Foiled again in Western New York. Higher than average gasoline prices and higher tax burdens are bad enough. Have you noticed how many items you have to buy in order to use manufacturers’ coupons? Most of our coupons are worth a dollar or more, but they require the purchase of two and sometimes as many as 10 items. In the Chicago area, far more coupons are worth 25 cents to 75 cents, but require only one item. Why?

Upon investigation, it turns out to be grocery-store driven. Western New York stores brag that they double coupons up to 99 cents. Chicago stores do not. Consequently, manufacturers are discouraged from issuing coupons below the $1 threshold. Another wrinkle in this is the “do not double” disclaimer on some coupons. Why should they care if a store wants to double?

For large families that buy 10 cans of soup or three boxes of cereal, coupons are great. They are not so great for the family of one, however.

Robert Snyder

Clarence Center