Some people just don't play by the rules

One of the first things you need to learn as a budding couponista is to find out what the rules of the game are. There are two sets of rules. The first set are the "ground rules", which include using only ONE manufacturers coupon per item and using the coupon only for the products the issuer intended. The second set are the rules of the store which can be found in each specific store's coupon policy. These may include things like only x amount of the same coupon per transaction or only the first of each specific coupon will be doubled i.e if you present 10 of one specific coupon only the first will be deducted at double the value. Or doubling only up to $1 e.e a 50c coupon becomes $1 as does a 75c coupon.

Some people choose to ignore these rules, plead ignorance to them or just simply defy them claiming that savings is the name of the game and why do you care what I do?

Well I DO care! One bad apple can spoil the barrel.

Here is an example of a transaction gone wickedly wrong

Couponing at its finest NOT!

Two specific parts of this transaction stick out to me among many mainly because they were for two item  that I also bought at VONS (a Safeway affiliate) with access to the same coupons and I played by ALL the rules and STILL got a good deal.

PEPSI MAX
SALE PRICE 4/$5 = $1.25each
USED $.55 OFF EACH (DOUBLE)
USED $.50 OFF TWO (DOUBLE)
FINAL PRICE FREE

Ok the problem with this deal is that the buyer is using 2 manufacture's coupons on 1 item, which is a big NO NO. If she only used one per item her cost would be $1.25 - 55c off 1 (doubled up to $1) = $0.25

Now here's the thing I have the exact same coupons 55c/1. I used it last week when the Pepsi MAX was on sale for 88c. My coupon doubled up to 88c and I got my soda for free also with NO cheating.

2 KRAFT DRESSING
SALE PRICE $1.19 WITH INSTORE COUPON
USED (2) SAVE $1.00 ON KRAFT DRESSING WHEN YOU BUY KRAFT BBQ SAUCE
USED $1.00 OFF 2 KRAFT DRESSINGS
FINAL COST: -0.62 (OVERAGE)

Now the problem her is she is using 1 store coupon and 2 manufacturers coupons per bottle of dressing. This is called SUPER stacking and is not allowed. What is allowed is one store coupon and one manufacturers coupon per ite,

I also did this deal last week. My VONS had the Wishbone dressing on sale instead of the Kraft but the price and store coupon was the same. With the store coupon the price of the dressing was $1.19 add to that ONE manufactures coupon for $1off one then you get salad dressing for 19c which is nothing to sniff about though you can quite frequently get FREE salad dressing without cheating as I did a couple of weeks ago when Albertson's had Ken's Dressing for sale for $1 and I used a $1 off coupon. FREE salad dressing without stealing!

Now this shopper could have used her coupons legally get the dressing for either .19c or .69c each.

Now there are plenty more things wrong with this transaction including using several coupons for $$$ of an item when you buy BBQ but only buying 2 BBQ sauces but using several of these kinds of coupons or using a coupon on an item that is already free. Essentially this shopper is manipulating her transaction to get overage (what happens when the coupon value is greater than the price of the item and you get the $ in the form of a store credit (many stores do NOT allow this)) to pay for some of the more expensive items in her cart.

All these examples came from a real life shopping trip posted by the shopper along with a picture of the items purchased. Judge for yourself.

I can't tell anyone what to do but I can tell you what I THINK about it.