In response to your requests, coupon trading has come to Pocket Your Dollars, well at least a trial-sized coupon trading effort. Yes, there are lots of ways folks trade coupons from coffee shop gatherings to online forums to buying and selling on eBay. We have chosen to try out an approach called “coupon trains.”
What is a Coupon Train?
A coupon train is a way to trade coupons that you are not going to use for ones that you will. An envelope is started by the first person on a train (the conductor) with 30-50 coupons (the number of coupons varies depending on which train you are in) and 4-6 other people are train riders. The conductor assembles the starting envelope and mails it to the first rider. That rider removes the coupons they want and replaces them one for one with coupons they don’t want, then sends the envelope to the next rider. The last rider mails the envelope back to the conductor and the train ride is complete.
How Will These Coupon Trains Work?
Kierstien, a Pocket Your Dollars’ reader since November 2009, is going to coordinate our first round of coupon trains. This is a trial period where we make some first steps to introduce coupon trading, attempt one particular approach to it, gather feedback, learn what works and what else we would like to see and then make decisions about what’s next for coupon trading and Pocket Your Dollars. I, Kierstien, have experience coordinating coupon trains, have traded coupons with some other Pocket Your Dollars’ readers, have heard readers requesting ways to trade amongst ourselves and then stepped up to suggest we try this approach.
The objectives of these pilot train runs are:
– Provide an opportunity for readers to trade coupons
– Better understand the wants and needs of Pocket Your Dollars’ readers related to coupon trading
– Better understand the administrative requirements for providing a coupon trading experience to readers
– Capture things we learn about coupon trading so that we can make decisions about how to best meet the need (if there even is a need) in this area.
Since this is a pilot run on the coupon train concept we are going to limit participation to 8 trains with 6 riders per train. Each train will have a specific theme or topic like baby products, Target-issued coupons, grocery coupons that are eligible for doubling, etc. During this trial period we will have each train make three runs, then we will pause and decide what we want to do next.
Coupon Train Rules
Coupons
A minimum of 30 coupons must remain on the train at all times. No more than 2 coupons of identical value for an identical product can be in the envelope at the same time (i.e., if there are two $1off Tide coupons in the envelope you couldn’t include a third $1 off Tide, but you could put in $2 off Tide coupon, since the value is different).
Coupons on the train must be consistent with that train’s theme or topic.
You must replace each and every coupon you remove from the train with one from your stash.
All coupons in the envelope must be at least 14 calendar days from their expiration date, except for coupon trains focused on trading expired coupons.
Sending/receiving coupons
Once you receive the envelope of coupons you must email the Coupon Train Coordinator (Kierstien) to let her know that you received it and the date on which you received it. (It is at this point when you will receive the name and address of the person you are to send the envelope to)
You must remove the coupons you want, replace them and mail the envelope on to the next train rider by end of the third business day after receiving it.
You must email the Coupon Train Coordinator (Kierstien) after you put your envelope in the mail to the next rider sharing the date on which you mailed it on.
You are responsible to pay for the costs associated with envelopes and postage to send coupons on the next train rider.
Privacy
You cannot use other train riders contact information for any purpose other than what is required as part of the coupon train. That means no adding people to mailing lists or solicitations of any type are allowed.
Your name and mailing address will be shared with the train rider before you that is slated to send you an envelope full of coupons.
Issue Resolution
If you have a problem, fail to receive your coupons, are disappointed with the experience or have any other feedback you will communicate it directly to the Coupon Train Coordinator and provide the Pocket Your Dollars team an opportunity to correct the problem.
If you choose not to follow the train rules we reserve the right to remove you from future trains. Of course we will give you a warning and opportunity to correct the behavior, unless the situation warrants immediate removal (at our sole discretion).
We also reserve the right to discontinue the trains or modify the rules at any point in time for any reason.
How to Get on a Coupon Train
We are going to select fill spots via a lottery, a lot like the one we did for the Meet and Greet in March, with one big difference. We are going to ask some pre-screening questions that may eliminate some potential train riders for consideration even before we do the lottery.
You are a good candidate for a coupon train during this pilot test if you are willing to:
– Commit 1-2 hours per week to this pilot project for the next 8 weeks
– Complete a handful of surveys (15 minutes each) with 100% honest feedback
– Be willing to share your mailing address with the 6 other train riders
– Keep the spirit of the coupon train in mind as situations arise that may not be covered by the train rules
– Follow all the train rules
Complete the application form provided below (or found here, if you can’t see the form) between now and 11:59 pm on Monday, May 10 to be considered. We will contact selected train riders via email to establish train conductors and finalize train topics/themes. Interim updates will be sent via our Facebook fan page and Twitter feed. When all trains have been filled we will announce their launch in a new post at Pocket Your Dollars. Our goal (wish us well!) is to have all trains operating by Wednesday, May 19.
