As a co-owner of a small business with a narrow profit margin, I can assure you that business owners are thrilled when you use a coupon. It is one of the most accurate ways to evaluate the effectiveness of advertising. Very few people come in and say, "We are here because we saw your ad..." Businesses spend significant amounts of money on advertising and need a way to assess its value. Besides, the value of the coupon is already calculated into the business's advertising budget. If you really feel bad about using the coupon, tell the owner you saw it but you didn't want to use it.