Wash. Post Article: Mfr's Make Qs hard to redeem

[FlyLadyFan]

Clipping, Scrimping, Saving

Egg prices are up 35 percent, with milk and bread not far behind. Consumers are scrambling to find ways to cope.

By Jane Black
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 1, 2008; A01

The last thing Marti Tracy wants to do on a Saturday is clip coupons. But last month the 34-year-old Bowie resident felt she no longer had a choice. She'd already given up organic meat and decided to buy organic milk only for her 2-year-old son, not for the whole family.

Tracy and her partner also stopped buying the cereals they like in favor of whatever was on sale; stopped picking up convenient single-size packs of juice, water or crackers; and, in order to save gas, stopped going to multiple stores. "I find the whole thing a huge hassle, but I've reached a tipping point," said Tracy, a government human resources specialist who is pregnant with her second child. "Clearly, I'm not unable to feed my family. But I just can't feed my family the way I'd like to feed them."

Since March 2007, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price of eggs has jumped 35 percent. A gallon of milk is up 23 percent. A loaf of white bread has climbed 16 percent. And a pound of ground chuck is up 8 percent. Overall, U.S. food prices in 2008 are expected to rise 4 to 5 percent, about double the increases of recent years. And while the total rise is far less drastic than elsewhere around the world, the sharp hike for staples means everyone is feeling the pinch.

"We are in shocking new territory," said Todd Hale, senior vice president of consumer shopping and insights at Nielsen Consumer Panel Services. "With the exception of the very affluent, everyone is looking to save by altering where they shop, how they shop and the brands they buy."

Take the uptick in coupon clipping. According to NCH Marketing Services, a coupon clearinghouse in Chicago, the number of grocery coupons redeemed in 2007 increased by 100 million, or 6 percent, to 1.8 billion. The rise reversed a seven-year decline. "Every year, manufacturers have made coupons more difficult to redeem by shortening the expiration date and increasing the purchase requirements. And every year, people redeemed them less," said Charlie Brown, NCH's vice president of marketing. "This tells me that consumers are now more determined to save money."

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Clipping, Scrimping, Saving

[CouponSAHM]

Thanks for the article it makes me realize how much I owe to this website. My freezer and pantry have never been so full and I'm able to help out my neighbors who aren't so thrifty!!

[darkwing932]

I agree that some of the coupons are a real PITA. One of my all time favorites would have to be the P&G save .20 on (2) 80ct packages of Bounce dryer sheets. Gimme a break!
It seems that alot of coupons these days are for $ off 2 or more.
I also agree with the shortened expiration dates. A couple of weeks ago there were coupons for Irish Spring, Soft Soap, etc that all expire on the 19th of this month. I seem to recall they came out around the first of the month.

[faeryedark]

I agree that some of the coupons are a real PITA. One of my all time favorites would have to be the P&G save .20 on (2) 80ct packages of Bounce dryer sheets. Gimme a break!
It seems that alot of coupons these days are for $ off 2 or more.
I also agree with the shortened expiration dates. A couple of weeks ago there were coupons for Irish Spring, Soft Soap, etc that all expire on the 19th of this month. I seem to recall they came out around the first of the month.

Or the Pringles Q for .20 c off 3 (there's a money saver LOL!)
About the shorter exp dates, what's funny is yes, those Qs expire in 5-6 weeks, often to be "replaced" a week or so later by the same Q. Now, isn't that a waste of paper and printing costs?

[MaryMary]

I wonder what goal P&G marketing dept. had in mind by issuing such coupons like 0.20/2 Bounty, 0.20/3 Pringles or 0.20/1 Cover Girl makeup...
May be their computer had been stuck in 1960's regarding price reference?

[derketchup]

I wonder what goal P&G marketing dept. had in mind by issuing such coupons like 0.20/2 Bounty, 0.20/3 Pringles or 0.20/1 Cover Girl makeup...
May be their computer had been stuck in 1960's regarding price reference?

actually, P&G tried to get rid of their coupons entirely. They had a test area in NY State and they tried it for a month or two. They found out that the area stopped buying their products!

So I think that's why their coupon values are so low.

[joshmamabear]

I agree, it has become more difficult to use Qs these days with shorter exp dates, low face value Qs, many stores that double/triple have either quit or just do it on special dates. I think some manufacturers like PG has realized that people will still buy Tide with or w/o their .35/1 Q so they just jack up the price while keeping the face value of Qs lower in most areas. The $1/1 Tide and Charmin are like gold for people who can still double up to $1.

[nateNnatsmommy]

Or the Pringles Q for .20 c off 3 (there's a money saver LOL!)
About the shorter exp dates, what's funny is yes, those Qs expire in 5-6 weeks, often to be "replaced" a week or so later by the same Q. Now, isn't that a waste of paper and printing costs?

I think they're logic is that consumers will notice the original Q about to expire, and then run out to the store to save their .20 before that happens.

[MaryMary]

actually, P&G tried to get rid of their coupons entirely. They had a test area in NY State and they tried it for a month or two. They found out that the area stopped buying their products!

So I think that's why their coupon values are so low.

Not all P&G coupons have low value. It seems like at some point their computers suddenly fall back in time for a moment, then come back..

Statistics of redemption likely to confirm the obvious: people more opt to redeem higher value coupons then puny 0.20/3. I understand they might have a budget for redemptions, so instead of issuing for example 30 various coupons for with values less then 1/2 they'd better go with 20 coupons with 1/1 or so. Otherwise it would be a waste, people are not enticed to buy a product using low coupon value.