Dana from Frugal in Virginia wrote an excellent guest post at Keeping the Kingdom First about Honest Couponing.
It is so easy to get caught up in getting a great deal and to be tempted to use coupons dishonestly. Do you think it is not that important to follow the “couponing rules?” Dana sets the tone of her post with this bit of scripture:
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” –Luke 16:10-13 (Holy Bible, New International Version)
Dishonest couponing affects others besides yourself. When you use coupons in ways they are not intended, it affects the manufacturers, stores, and other couponers. Manufacturers lower the value of their coupons or even stop issuing coupons altogether. Since the stores don’t get reimbursed for misused coupons, they begin to put more limits on coupons and sometimes act rudely towards couponers. Don’t let greed ruin it for others. Many people rely on coupons to feed their families.
There are so many great deals to be had! If you miss out on one deal, there is always another right around the corner. CVS deals are so plentiful that it is not necessary to use multiple cards in order to get multiple freebies. CVS puts limits on their deals for a reason. There is no need to ruin it for others by clearing the shelves and using multiple cards to get around the limits. If a coupon says that it is intended only for the varieties specified then use the coupon appropriately. Don’t stand by the “if it scans it must be okay” line. Just because it scans, doesn’t make it right. Read the fine print of the coupon. If it says limit one per customer then you should abide by the rule even if it is inconvenient for you.
How to be an honest couponer:
- Respect the limits
- Don’t clear the shelves
- Read the fine print
- Know your store policy
- Be kind to cashiers
- Let it go – there are always more deals to come!
I highly recommend reading Honest Couponing. I hope you find it as intriguing, helpful, and encouraging as I did.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Excellent post! I agree wholeheartedly.
-Amber
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“Let it go – there are always more deals to come!”
Unless it’s the Glade Candle deal and you drove 45 minutes to go get it and you KNOW that you are right.
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“Unless it’s the Glade Candle deal and you drove 45 minutes to go get it and you KNOW that you are right.”
Maybe except for then, lol!
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Thank you! I am so sad when I go to get deals and every store around is out of all the good stuff! I think I’m going to start scouting out the deals immediately after church on Sunday!
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I don’t know. Just because you clear the shelves, does that make you “dishonest”? Are you against stockpiling too, because sometimes there are few items on the shelf to begin with.
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Jenna,
There is a big difference between clearing the shelves and stockpiling. If there are only 1-2 left on the shelf, take them, obviously others have already gotten their fair share. If there are 100 on the shelf and you take 100, that’s hoarding – not stockpiling. Stockpiling is getting what you need for your family without denying everyone who shops at your store a chance to get in on the deal. If you plan on purchasing many items and you don’t think that the store will have sufficient stock, it might be a good idea to ask the manager to order more. I’ve heard that most managers will happily comply.
So, I’m definitely not against stockpiling!
It’s one of the most imporant elements to saving money on groceries. I’m just against taking all there is and not leaving any for others.
I hope that answers your question. If not, my email is Stephanie (at) couponing101 (dot) com.
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There are never 100 of any item on a shelf. Even if there are 25 (and that’s a lot) of an item on a shelf, and I take all the product, I might not consider that hoarding. Everyone should realize the element of “limited number on the shelf” when a sale is on – especially if there is a coupon out with the sale. I think it’s wrong for others to have an attitude just because one or 15 other people beat them to it. Yes, it would be kind of me to inform a mgr. if I’m taking all product, but I wouldn’t call it my responsibility. Just my opinion.
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Of course it’s not your responsibility. Of course you should feel free to take as many of the items as you need for your family.
My opinion?
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
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AMEN Steph!
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Thank you so much for that post about honest couponing and respecting other people who use coupons. I work for one of these retail stores and it is aggravating when people try to go above and beyond and then get mad at us because we get mad that they break the rules. I understand the need to save money, especially in an economy like this, but taking advantage of retailers, manufacturers, etc. is just plain wrong. And just an added tip to anyone who considers couponing the dishonest way, if we notice that you try to take advantage we will give you a harder time then someone who does it honestly. (and that applies to most retail stores)
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