Save Money – Use Digital Coupons

I am what’s known in the grocery business as a “cherry picker”. There, I said it. AND I’m proud of it. I will go into a store and buy only the sale items. And 9 times out of 10, I will have a coupon for the said sale item. I am one of those folks that you have heard about that buys $150.00 worth of groceries for $65.00. Yep, and I ain’t apologizing. So, you can imagine how excited I was a few years ago, when electronic or “digital” coupons were introduced. If not, think ear to ear grin with uncontrollable salivating, followed by bursts of irrational exuberance.

Let me give you a little background for perspective. I worked in the IT department of a regional grocery store chain for nearly 10 years. I can’t tell you how many meetings I sat through where the topic of cherry pickers came up. Let me tell you, we are a HATED BUNCH. The promotions folks or “buyers” as they are known, were continually coming up with schemes to outsmart the cherry pickers. It never works. You can’t outsmart a fox. Particularly when HE is in the hen house. Doh! So, I have an unfair advantage, I was trained how to maximize savings, by the folks responsible for maximizing profits. One of their main goals in life was trying to figure out how to increase a shoppers impulse buys. Which, if you are paying attention, is one of the ways a store offsets the cherry pickers. There is HUGE margin in most cross-merchandised “impulse buys”. Don’t ever buy items on impulse. In most cases, you will be paying way to much, for something you hadn’t intended to purchase. BAM! They got you! Unless of course you don’t mind throwing your money away. In which case, contact me after the show, and I will hook you up with my Paypal account.

More than 45 million American consumers (more than a fifth of the U.S. population) are now using online coupons. – coupons.com

I have been using the old fashioned paper coupons for ever. I used my first digital coupons just a few short years ago. I was visiting Kroger’s website last week and noticed they are re-launching their Digital Coupon program with a large ad on their home page. Other chains have similar Digital Coupon or Digital Savings programs. What is a Digital Coupon? Thought you would never ask. Digital Coupons are discounts taken at the Point of Sale on items you are purchasing. In most cases you sign up for XYZ’s Savings Card and visit their website. Next you choose the items you are interested in and load up the electronic coupons to your savings card. When you check out at the grocery store, the Digital Coupons are automatically taken off your total when you scan your savings card. Presto! Instant savings!

I use electronic or digital coupons in conjunction with paper coupons and items already on sale. I typically save between 40% to 60% off my total purchase. AND I don’t spend a lot of time doing it. No, I’m not like Mr. Mom, sitting around playing poker for coupons. I clip coupons, pick digital coupons and scan the newspaper ads for items on sale. I then shop the best ads, trying to buy sale items combined with store, vendor and digital coupons. Simple. That’s it.

Coupon usage increased in 2009 for the first time in 17 years – Nielsen

I recently commented on a friends post, a great series of posts, over at Get Out Of Credit Card Debt. Robyn informed me that in Australia, coupons have just not taken off. WOW! Unbelievable! I learned about coupons from my parents. I can’t imagine not using them. BUT, this got me thinking. I am wondering if coupons are common place in other countries around the globe or are they just a US Phenomena? Do you use coupons, either paper or digital?

Tagged as: digital coupons • electronic coupons • Finances • Saving Money