Sunday 11/22/09: Throw away the coupon if the alternative's cheaper

If you're going to be a good couponer, that means you're not going to fall prey to the purpose of coupons--to get you to spend money you wouldn't otherwise have spent on a product you don't really need or want. To that end, marketers will do anything to convince you that you must have their product above all others. Even couponing itself becomes a ploy because you think you must be getting a good deal because you used a coupon. Don't believe it. Always look at all the alternative items before you decide on a purchase. If the generic store brand is cheaper even using the coupon, ditch the coupon and buy the store brand. This is especially true with medicine, to me. Almost any acetometaphin product is the same as Tylenol, so why pay three times the price for Tylenol? Seriously, I have seen Tylenol cost triple the generic, the exact same product.
On the other hand, if you don't like the generic or alternative, or have a particular affinity for the brand, feel free to buy it. I will not buy generic canned corn. I just don't like it as well. The point is to make an educated decision and be pleased with the savings you're getting.