September is National Coupon Month

Although there are no inserts in today Sunday paper due to the holiday (which finally gives me time to get myself more organized), September is National Coupon Month. So get your scissor ready people - it's time to get clipping! I'm expecting great things this month! You can go HERE to my "Coupon Resource" page for links to great sources of available printable coupons.

Here are some Fun Facts about coupons in honor of September:

• According to the Promotion Marketing Association's (PMA) Coupon Council 89% of the overall population reports that they use coupons when shopping (for grocery, household and health care items at supermarkets).
• The PMA Coupon Council also reports that coupon users report an average of seven percent savings on their grocery bill with coupons. (Stick with me and will get that percentage much higher!)
• More than $350 billion of packaged goods coupons are offered annually, but only $2.6 billion are redeemed annually by shoppers.
• The average value per coupon of all coupons released is about $1.30.
• Ever wondered why a coupon’s legal copy states, “cash value 1/20th cent” or “cash value 1/100th cent?”
• The answer dates back to the days of the Great Depression. During that time, food was rationed through the use of food stamps. Greedy merchants took advantage of the situation by raising the price of goods, thereby inflating the value of stamp books. As a result, some state governments stepped in and, to make things fair, declared that all stamps and anything else used to decrease the price of a product (including coupons), should have a common value. In some states, these laws remain in effect today. Therefore, to avoid having to print multiple versions of the same coupon, marketers simply include the “1/20th cent” or “1/100th” language on all their coupons.

-Source “Coupon Fast Facts”, Coupon Info Now