Are deals getting harder to come by?

[angelaira]

I have been couponing off and on now for 6 or 7 years, I started back when QueenoftheHivemomoffive was a big contributor on Dealagogo, way before she branched off and started her own site, so amazing to see her progress!
Anyway, coupons that used to be $/1 are now the same amount off two or three items. I can still do the same deals, and the stock is there at my stores, but the price has gone up.
I still have enough toothpaste for a few years in my cupboard, I have tampons for another year or two at least, I was really good at finding the deals back in the day, and I stockpiled and managed to keep a few of the important items even through two moves and a divorce! I really coupon once or twice a year for maybe a month, and usually that is plenty of time for me to keep my cupboards as full as I need.
The newspaper here now delivers the Sunday ads and inserts for free, so that part got easier, and I know the deals I used to do back in the day, so finding those is pretty simple, but trying to keep up with the deals on this board seems far more complicated than it used to be... there are so many categories and stores listed, it is kind of a nightmare to navigate unless you are here all the time!

[~~Who,Me?~~]

I think so, yes. CVS used to have no limits on ECB items, then it went to 5, then 1. When it is more than one, you can't do them at the same time. I remember deal a few years ago, where you went back to the pharmacy and picked up your free coupon booklet with a coupon for a free monitor. Then you went & got that monitor, paid $0 for it, got $20 ECBs and there was a limit of 5. It was around xmas time and man did we have fun with that one.

Wags used to be easier--we'd roll our RRs and pay for FAR items, get that whole dollar amount PLUS 10% on a gc, then we'd use that to pay for RR items. It was just so much easier to roll and it was fun. Not to mention the double dip monthly coupon days, where basically every month there'd be one or two freebies just by using the wags monthly booklet.

Kmart used to do $2 superdoubles with like a limit of 50 or something. Now it's down to $1, only once in a while, and limit of 5 per day.

Target coupons--used to be able to print as many as you wanted.


And that's not even mentioning the manufacturers getting wise to us: J&J coupons now say "no buddies." Kotex now says pads, no liners. Reynolds now has size restrictios......

So while we may always be creative and able to find great deals, yes, it is getting harder.

[~~Who,Me?~~]

I thought of a few more while I was in the shower, now I'm sad

CVS used to allow us to share all printables, including the $/$$ ones. There was even a thread on here dedicated to them. So you always had one, you just had to come here & print it first.

Staples just lowered their ink cartridge value by $1 and they've stopped allowing us to roll the rewards. You no longer get credit for items purchased with rewards.

CVS didn't use to make us guess what the deals were. There were weekly and monthly flyers that were easy to understand.

Acme has started doing more knockdown prices imo. That means no shelf value when trying to reach a dollar amount for a catalina deal. And I think they're doing fewer OYNO deals. Now it's itunes or something stupid like that.

[lazy1608]

I remember the days when CVS used to have free items as a coupon in their flier every week. They used to be free outside thermometers, free pencils, etc. It was a nice way to get you into their store as an entincement. Those were the days! LOL

[irish_molly]

I miss those Wags GCs too...that was such a great reward, and I think they were stupid to take that away! I also hate that the quantities have gone up on what you have to buy (like the newer Mentos gum coupons that are $1/2 instead of .50/1 that could have doubled - GRRRRR). I miss the old Target Q's too...remember all the cheap Skippy, and FAC fruit snacks? It also seems like some of the stores aren't running the promos as frequently as they used to, and are trying to focus on store brands (which they don't always offer coupons on, and aren't necessarily cheaper ).

I recently moved to Arizona, and found a bit of a silver lining here...namely, a very competitive grocery market. Right now, Fry's (Kroger), Safeway, Bashas (local chain), and occasionally Albies are rounding all Q's to $1, so that means FREE STUFF. Sometimes it's on a one day or 3-day sale, but it's worth it. And Fry's is taking competitor's grocery coupons, so that sweetens the deal. We are also lucky to pay very low sales tax on food here...it's between 1.5-3% in most areas around Phoenix, and some towns don't charge a food tax at all. I saved maybe 70% (max) where I used to live, and am hoping to see that increase here.