#1 They are manipulative
We would be surprised if you didn’t know about this secret of big manufacturers and retail stores. The coupons are a great way to get the customers to become aware of and buy products they generally wouldn’t. Or maybe they are trying to advertise a new type of product they want to have a demand for on the market.
They incentivize you to buy them while you can save with the coupon, expecting that after a little while, people will become accustomed to buying them. By creating the habit and then taking the savings aspect away, they know they can slowly increase the price, but customers will continue to purchase the product because they have become accustomed to it.
To avoid falling into this trap, you should be careful about what you are buying and try to shop with intention rather than letting sales and discounts cloud your vision!
#2 Over-buying? It may be the coupons
One way they make you buy certain products in bulk is by using coupons! To take advantage of the clipping, the offer generally says that you are getting a certain amount off IF you buy more than one item; generally, they ask you to buy at least two, but most of the time it’s for multiples of three. And while this may be great when you’re getting your favorite tried-and-trusted products, it’s risky when it’s your first time buying something.
Not to mention, for certain offers, you do not have the time to use the product before it expires, be it food items or some sort of moisturizer that you thought would be great to have around. Do you really need two bottles of the same product? The answer is generally no, especially if you’ve never tried it before.
Not to mention the ones that ask you to buy frozen food in bulk or multiples of the same canned product. You generally only need one, but with the coupon, you can get more, so it must be a deal! But you’re not actually saving if you’re buying more than you need and you don’t know if you’re going to use that product.
