Money-off coupons and the consumer: are they worth the effort?

Is the use of coupons a worthwhile practice for consumers? What defines a cost-effective money-off coupon user? In this study, the time cost of clipping and organizing grocery coupons is compared to actual savings received. Forty per cent of consumers did not reap savings at least equal to their time cost of coupon clipping. Cost-ineffective consumers are identified and compared to the cost-effective group on several demographic and shopping characteristics. Differences are discussed in relation to consumer economics and super-shopper role models.