2006 August | French Vanilla Iced Coffee

Do you remember when new products came into the market and they’d make small samples you could buy for half a buck or so, to try the new product before spending a lot on it?

Now, instead, they give you coupons. No longer do they give you “try this free” but they give you a buck off. Sounds good? Hey, I remember when coupons were for 35 cents off a product, and then you could get it doubled so you’d save 70 cents. Good deal.

Recently, though, they make the coupons for a buck, but there is a catch. You have to buy 3 or 4 of the product to save a buck. In my area, grocery stores won’t double a coupon over a buck, only up to 99 cents, so I’d have to buy 3 or 4 to save a buck.

Seems to me it’s no longer worth it to be a couponer if you have to buy in such quantity. I’d rather wait until an item is on sale. Last month I had a coupon for cream cheese, save a buck on 2. Now, they charge $2.39 for each, so I’d have to spend $4.78 to save a buck, so the end result is $3.78 for 2 8 oz. bars of cream cheese. This week they’re on sale for 99 cents. I could get 2 of them for $1.98, which is almost half the price of buying them WITH a coupon.

Why did coupons become a scam all of a sudden? Why must we buy 3 or 4 or more of a product to save a lousy buck?