Paying for Coupons-Is it Worth It?

If you have tried to save money on groceries with coupons, but found it difficult to do with only one set of newspaper inserts, chances are you have looked into finding coupons elsewhere. Coupons are available online, in stores, on products, and more recently have become available from online businesses whose sole purpose is to provide the consumer with coupons for a fee. These are called clipping services.

How it Works:
The site charges you a fee for each coupon ordered. Because it is actually illegal to sell coupons, what you are paying for is the clipper's time to cut, sort, file, and mail the coupons to you.

How much does it cost:
Prices for coupons vary by site, but typically range from five cents to a dollar, depending on the type, amount, demand and availability of the particular coupon. The higher the demand for a certain coupon, the higher the price. The buyer is also responsible for shipping, and sometimes also a handling, or administration fee. Some sites have minimum order requirements, and others do not. It is important to consider all the costs, before deciding which site to order from.

Will it save me money?
Using a clipping service can definitely save you time, and while many people don't like the idea of paying for their coupons, the fact is that the fees charged are miniscule when compared to the amount of savings as a whole. As with many things, the more you order, the more you will save. For example, if you order seven coupons that are for $1 off an item, and you pay ten cents per coupon plus thirty-nine cents for shipping and a fifty cent handling fee, you would be paying $1.59 to save $7. However, if you order fifteen of those same coupons, you would pay only $2.39 to save $15. The most important factor to look at is whether or not you will use the coupon. After all, if you don't use it, you have paid money to not save anything at all.

Another advantage to using a clipping service is that they may have coupons that are not available in your area. Different markets get different coupons. If you live in an area where stores double coupons to, say, 50 cents, then you may find coupons that say "55 cents off" or "$1 off your purchase of 2 items". Other areas may be getting coupons for 40 cents off of one of the same product, which, since your store doubles coupons, would effectively be 80 cents off the purchase price instead of the 55 cents you would have saved. Additionally, sometimes coupons come out for "free" items, but rarely do they come out in all market areas. It pays to shop around, and it pays to use a coupon clipping service!