Pay day’s here and it’s time to go food shopping (one task I absolutely dread!) So, you’ve devoured the weekly sales ads, rummaged through the coupons you’ve cut from the magazines lying around the break room at work, and maybe even surfed the Internet for coupon sites. What! You didn’t clip that “$5 Off $50 Purchase” coupon just because you don’t shop at that store? Stop! Not another step towards the door until you grab your scissors and clip that coupon!
Most stores will accept their competitor’s coupon. There have been plenty times I have used a competitor’s $5 or 40% off coupon in another store other than the one offering the discount. Retailers know that even if you’re just making a “quick stop” for a loaf of bread, chances are you’ll end up pushing a cart to your car! So, do you think they want to lose your business over five bucks? Absolutely not! That’s why they’ll gladly take the “other guy’s” coupon from your hands to their till.
This not only applies to grocery stores. I’ve used competitor coupons when shopping at arts and craft, home repair, home décor, and office supply stores. It’s been my experience, this is an accepted practice in retail, but if you’re unsure, ask! I do. Only once, I was told that the store had stopped accepting other stores’ coupons. However, in the next breath, the manager offered me their ten dollar coupon to use instead! Surprise! I didn’t see that one coming!
So next time, clip that coupon! Hold onto it until the expiration date passes. You never know when you may need to “run in” for a gallon of milk–dozen eggs, half gallon of ice cream, bag of cookies, box of cereal, roll of paper towels, can of coffee…
