Years before, a lot of people would have found it embarrassing to be seen in public using coupons for their purchases. People considered it dorky and un-cool to get discounts on anything purchased by using coupons.

Nowadays however, it seems that things have turned a hundred and eighty degrees because what was then considered as a dorky thing to do is now the most ‘in’ thing when it comes to smart shopping. Couponing, or coupon collecting, has become so popular that it has even become the focus of a reality television show called Extreme Couponing.

This couponing craze may not have started had the economy not turned bad over the last few years. Because food and gas inflation has been constant, American consumers have had to think of ways to ease the financial burden and put food on the table. Then came the new couponing strategy, just in time to save consumers from becoming overstressed because of the rising prices of filling the pantry.

A number of people say that coupons had started to be seen in a different light three years ago, coupled by the introduction of Groupon.com, which offered very good deals to consumers. Since then, coupons have become a valuable tool for a lot of people every time they go to retail stores for some shopping. Also, the use of coupons have expanded so much that not only are they used for grocery shopping, but even in travel deals or restaurants and many other items one would not think of using coupons before.

Indeed, couponing has become a nationwide trend this days. Before, people who used coupons for their purchases were thought of as a little dorky. Now, people who use coupons for their purchases and getting lots of savings from them are thought of as smart shoppers.