Inflation is high — and finding coupons is getting harder and harder

Finding paper coupons that have been a staple of the home to save on groceries and other purchases is It's more difficult than ever. 

Part of the reason is due to a pandemic, and manufacturers want to avoid shortages in case consumers accept offers, Axios senior news reporter Kelly Kelly said. Tyco told CBS News. 

At the same time, Americans are using fewer coupons, down from 2.6 billion coupons in 2006 to half (1.3 billion) in 2019. According to, according to an economist surveyat Harvard University, Georgetown University, Heinrich Heine University Dusseldorf. They said this was probably due to changes in consumer behavior, with few shoppers choosing to spend time cutting out coupons for small savings. 

But as Americans tackle the highest inflation in 40 years, pushing up the prices of many grocery items in grocery stores. The coupon has disappeared. .. Still, there are other ways to save money, such as signing up for a loyalty program at the store or buying in bulk. 

"The truth is that you can't get the same savings you got with paper coupons years ago because there are far fewer coupons than before." She said. 

She added that pandemic supply chain issues could have contributed to the decline in coupons. “Think of the empty shelves we experienced in a pandemic. If you have a great coupon, it could further drive demand,” says Tyko. "Manufacturers don't want to worry about it."

Another option for finding savings: buy a store brand that can be cheaper than branded products, Tyko said. In many cases, these products are indistinguishable from branded products, but they are much cheaper.