Understanding coupons

Sorry if you already know the following information, but it's always good to start from the beginning so that you don't miss a rule or an interesting fact. This is also designed for people who don't yet know exactly what coupons are, and where and how to use them.

There are 2 categories of coupons available. 1) Manufacturers coupons, and 2) Store coupons.

* Manufacturers coupons come directly from the maker of a product, and can be used at any store that accepts coupons. The words Manufacturer's Coupon should be clearly printed on them. Here is an example:

Store coupons are specific to individual stores, have the store name on them, and can only be used at that store, unless the store accepts competitors coupons (more on this subject later). Here is an example of this type:

* On a side note, sometimes you can find a manufacturers coupon near an item on the shelf. They can have that stores name on them, but another store might accept them because they state on them that they are a manufacturers coupon. You need to check with a store before trying to use a manufacturers coupon with a competing store's name on it. It will look something like this:

Are stores getting ripped off when you use coupons? Absolutely not. Quite the contrary.

The Manufacturer reimburses the store for the discount given to the customer for that item, plus an 8 cent "handling fee" per coupon. In other words, if you use 40 coupons in your shopping trip, the store ends up making $3.20 more on the items than if you had not used any coupons. The manufacturer takes a hit in their profits intentionally in order to boost their sales. In regards to store coupons, the individual store is reimbursed the full amount of the coupon from the Corporate office, so that store does not lose money when you use their specific coupons. You get the discount, the store gets paid, and the manufacturer succeeds in selling the product. Everyone wins!