Coupon overage is when the value of a coupon exceeds the purchase price of the item.
If, for example, you have a coupon for $1.50 off of bar soap, and you find that particular brand of soap on sale for $.99, the 51-cent difference would be considered overage. Most stores will simply adjust the value of the coupon to make it match the purchase price (meaning your coupon will ring up as $.99 and you'll get the item free); but some stores, like Walmart, will apply that overage to other items that you're purchasing or give you cash back. If you can find a store in your area that lets you keep the overage, it's a great way to pay for things that you may not have coupons for (think: meat, produce, milk, etc.).
To make overage a regular part of your savings strategy:
- Look for high-value coupons that do not require you to buy a specific size product. Then, use them to buy the trial-size
- Stack coupons with sales to drive down the price of items
- Keep an eye out for opportunities to use coupons on clearance items
- Follow blogs that post match-ups and overage deals for the stores that you shop at
