For many, Sunday mornings mean a cup of coffee, a pair of scissors, and a stack of coupon circulars. But for those who choose not to clip, there’s often a nagging, guilty feeling that they’ve thrown away cash. So who’s right? Can coupons truly save you a bundle? Not really.

With coupons, “people may buy products they wouldn’t normally buy, which are overpriced to begin with,” says Eric Tyson, author of Personal Finance for Dummies (Wiley, $22, www.amazon.com). Remember: Manufacturers don’t issue coupons because they care about your budget. “Coupons are a marketing device to sell products and drive traffic to stores, not to save consumers money,” says Jean Ann Fox, director of consumer protection at the Consumer Federation of America. Coupons can also cause you to go out of your way. “It’s not worth driving all over town, spending money on gas, and putting wear and tear on the car to shop at a store you wouldn’t normally go to, just to save a few bucks,” says Tyson.

Of course, coupons are useful when they save you money on what you’re already planning to buy. So first make a shopping list based on your needs, and at that point check the coupons for potential savings. If only they made coupons for free time. Now, that would be a bargain worth clipping.