We can't wait to get them in the mail. We use them frequently. We store them, organize them and stash them away. They make our lives better every day by saving us money.  What am I talking about? Coupons of course! But have you ever taken the time to think about the life of a coupon? It is quite interesting, which compelled me to share this information with you that we found over on Pinterest. Enjoy!   If you are having trouble reading the fine print in this illustration, here are the highlights:  

• The life of a paper coupon begins just like any other paper goods product, at the trunk of a tree. That is, of course, after manufacturers have studied the market and determined the type of coupons they plan to release.

  

• 13.62 million trees are used each year to print coupons!

  

• The materials are shipped to the paper mill. Here, a coupon may not yet have a heartbeat but it's life cycle is beginning.

  

• 227 million reams of paper are used to print coupons, which breaks down to 113.5 billion sheets of paper a year. WOW!

  

• The freshly made paper is transported to the printer and the coupons are officially born.

  

• 332 billion coupons were printed in 2010. That is 21 billion more than in 2009.

  

• The coupons are then shipped to thousands of newspaper plants to be inserted into newspapers or printed in circulars that are mailed to you.

  

• 99% of coupons inserted in the newspaper are never used. (That is heartbreaking to us here at cincysavers!)

  

• The 1% of paper coupons that actually elude the doomed fate of their counterparts and make it to the store, help their proud owner save money!

  

• The coupons are then used at the store, and after the drawers are balanced, the lucky papers are collected and shipped to a clearinghouse so the store can receive reimbursement.

  

• Once the coupons make it to the clearinghouse, which is located in Mexico, they are then weighted and counted.

  

• The clearinghouse sorts, scans and catalogs these coupons and then sends them back to the manufacturers clearinghouse.

  

• Once at the manufacturers clearinghouse, the journey is nearly complete. They are counted once again and then recycled.

 Pretty amazing isn't it?