01. A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To A Deal

Couponing can be serious business for consumers and retailers. The consumer is focused on a budget conscious experience, while the merchant is concerned with growing their business. However, like most anything in life, couponing has its funny side. From customers presenting expired coupons and the wrong merchandise to retailers posting misprinted advertisements and misplaced signage, the dance between the deal seeker and the discount can be entertaining. And let's not forget the social and family dynamic when couponing is the central focus! Funny stories abound! We'd like to share a few snippets with our couponers.

Shortly after the TLC program "Extreme Couponing" debuted, theft of newspapers went up because shoppers wanted the coupon offers inside! Oh the irony, stealing for deals! We do not recommend snatching newspapers, but we do suggest watching the show for some laughs and for inspiration in digging up discounts.

Publix grocery stores have a "Funny Coupon Story" blog that offers up some humor in couponing experiences. Here's one for a good chuckle from a Publix customer named Chrissy.

"I was shopping one morning with my boys. Of course, they always want EVERYTHING they see. "Mommy I want this." I say okay until I can't say okay one more time, and then I respond "All those things cost money you know! Do you think Mommy is made of money?" "Of course not," my oldest says…"you're made out of coupons!"

The couponing craze has generated some hilarious memes and jokes that couponers, and the people that love them, often share online. Pinterest has a great feature called "Couponing Funnies" that users love to read and share. A few Couponing Funnies highlights include:

• "Sorry kids, there were no good candy coupons this year, so have some deodorant! Happy Halloween!"
• "This new coupon would make this coffee creamer only 30 cents! I don't drink coffee, but for this price, I'll definitely start drinking creamer!"
• "Hey, coupons are the only $ you can print at home without the Feds getting involved."

At Promocodes.com we love to help people understand couponing, from the history and psychology to the meat and potatoes and "how to." We especially like to help consumers get great deals, and doing that with a smile is even better! Finding humor in things can help make our lives, including couponing, more enjoyable. We want our customers to have some fun while they are optimizing discounts. Take a moment to laugh and to lighten the load - and happy hunting!