In this struggling economy, it isn’t strange to find a large number of Americans applying inventive methods on how to save on costs. Some patronize garage sales and night markets. While others flock to the special deals section of the grocery store and use coupons for their daily needs. It is amazing to note how accessible and diverse these money-saving transaction papers are today. Ten, twenty years ago, they were merely found in magazines and newspapers and mostly concentrated on food or beauty products. But today, there are tons of them found online for a wide variety of items, including clothes, hardware equipment, electronics and health products, to name a few. But learning the policies and conditions attached to using them, it becomes quite clear that coupons are not all that they seem to be.

With this in consideration, it might be safe to ask if they are really worth it before you jump into using them yourself.

First, you have to factor in the reality that not all coupons can be used in a single store, for a particular set of products, for a single transaction and for specific dates. So is it really worth it to drive 3 miles out to a market that accepts the coupons you have and shop there instead of the alternative that is just a few blocks away from your house? Think about the gas expenditure you incur driving to and from the area. Think about the time you waste and the inconvenience you subject yourself to. Does that make you feel satisfied? Most folks wouldn’t be so pleased about these circumstances. And it probably doesn’t help to mention that coupons have expiry dates. So one is faced with the decision of either compromising his or her budget to take advantage of the discount or risk making the coupons he or she has collected a complete waste.

Second, you have to think about people’s shopping experience. It is said that coupons help them stick within limited budgets. But are they really effective at minimizing usual costs or do they encourage the compulsion to buy bulks of products that aren’t essential? With the 5% to 50% discounts they offer, it is obvious that coupons not only help consumers set aside change for other important expenditures, they also see to it that people’s needs are met in spite of their financial capacity. But in instances of abuse, panic or clouded judgment, people become desperate and just use coupons for the sake of using them. There are no savings to be accounted for when buying stacks and stacks of toilet paper at 5% discount per package when you don’t actually need them all at present. And there’s hardly anything to be proud about a thousand dollar spa holiday bought with a coupon for 10% deduction when you have mortgage payments to consider. In such instances, it’s hard to see the benefits of coupons for people.

Then we have online coupons for online shopping, this is where one can actually gain. Yes, they are easy to find, especially those posted on coupon sites. There is no need for traveling to a brick and mortar store like Macys or Best buy to redeem the coupon. Every coupon has the expiration date mentioned and above all the deals are much better. No standing in queues for billing. The products are shipped to your doorstep. Online shopping is the best way to shop and save today.