I use coupons when I go to the grocery store. Yes, I clip, print and save these treasures in a coupon organizer. I plan my meals with the grocery store’s sale paper and match up my coupons. Some weeks are better then others, but all in all I save money with every trip.
One thing I do not want to experience is a fraudulent coupon once up a the register.
Here are some tips to help you spot what these counterfeit coupons may look like.
Look for a product size: Many of the counterfeit coupons will not have a specific size or no size at all.
Expiration date: Is the expiration date to good to be true? A whole year? A valid coupon will have a short range expiration date, after all the company providing the coupon wants you to purchase their product right away and this makes sense. By giving you a coupon they are not only offering you savings but also promoting what they want to sell with an incentive. Valid coupons usually run for a few weeks up to 3 months.
Check out the logo on the coupon. Have you ever seen a watch that is supposedly a Rolex and when you check out the name on the watch face it reads Rolax? Manufacturers of coupons are very careful how they layout the logo’s, words and so on and do everything they can to keep replication of the logo’s.
Freebies: Most manufacturers stopped making printable coupons for free products in 2002 to help prevent fraud.
Whether you get your coupons on line from the Sunday paper or in the mail, check them out before you go to the store.
I have found a place called TheGroceryGame.com where you can learn more about coupon savings, shopping lists and stores with the best savings in your area with the founder Teri Gault.
