Coupons 101 - Printable Coupons

Awhile back we talked about manufacturer coupons. Printable coupons are also manufacturer coupons, but we tend to encounter a few more problems/rules with printables than the coupons we receive in the Sunday newspaper. Colette, once again, has a great post on the in's & out's of printable coupons, full of all the little tips you might need to ensure a successful shopping trip.

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My most frequently asked questions are usually about printable coupons, how they work, troubleshooting with them, etc... so I thought it was time for a post! :)

• You can only print 2 of each coupon, your IP address is tracked by the website you are printing it from and you will be locked out once 2 have printed.
  
• You cannot copy printable coupons (much the same as you can't copy coupons from your SmartSource/RedPlum inserts) - if you notice in the picture above, in the top right corner of all printables is a unique serial code or number. Even though the coupon is the same, each time it is printed, this number is unique. This is what distinguishes your coupons as authentic - so if a cashier ever questions you (thinking it's a copy) point out the unique number to prove it's an original, authentic coupon.
  
• If your printer is not turned on or jams or you run out of ink in the middle of a print, you can't reprint that particular coupon because to the website, the coupon was sent to a printer - it doesn't know that you ran out of ink or that your printer jammed so it still counts as one of your prints.
  
• Don't skimp on ink... if you print on a draft or fast setting and the barcode is too light to scan, the store doesn't have to honor it. To save on ink, set your printer to grayscale or black and white, the coupon does not have to be in color to be valid.
  
• Is printing coupons worth the paper and the ink? ABSOLUTELY! I save an additional $8-10 per week from my printables alone and that is far more than it costs me to print them. That's about $40 a month in EXTRA savings!
  
• What do you do if your computer or printer has trouble printing coupons? Because everyone's computer and computer settings are different, it's hard to offer an easy solution for everyone having print issues... but here's a few links I found that address common problems:
  
  Troubleshooting with Printables
  
  How to Print Your Coupons
  
  Troubleshooting Guide for Printing Coupons
  
  HTML Help for Printing Coupons

Hopefully if you've had problems printing coupons, one of the above resources can help! :)

Thanks Colette! Make sure to stop on over to her blog, Shop Smart in Vegas, to get more valuable tips on how to make the most of your grocery budget.