Having trouble using coupons!

[JulieDB]

Time after time this has happened and this sort of thing is what caused me to stop using coupons out of frustration, years ago.

So my coupon organizer is full of coupons, some about to expire. Some are for new items. But the items are never in the stores!

Today I got 6 doubler coupons for a particular store. They must be used by Tuesday and I can only use 3 at a time. So since we were at my parent's house tonight, we stopped at the store near their house to use 3. And I will use the other 3 at the store near here.

The problem? The first 3 I took out of my purse to possibly use were for frozen foods. One was a nacho bites and one was mini tacos. Both had eggs. I'm allergic to eggs. Really? Why would you put eggs in beef and cheese tacos? The other was for taquitos but they had wheat in them and daughter is allergic to that!

I have several for Johnsonville Deli Bites. Nobody seems to carry them. Daughter really wants them though. And another for some canned beans that sound good to me, but again they are a new product and nobody had them, including this store!

I have a TON of dairy coupons. Tons for yogurt. Only problem is that daughter is the only person who eats yogurt. And you have to buy a several to use the coupon. She eats maybe two cups a week. Because so much of the yogurt was about to expire in a day or two we finally settled on 6 cups of Yoplait. I saved 40 cents, doubled and it was on sale for 69 cents. I know I could have gotten some other yogurt for cheaper but I was fine with this because it is her preferred brand/flavor. But... Will she be able to eat all 6 cups before it expires on July 8? I don't know.

I used an applesauce coupon just because I could find the product easily. But we had to buy two. Had they had small jars of the Senca, I would have gladly bought those. But they did not. Only giant jars and then the little cups. I didn't really need those but they don't expire till 2012 so I bought them.

And then what was I going to use for the 3rd coupon? I searched and searched. Aisle after aisle and not being able to find the product. Now this wasn't a matter of just being sold out! They simply do not have the product! I have several for "California cheese". No store seems to carry any cheese with this label on it. I have some for cheese of a brand that the store carries, but not that size! The same for some pepperoni. The store has that brand but a different size package! And these coupons are specific as to the size. Also have some for Mexican food that I would love to buy but can't find that brand anywhere.

We spent close to an hour in that store today just trying to use 3 stinkin' coupons! I finally used the last one for some canned chiles. Another thing I don't need right now but will eventually use.

I want to use another three coupons tomorrow but am not sure I can come up with three that I can use at that store! It's getting very, very frustrating. I have coupons for Hungry Jack potatoes. I can't find them either. I finally e-mailed my brother because he got my mom some Hungry Jack boxed hash browns for Mother's Day. He told me where he bought them. That might be the ONLY store in this area that sells that brand. Because nobody else seems to!

Does anyone else have this problem?

[Merczilla]

Constantly. The one store no longer carries Old El Paso HOT enchilada sauce. All I can find is mild, if any. A new product? It most likely won't hit my shelves till after the coupon expires, if it ever does. Some items/brands are regional and I get that, but it is frustrating to see "everyone else" get these cool deals, but I've never seen the item. Target sometimes has Kraft cheese advertised in their ads. My store carries one or maybe two flavors of shredded cheese. They have the singles and deli style and that's it. All the rest is their store brand.

I do sympathize. I go through it every time I shop...not to mention always out of stock on things.

[shevot]

I have that problem finding new items. Go on the MF website and there should be a way to see what store carries something. Once I had coupons from Coke that NOBODY in my area would honor and the places that would honor them didn't carry the product. I called coke and told them and they sent me new coupons with products that my stores carried so you might try calling and complaining and they may send you something else. Most stores also have a form you can fill out to request certain items to be carried. It takes a few months but I've always had success with that. I don't know if they were eventually going to carry the items or not or if I had some small part :)

[$Saving!]

Julie - you're filing and hanging onto coupons (time spent doing so) that are for products you won't use for any number of reasons.

I think your time would be better spent only looking for (online at manufacturer's web sites and through search engine look ups) those product coupons you truly would use if the opportunity/sale/match up were to happen.

Couponing should not be as frustrating as you seem to be dealing with routinely.

I don't waste any time clipping/filing coupons for products I know we will never use, therefore never buy, therefore never need the coupons for.

While you may not be able to use a lot of coupons due to the restrictions in diet concerns, you can still enjoy using coupons if you have only those for products you can use.

As far as stores not having the products you wish to buy, talk to the store manager(s) and ask them if they will be carrying it.

There are literally thousands of new products coming out every year, and stores have to decide if they want to add that item to their inventory.

I know, for instance, that there is only one store out of 6 different chain grocery stores in my area, that carries a particular item I like. And I also know that an item that used to be carried in X store, no longer is found there, talking to the mgr cleared up why they no longer have it.

Just concentrate on looking for, clipping/filing those coupons you want to use and let the rest go

[stephaniecoupondiva]

I agree with the other peoples posts. I started out trying to use evry coupon that i found or got in the newspaper but it was just so over whelming not to mention i had so many coupons that i lost the ones i really needed. I have started to focus on coupons that i know i can use and looking for anything that will give me an overage on my bill. I might not need it but i am making money toward the things that i do need. If we wont use that item i know that my local mission or shelter will and i often drop things off to them. I have started making a list just like any person would to go to the store and i try to find or print off coupons for the items on my list. The great thing about this site is if you have coupons that you wont use or u cant find you can trade with someone who will. I hope that things get less stressful for you and that u start finding the things that u need instead of buying the things that u dont. This is the whole point of using a coupon. Try doing smaller shopping trips first and like everyone else said start looking for the ones you know u need and will use and trade the rest! ;) everyone wins in the end!

[JulieDB]

I have coupons for items I want to buy. I just can't find the items in the stores.

[Reaper wizard]

Hi, I'm new. I was wondering how many other coupons you can use with a buy one, get one free coupon.

[queenofthehivemomof5]

Hi, I'm new. I was wondering how many other coupons you can use with a buy one, get one free coupon.

Great question! (and welcome to HCW ) the answer to that is it is going to be YMMV (your mileage may vary) meaning that it is going to really depend on what your store allows.

Here is a post on the blog that addresses this question.
Ask The Coupon Girls: Using An Additional Coupon With A BOGO Coupon?

[Reaper wizard]

Thanks!!!

[434Teresa]

This is not really having trouble using coupons. Its more like dont know where or when to use coupons...having trouble is when a store wont scam them, let you use more than one, wont double when they are suppose to those kind of things.