The Entertainment Book, the undisputed king of discount books, has triumphantly retaken its throne, and has become one of the few must-have items of this recession.

I used to feel embarrassed when my mom used the Entertainment Book (central New Jersey edition). It would sit next to us in the backseat of the car, begging to be flipped through - though there was always something uncomfortable about the moment that Mom would hand one of its coupons – buy one Whopper, get the second one free – to some tattooed, surly, teenaged goth cashier. I wondered: Were we actually poor?

Now, I realize how wise she was: These days, a discount is nothing less than a tool for survival. In the past 4 months, overall coupon usage has shot up about 10%, according to Inmar Inc., a coupon-processing agent. Chalk up another indicator of the new frugality.

As the Wall Street Journal recently pointed out, more people are looking for coupons online. Coupons.com, a site that offers discounts for use at national grocery chains, says its users printed out online coupons valued at $300 million last year, up 140% from 2007.

Still, the traditional method -- slicing up the Sunday periodicals with scissors -- remains the dominant one. Online coupons account for only 1% of all coupons offered nationwide - but, as the Journal points out, they're redeemed 13% of the time, as opposed to a 1% redemption rate for their dead-tree counterparts.

In addition, you can even have discounts sent to your smartphone or rewards card. Kroger (KR) recently launched a free text-messaging coupon program. Grocery stores Stop & Shop and Giant Food, both based in the Northeast, offer shoppers handheld scanners that remember their purchasing habits and offer them discounts based on that information.

Coupons are part of a big push in deals and discounts. Two-fers -- think “buy one, get one free” -- have become a choice retail strategy. It's a fair swap: Retailers keep prices the same -- lest buyers get used to lower costs -- but the latter still benefit.

USA Today recently covered the spectrum of businesses offering these deals, from restaurants to retailers to car dealers. T.G.I. Friday’s is offering 2 entrees for the price of one if you bring in coupons downloaded from their website. Ruby Tuesday (RT) is doing the same.

For the past 3 months, Men’s Wearhouse (MW) has offered a twofer for suits over $399. Verizon Wireless (VZ) is offering 2-for-1 BlackBerrys (RIMM). And car dealers are offering “free” used cars with any new-car purchase.

Consumers are more discerning, and they’re saving more. To me, this seems like a healthy process, but surely some retailers won't survive. That isn't to say they shouldn’t go down fighting.

Last summer, according to USA Today, San Diego homebuilder Michael Crews put up a “Buy 1 home, get 1 free” deal. People who bought a $1.6 million home would receive a $399,900 row house as well.

There were no takers.