In my mind, couponing has always been thought of as a method of saving money. You find them in newspapers and sent through email, then used at the store. Maybe you’ve used one before and managed to save some money. And that’s great! But did you know some people just don’t have the means to coupon in the first place? One woman in Missouri explains the unfortunate truth behind couponing when it comes to being poor.
TikTok user Coupon With Kimba posted a video explaining how extreme couponing doesn’t work for everyone. It’s the complete opposite of how I’ve viewed coupons. Kimba says it isn’t “feasible when you need that cash for something else.” She continues, “Let’s be real: So many of the extreme couponers are middle class, suburban, stay at home moms.” If you want to save money by using coupons, the reality is you’ll need money upfront.
“It cost me money when I first started couponing,” Kimba admits. As an example, she says there’s a current deal at CVS for toothpaste she feels is worth using. She said it involves spending $40 for several tubes of Colgate toothpaste and you’ll get $20 back in deals to use for other things. This means you’ll be making an investment to have several packs of toothpaste that might last you awhile. However, if you don’t have $40 to spend, you’re not really getting a deal, right? That money could be used for something more important.
“Couponing isn’t something that everyone has the means to do,” Kimba says, ending her video. It’s meant as a reminder to the coupon community and those thinking of joining. Couponing is an investment, so you need money first. More importantly, it shows how difficult it is to get ahead when you’re poor in the U.S.
“Yup. You gotta spend that $35 to get that $7 register rewards,” one commenter state. to which a couponer replied it takes “strategies and research and planning” to make it work. Another commenter pointed out, “In high school economics my teacher said, ‘it’s expensive to be poor’ and went over this kind of thing. The higher interest. Extra deposits. Overdraft fees. It’s crazy.”
It boggles the mind how unhelpful coupons are to the people who would actually benefit from it. There are plenty of foods and products I’d like to buy in bulk because I know I’d use it. So, what good are coupons then?
