Coupon Ethics!

 

In light of some recent things that I am seeing in coupon brags and breakdowns I feel that I need to reiterate Coupon Ethics...

For reference I have 1 Extra Care Card, and until recently only got 1 paper per week with the occasional buying of a second if the grocery coupons were fitting to my family's diet which is on the healthier side! So the stockpile you see me brag about was built on 1 Extra Care Card, One paper per week, plus Coupon Trains, and Random Acts of Kindness from other couponers!

I am working hard to set an example for David and when he is old enough teach him how to properly use coupons!

Coupon Ethics

In the couponing world there are courtesies and ethics we follow to be respectful to other shoppers and each other. The do’s and don’ts are:
 
DON’T clear shelves! Just because you have 16 coupons for a sale item doesn’t mean you need to use all of them at once. The same sales and coupons normally come back around every three months.  

DO leave some items on the shelves for other shoppers and couponers.


DON’T take inserts without paying for them. It is illegal for you to take extra inserts from the stores, newspaper machines or recycle bins.

DO call your local news paper and see if they have any deals on Sunday only customers. You can also ask all you friends and family if they get the Sunday paper to save you the inserts.
  
DON’T be rude, hostile or yell at store cashiers or store managers.
  
DO remember they are people too and they make mistakes like you do. Be assertive and explain courteously what the problem is and they will respond to you much better. Always keep your policies in your binder.
 
DON’T be inconsiderate of other shoppers.
 
DO notice others, if the shopper behind you has two items and you are about to do three coupon transactions, let the other shopper go first. 

DON’T use coupons incorrectly. It is Coupon Fraud and you can get in trouble for it. 

 DO follow the coupon guidelines correctly. There are plenty of great deals to take advantage of using your coupons correctly. AND just because it didn't beep does not mean that  you used the coupon correctly! 

DON’T rip off peelies from products and save them for later. Peelies are meant to be used on the product they are found on. 

 DO use peelies appropriately, only using peelies when you are buying that product at that time. Blinkies and tear pad coupons can be taken and used at other stores, but do so in a responsible way (don’t take 20 of them!).
 
 DON’T use questionable internet printable coupons. If it is from a unknown or shady website and it seems too good to be true ($10.00 off of any Energizer product) don’t try to use it. It could also be a scam to get your info or give your computer a virus.
 
 DO use reliable coupon websites known for printable coupons like coupons.com or smartsouce.com. 

Use only ONE store card per household!