DEAR SUN SPOTS: Love your column! In view of all the hype of couponing, are there any grocery stores in the Lewiston-Auburn region that either double or triple? Shaw’s does double theirs, however, only up to 99 cents. Anything over that is not subject to doubling.

Most of the coupons today are now $1 or more. One would think that they would take a penny off the coupon, making the coupon 99 cents so the coupon could be doubled. Wouldn’t that be great customer service? — Lewiston Lady via email

ANSWER: Sun Spots doesn’t know of much double-couponing these days (she can remember when it was quite common), but perhaps readers will write in with some key spots that offer that service.

Grocery stores work on a pretty slim profit margin (the difference in what you pay for a product and what it costs them to put it on the shelf and sell it to you). The doubling portion comes out of the store’s bottom line (the manufacturer reimburses the store for the value of the coupon and about 8 cents for handling). According to a posting on wisebread.com, stores that offer double-couponing may be higher priced to start with, so you might not save any more than if you went to a non-doubling store with your single-value coupon.

The premise behind coupons is to get you to try a product, then to have you to continue to buy it. It could be clever of manufacturers to make their coupons for 99 cents instead of $1 if it would lead consumers to purchase more of their product because of the doubling.

Another interesting fact Sun Spots found on the Internet was an explanation of the “Do Not Double” printed on some coupons. At mycoupons.com they said that it was to give stores that don’t want to double an “out,” but that many doubling stores ignore that dictate and will double them anyway.

The use of coupons has skyrocketed during the recent recession, but, according to a story Sun Spots heard recently on National Public Radio, the use of them is not as high as it was during the 1992 recession. The story speculated that this change might be generational, with younger consumers less likely to bother with coupons.

The report also said that coupons are frequently focused on prepared/packaged foods, which often aren’t the healthiest, so consumers should be careful not to buy something just because of the coupon.

The proliferation of coupons is even causing a defensive response from some retailers, among them Target and RiteAid, according to the same Marketplace story, which are limiting how many you can use.

Another tidbit from the same story was that although Internet coupons are growing, the majority used in stores still come from your newspaper!

DEAR SUN SPOTS: First, I would like to thank Sun Spots for all her help in the past in getting the word out about Tommy’s Feral Feline Friends.

Second, I would like to let people know that Tommy’s will be having its annual yard sale and barbecue on Saturday, Aug. 6, at Grove Auto Sales, 1021 Sabattus St., Lewiston. A big thank-you to Steve and Kat Dumais for generously donated the space for the yard sale.

Tommy’s is a small nonprofit, no kill shelter that provides food, veterinary care and housing for literally hundreds of abandoned and neglected cats. They do not receive the funding that some larger shelters do, and therefore their budget for fundraising is very limited. This yard sale is one of its biggest fundraising events, and they need your donations.

Norm, who is one of the wonderful people at Tommy’s, is recovering from two major surgeries, so things have been very difficult for fundraising efforts at Tommy’s. Any donations for the yard sale are greatly appreciated. Please call Norm at 650-8374 for more information. — Sherry, Mechanic Falls

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be e-mailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.

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