1321 Inconvenient Coupons

Sometimes you wonder about coupons. It’s as if the advertising departments that produce them are charged with two missions, incite your interest, and then make sure you never actually use the coupon they’re offering you.
Why don’t they just print a straightforward ad?
Like those automatic coupon dispensers at the grocery store. After you’ve just bought the 10-gallon bottle of dish detergent, out comes a coupon for 2 dollars off your next purchase of the same 6-month supply. And it expires in 3 months.
Can’t I just get a refund now?
Or my favorite, the inconvenient complicated Costco Coupon Book. I just got mine in the mail. And it looks like they’ve finally changed their tune. Because they used to take time restrictions to excruciating lengths. But now the whole coupon book is valid for the whole period. Thank goodness.
Used to be, the coupons in it were valid only one week at a time. So if I wanted, say, a big screen TV, I had to wait until the last week. But if I wanted a deal on orange juice it was usually expired by the time I got around to opening the mail.
Staggering the weeks of availability was an exercise in frustration. So much so that I never even looked at the coupon book, knowing full well that when I decided to get something it would be the wrong week. The only time I actually used any of the coupons was when a friendly checker spotted a qualifying item in my cart and discounted it for me.
Technology could help I guess, but keying in a “coupon alert” on a smartphone seems a little excessive.
Not that I have a smartphone anyway. I missed the week they were on special.
America, ya gotta love it.