Photo of Little River Railroad
About Carrie Rocha
Great ideas!!!
Hi Carrie!
I’m having issues with the application!
I filled it out, but the not interested option wouldn’t show up so I left the ones blank that I wasn’t interested in. I hit submit when I was done, but then it popped up asking me to fill those sections in. I filled them in (the option showed up this time), but now there is no button for me to click to submit it!
Thanks in advance for your help.
Sarah
It worked this time around. Thank you!
Thanks! I just submitted my ap :)
Sarah – Can you try again now. I changed the dimensions of the form and *think* it is working okay now.
Done! Thank you :)
I love coupon trains; I personally think they’re one of the best means to having access to coupons throughout the country. I think it’s a wonderful idea to start doing this with you.
There is a caveat, however; and I don’t mean to rain on anyone’s parade. I just disembarked a coupon train a few weeks ago. There was much whinging from a participant because the “engineer” wasn’t doing things correctly in a leadership sort of way. I stayed out of it, but was still reading the blog messages. I honestly don’t know what all the hoopla was all about, but frankly, the engineer was doing a wonderful job of seeing that the envelope full of coupons were out on time and to everyone.
The disgruntled participant’s two main “whinges” were the cost of postage – which we all felt was nothing compared to the savings advantages – and expired coupons and that they weren’t being removed and tossed out. I almost did that myself, but having been a military wife and lived overseas, those expired coupons were and still are a tremendous boon to our shopping expenses.
Regardless, I did not allow this to sour my experience of belonging to a coupon train. There will always be a crab apple in the bushel. Thusly said, I look forward to joining up with this one. A very big kudos for taking this on, whoever will be assuming responsibility of being the engineer. I know I will do all I can to keep the engine well-greased and moving.
Oh dear, I forgot to add something else, since I’ve volunteered to be a “conductor.” I am leaving on May 12th and heading down to Texas for my daughter’s college graduation. I will be driving, but will have my cellphone and laptop with me. I just won’t have access to my snail mail until I get back on the 18th or 19th. It’s 1300 miles one way.
Just a thought I needed to pass on. Now I shall go shoot off my big toe for taking on such an endeavor of this very long drive. :-P~~~~~~~
Thank you Jo I will make a note of this so I remember :) Also thank you for sharingyour past train experience I think it will really help others joining in on this who never have!
I am having trouble applying. Every time I hit “submit” it tells me the name field needs to be filled in even though I did. Suggestions?
I am going to go figure it out right now. Hang tight a second…
Kris – I just tested it and it works fine for me in Firefox. Which browser are you using?
Will you take into consideration location? I am in SE WI and just signed up. Not sure if that matters as the mail will take a bit longer if I am in a train from MN. Perhaps you have enough people from this area so I can participate? I hope so.
yes we are taking location into consideration, I know some people would like to do trains with those in other states because of different coupons they may recieve!
I put this in my comments when I signed up, but thought I would also mention it here to see if anyone had some ideas…I am definitely interested in a swap, but wonder about categories. I would like grocery and high value and definitely have those to trade, but I also have many others I won’t use such as baby, pet and many other coupons that I know others would love to have. Is there a listing of local swap groups, and would this be a better fit so that I can get what I would like and be able to give others what they desire as well? Your thoughts are welcomed…thanks!
I am in the same boat. I almost volunteered to be a conductor just so I could be the one to start the train and GET RID of my 30+ pet or baby coupons that I have and don’t need/want. I wonder if there could be some other sort of “message board” or “weekly chat” where people could say “I won’t use *this* who wants it” or “I need X and could give you X.” (For example, I prefer Yoplait and have lots of Dannon coupons that never get used. I’m sure someone would use them but not sure how to get them in the right hands.) Maybe within the comments of the “Sunday Preview” or “Carrie’s Picks”?? Or maybe PYD should not be the place for trading – I just feel bad knowing someone else might love having the coupons I never use.
I put in my application when this was posted but have heard nothing since….is it still a go???
It is still a go. Kierstien is coordinating everything and we got behind our hopeful schedule because some family things came up on her end. She is contacting the people that are participating and then we will post an update with more info. Sorry to keep you hanging.
No problem Carrie, i know you guys are busy (You all do a great job) Thanks for the reply!
Hello,
I am fairly new to this site and didn;t get involved in tome to be part of the pilot….Are the coupon trains up and running? Could I become involved with one?
Sarah – They haven’t been running and it is on my to-do list to post an update about them within the next few days. There were some delays getting started and then time passed and we didn’t get much response from people that initially expressed interest :(