If you spend any time with us on The Riley & Scot Show, you've probably picked up on Scot's frugality.

Like many hard-working Americans, he pours over the many coupons we're all offered on a daily basis, finds the ones that best suit his family's needs, and goes to town with the scissors. For lots of people, not having a coupon means skipping the purchase of certain products.

Scot, and many others (see Extreme Couponing) claim significant savings thanks to their efforts, but what do the numbers say?

From an unimpeachable source (ilovecouponmonth.com), we learn:

 

  • 79.8% of consumers regularly shopped with coupons in 2012, compared to 63.6% during pre-recession 2007.
  • 2.9 billion coupons were redeemed in 2012, saving consumers a collective $800 million in discounts.
  • The average value of a coupon in 2012 was $1.53 overall, a penny less than in 2010 and 2011.
  • 29% of all coupons distributed in 2012 required the purchase of two or more products, while 45% of all food coupons required the purchase of two or more items.
  • 46% of shoppers cited lack of coupons for products they buy as the reason personal coupon usage dropped between 2011 and 2012.
  • 39% of smartphone owners use their devices to redeem mobile coupons in-store, compared to just 10% of tablet users.
  • Approximately 25 million Americans use mobile coupon apps each month.
  • In 2011, 33% of men and 47% of women identified social media as their primary source for coupons.
  • Households earning over $100,000 annually are twice as likely to coupon than families who make under $35,000 annually.
  • Nearly two-thirds of consumers use coupons for more than half their shopping trips.
  • In 2012, 80% of consumers indicated they “feel smarter” when they use coupons.
  • 20% of shoppers find coupon policies confusing.
  • Coupon sites receive a collective 48 million visitors each month.
And if couponing alone is not saving you the money you desire, perhaps you've resorted to some internet-based theories on money saving. John Green over at Mentalfloss gives some of those "money savers" the once-over to see if they're legit:
Mmmmmm, canned cheese.

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