like a thief in the checkout lane - Q: Are you ever treated like a scam artist, or like you are trying to pull a fast one when you use coupons? I am treated that way often at the stores I frequent, which is surprising after learning stores are reimbursed for our coupons. I recently had a $1 coupon for a name brand of apparel. I had a package of this brand of underwear. When I gave t... Full Story
April 2, 2010
What's the trouble with 'do not double'? - The issue of coupon doubling, especially why some manufacturers prohibit the practice, is a hot topic with my readers and site visitors. Listen in: Q: I have noticed that some manufacturer coupons bear the instructions "do not double." I always thought when a store chooses to offer double or triple coupons, the store takes the extra loss. Why sho... Full Story
March 26, 2010
Times when you're less likely to see coupons - When it comes to their grocery bills, many readers are serious about saving the most possible money. Those who pay close attention to coupons start to notice some very interesting things. Listen in. Q: I've been using coupons more thanks to your column. I have noticed that anytime there is a holiday, even seemingly minor ones, we don't get any cou... Full Story
March 19, 2010
Where do coupons go after they expire? - I receive many letters from readers who share the same sentiment. They want to use their expired coupons somehow. Here are notes from two readers: "I enjoy reading your column and was wondering if you have ever had any success using expired coupons in stores?" "Why can't a store take coupons that are only expired by a few days? If my coupon expir... Full Story
March 12, 2010
Why do coupons expire? - Engaging in a discussion about expired coupons with an avid couponer is like opening a can of worms. Many shoppers believe they should be entitled to use coupons past the printed expiration dates. Before we delve into that issue, there's an important question to answer: why do coupons expire at all? Many years ago, coupons often had extremely long... Full Story
March 5, 2010
Recycle expired coupons and help military families - Q: What can we do with coupons that we do not use? I have heard of organizations that coordinate coupons for use by military families. Do you have any information on this?" A: It's easy to take coupons for granted. The newspaper arrives each week with its load of coupons and we start planning our shopping lists. United States military families do... Full Story
February 26, 2010
Why do stores honor competitors' coupons? - Couponing seems simple enough, until you take a closer look. Shoppers learning to super coupon come up with all kinds of questions. Here's a good one: Q: Your column explaining how stores are reimbursed for coupons made me think about whether or not I should use one store's coupon at a competing store down the street. For example, I received a co... Full Story
February 19, 2010
Learn rules of the couponing road - It's important to understand the rules of couponing. Every store has them, but sometimes, in the busy aisles and checkout lines of a grocery store, it can be difficult to determine what they are. Listen to this reader. Q: How should I handle a situation like this? My store frequently has sales in which the ad states, "4 boxes of crackers for $5; ... Full Story
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