Have you ever been in a checkout line and presented your stack of coupons to the cashier, only to hear the person behind you begin to huff and puff, roll their eyes and often times zoom their cart into the next lane? I’ve been there a number of times and I often wonder why so many people become upset over coupons.
Now, I realize that couponing can take time. Not only for the person doing the couponing, but for the person who must wait in line behind them. Between finding, clipping, organizing and finally allowing the cashier to ring them all through properly, there is a large time commitment involved and I’ve always secretly wished that my hard work would be more appreciated.
The way I look at it is that each and every one of those coupons represents money in my pocket. A few huffs and puffs aren’t going to stop me from saving money, however there are a few steps you can take to help prevent a heated shopping lane debate over your precious coupons.
I’ve had multiple conversations with unexpected patrons in the checkout line about my coupon habits. I’ve even had people tell me that I need to do my coupon shopping online to avoid inconveniencing others. Little do they know just how much of my shopping I do online, but with items like milk and cheese it’s a little hard to have those delivered at a reasonable price.
Here’s a few suggestions about how you can avoid “inconveniencing” others and avoid a grocery store debate…
– Let the person behind you know that you have coupons and it may take the cashier a while to ring them all through and they may want to choose a different line.
– Let the cashier know that you have a number of coupons and she may want to shut down her lane until she is through with you.
– If you are an extreme couponer, you may want to call the store manager ahead of time and let them know that you’ll be doing a big shop with a lot of coupons and see if there’s an ideal time for you to come in where they can provide you with your very own cashier for your transaction.
– Apologize to the people behind you in advance. I know there’s not really a reason for you to apologize for saving your family money, however often times it diffuses those who may not agree with your couponing practices.
– Shop in the early morning or late at night when the store has less customers.
Of course, shopping online for as many items as possible will also help you avoid the nasty coupon debate. Don’t forget to search your coupon codes, however. If you are shopping online, make sure to do a search on coupons.com for the sites you will be shopping at. For example if you plan on shopping at ToysRus then search for a toysrus coupon code or look for a target coupon code if you plan on shopping online at Target.com. You would be surprised by how many people shop online to save money and don’t even realize that they could be applying coupon codes to every one of their purchases to save even more.
I want to hear from you! What has been your experience with couponing and how have unexpected patrons responded when you hand over your stack of coupons? Do you have any other suggestions to add to our list?
I’m so sorry people get huffy with you. Let me say I am impressed with all the work and energy which couponers put into saving their families LARGE amounts of money. I wish I could join your ranks! I find a coupon or two that work for my family (food allergies), but they are so rare that I don’t spend much time trying. I appreciate all the hard work that goes into the money saving blogs too, both yours and others, I have gotten quite a few deals this way and won some great items too! Thank you and Merry Christmas! 🙂
I’m not an extreme couponer but do use coupons often. Luckily, I’ve never had a problem with anyone saying anything loud enough for me to hear. Thanks for the tips.