Are the deals dying?

[SouthernBelle5]

I've only been couponing hard for about a year. Unfortunately, my concern is also the cashiers/management. Just yesterday I got the "well, she's getting it for FREE" snarky attitude at the grocery store and then at my RA I was told by my favorite cashier that I cannot use a manufacture coupon and RA video values coupon together even though the RA coupon has NO LANGUAGE that states it cannot be combined.

Its frustrating. BUT couponing has also allowed us to live on a one-income household so one of us can stay home with our 2yr old. I hate to complain too much.

[Niddi]

I'm seeing less "free items" at CVS over the past 6 months or so. A changing trend at the grocery stores with doubles being surpressed or limited. Target changing their coupon policy. More coupons with 9 or DND and the coupons are for a lesser amount. The last Fusion coupon in my flyer was for $2 instead of the usual $4. Febreeze candle Q's are now $1 instead of $2. Lots of changes are making it more difficult. I only started couponing (serious couponing) about a year ago and have gotten many great deals thanks to this site and a great group of people who share their knowledge and good deals they find. Just wish I'd gotten on board a lot sooner because it does seem that the deals are slowing down.

[cintinative]

Originally Posted by Niddi I'm seeing less "free items" at CVS over the past 6 months or so. A changing trend at the grocery stores with doubles being surpressed or limited. Target changing their coupon policy. More coupons with 9 or DND and the coupons are for a lesser amount. The last Fusion coupon in my flyer was for $2 instead of the usual $4. Febreeze candle Q's are now $1 instead of $2. Lots of changes are making it more difficult. I only started couponing (serious couponing) about a year ago and have gotten many great deals thanks to this site and a great group of people who share their knowledge and good deals they find. Just wish I'd gotten on board a lot sooner because it does seem that the deals are slowing down.

I'm with you--have only seriously couponed for about a year and I am struggling with it too. This site is great. I just hope things get better over the next months. =)

[justmeagain]

Without a doubt couponing is getting much harder: policies/management seem to have done everything possible to make deals harder to obtain, yet fraud seems to be increasing, stock is always depleted.........It is a lot different than when I first started couponing that is for sure.

[pedspeech]

The folks in my forum are having this same discussion this week. We have all had a hard time with the deals for at least a month in Kroger's Delta region. Unlike someone above, there are several items (baking supplies, ham, etc.) that I rely on the holiday season to form my stockpile; however, this year the prices never got to my stockpile price. I am afraid that I am going to find myself buying things by summer that I usually don't have to repurchase until the next winter holiday season.

ETA: I have been a couponer/stockpiler for about 10 years now.

[cintinative]

pedspeech, thanks for your input. I was wondering about the baking supplies. I was really disappointed that there weren't better prices this winter on baking staples. I wasn't sure if it was just me or what. It helps to know a veteran felt the same way.

[shaeharbin]

You know, I'm glad that it is not just me that is having a hard time catching deals. I thought I must be missing all the awesome deals. Where I am the only cheap place to get groceries at is Wal-mart. I try to comp and coupon but I go into the store with a list and usually don't even come out with half of my list b/c the shelves are empty. I have been getting really frustrated, it makes me feel like quitting....but I like saving money so I guess I'll just stick it out and hope it gets better.

[CLN123]

I've been really disappointed in the coupons lately. It seems like there are not as many great deals as in the past. I know I haven't had as many. It seems like a lot of the coupons now are off of 2 or 3 and expire sooner. The values are going down on them too. It also seems like stores are catching on and when there's a good coupon out, they raise the price of the product. I think some cashiers look down on couponers, at least that's how I feel. I know for me, it seems like the deals are slowly dying. Every now and then there's a really great deal, but nowhere near as often as in the past.

[jaelyns_mommy]

I just started couponing well exactly a year ago :) and I've noticed a big difference in prices and coupons. It seems that Red Plum keeps decreasing q's but the stupid slipper and robes and check ads keep increasing. Its crazy. I've also noticed the pringles q, it used to be $1/2 now its $1/4..and the cheapest I've seen them are 2/$3 and Im not spending $5 for pringles. Another story the diaper deals feel like they ended well almost. I just wished I started earlier but like the quote says "There's a silver lining to every grey cloud" I said it right, right?? But yeah I've most deffinately noticed a big difference, Im just happy milk and gas aren't $4/gallon anymore :)

[mmb1996]

I have been doing this for many years now and have put couponing on the back burner for months now. I am just not into it, the deals are just not that good. I have a huge stockpile of most everything except fresh foods so I have been buying the basics and using the really good coupons (few lol). It will pick up in spring probably a little but I think they "good old days" of couponing might be gone for awhile. I also have lots of the cvs goodies from years ago, anyone need some tampons or pads? I have 2 teenage girls and myself and we have used about half my supply from cvs the one oct. That was the best ever, after it was over I had hundreds of boxes of pads, tampons, mouthwash, ect and a little over $900 in extracare bucks. It was a cvs christmas, all 3 of my kids got digital cameras, memory cards, portable dvd players, it was insane.

Don't get discouraged though, winter months are always the worst time it seems. As it gets warmer so will the deals