Have Coupon, Will Travel.

I am known for being a bit of a bargain hunter.  Not crazy coupon lady kind of stuff, just if there is a way to get a better price on something I am going to purchase anyway, why not use it.

One of the best ways I have found to save a few bucks, is to sign up for e-mail newsletters at the stores that I routinely buy stuff from. What I am really after are the “percent off” coupons within those e-mails such as this 15% off coupon from Dunham’s Sports.

I am not going to go to Dunham’s just because I received this coupon — Sorry Dunham’s.  So what am I supposed to do with all these e-mail coupons that I may or may not use before they expire?  I could kill some trees and print them so I can file them neatly in our little family coupon binder with all the other newspaper and direct mail coupons in hopes that it will be used.  Since I am frugal, most of these coupons go unused.

What I really need is a way to get these coupons out of my inbox, out of our carrier, and onto my iPhone.  If all the coupons were comments on my phone, it would ensure I always have them with me while I am out and about, and will limit the amount of paper that I needlessly print that just gets recycled.

So, the solution I recommend is an coupon carrier app that lets me “print to app” all those coupons I get in my inbox, and “camera to app” all the real paper coupons that I get in the mail and newspaper.  Once I add a coupon, the app should let me select the local store it is valid for, the start and end date for the coupon, and whether or not I want to share it with friends.  Next time I, or one of my friends, walk into Dunham’s, the app should remind me that I have valid coupons to use.  I would whip out my iPhone, let Dunham’s scan the coupon, and enjoy my discount.

Open idea disclaimer – This post is an idea I had to improve an existing product, website feature, or whatever.  I didn’t check to see if anyone was already doing this.  I have no idea if some troll has a patent on it.  I believe that ideas are a dime a dozen, and that it is execution that makes ideas turn into worthwhile things.  Since I don’t have time or the ambition to pursue this idea, I am openly posting it on my blog.  If you take this idea and make a few bucks, buy me a beer.  If you make millions, I’ll take a nice bottle of 30 year Scotch.