The state of the economy is a pretty good predictor of the popularity of coupons. When the economy is bad, interest in coupons perks up. When the economy is good, coupon use declines. But can this predictor work the other way around? That is to say, if coupon use is on the rise, does that mean there are tough economic times ahead?

That’s a little like saying when it rains, umbrellas become more popular – and when umbrellas are popular, it must mean it’s going to rain. The cause-and-effect doesn’t really work both ways.  Here’s the Coupons in the News article.