Tisk Tisk

I am going to be very unpopular in the coupon world in about 30 seconds. I am (and have been,) seeing many sites that that utilize coupon information to basically shelf clear and hoard. There is no other way to say this. Shelf clearing and hoarding is basically the most selfish aspect of couponing. Many people claim they donate these items. Well, I want proof. Honestly, if you are going to post a picture of 100 boxes of pasta, Show me a picture of 75 of them going to a food pantry.

This kind of selfishness is going to be the reason manufacturers get REALLY stingy with the dollar value of their coupons. Stores are already limiting your total “like item” purchase per transaction (as they should), and drugstores will likely get equally stingy with their rewards. I don’t blame them. Couponing is not a “Job” in which you get paid $30 to clear the shelves of one product. That concept is basically grotesque, in my humble opinion.

Don’t misunderstand, I have ABSOLUTELY capitalized on the weekly freebie. ONE AT A TIME!! My worst violation was 30 cereals in one week, in which I paid $1 each, and there were PLENTY on the shelf. And believe it or not I am almost out of cereal. I don’t think I would even do that again because I felt too funny about it.

Bottom line, these sites that condone shelf clearing are doing the rest of the consuming population a MAJOR disservice. And they will be the reason couponing is eventually and inevitably ruined for all of us.