I have a brand marketer-side point of view as far as promotions, including coupons, kara37. I know and have worked with people at Catalina Marketing.
These coupon promotions have an assumption of a certain number of “abusers” built in, they’re aware that a small minority make a hobby out of figuring out how to absolutely maximize them. But, from the brand marketer’s point of view, they’re not there to save you money, they’re there to encourage trial of a new product or to encourage brand switching with an existing one.
These products aren’t “free,” any more than government housing is “free.” Somebody has to pay for them, and that somebody is the brand marketer, who has a specific goal in mind when the promotion is structured, and is willing to forego a certain amount of profit in the short term to achieve that goal.
Too many people sweeping the aisles clean does nothing to further the brand marketer’s ends, and it deprives the majority from gaining exposure to the new product as intended or fails to bring new customers to an existing brand as intended.
So, it’ll end up killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, for the few very frugal individuals who count on these coupons, because it’s being abused. And, this knowledge is why I commented as I did, speaking of “oh, please.” ;-)
Here's another “oh please” for you.
According to you, the coupons are not intended to save people money, but only to encourage brand switching. It sounds like the companies are the ones that are a bunch of scammers, not the people shopping for deals.
However, they assume that a certain amount of “abusers” as you call them, will actually save money and they don't like it. Sorry, I'm not feeling their pain.