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READ OR PIN FOR LATER: How Couponing Destroyed Our Debt
Here are 10 ways to coupon when you feel burnt out.
STOP CHASING EVERY DEAL
ALLOW MISTAKES
Don’t get worked up over transaction went wrong. If you notice you have started to forget coupons at home or you swore this item was on sale and it’s not, or you thought the coupon doesn’t expire until next month, don’t beat yourself up over it.
Focus on one store a week that has the best deals YOU NEED. The key to successful couponing is a balance. Balance your needs with a few occasional freebies that you want on hand to give away.
Sticking to one store when life has other events for you in mind is ok. Again there will always be a deal. Use a coupon matchup list to make your life much easier and shop the deals from that list.
READ OR PIN FOR LATER:
REFLECT ON THE SAVINGS
Sometimes the thought of checking out the store’s coupon matchups for the week, printing the coupons, cutting the coupons, and placing into your purse where you will know where they are seems daunting. But remember your purpose.
Why did you start to coupon in the beginning? If you have been couponing for a few years and your income has increased, remember how much you have saved off your bill. Think of the savings you got and how you could use that extra money somewhere else.
For me, it’s the motivation that I saved $50 at Tops and can use that for a date night! That right there keeps me motivated to keep cutting the coupons and using this simple tool daily to search for deals.
DO NOT BE ALONE
DO not go at it alone. To keep your motivation on the rise consider joining coupon groups. I run a fabulous Facebook group offering encouragement to spend money wisely. I am not sure why we don’t, but seeing others hauls gets you excited, sparks the light of SAVINGS! So join groups that get you excited to save!
I also run an Online Deals Only Group Here.
SPEND MONEY
Allow yourself to spend money. This is a big one for me. Not paying full price is just in my DNA and sometimes I swear it can be a curse. If you are at the store and you know you need something but you don’t have a coupon or it’s not on sale it is OK to buy it and then let it go.
If I let it, it can kill me when I am not getting something for 50% off or more. I have learned that we can get so many things for such a low price that paying for something just on sale drives me crazy. But that alone will lead to feeling burnt out. You won’t always get a rock-bottom deal and that is ok.
STOP BUYING THE INSERTS
Skip buying the newspapers every week. I stopped buying the newspaper inserts. It wasn’t worth me getting two coupons that I would use. Sure the two coupons equaled $3 which ends up being more than what the paper costs but I have all these extra coupons laying around that create a mess in my coupon binder.
Plus coupons are restricting their limits to one or TWO per item now anyways like P&G’s latest limitations.
It creates chaos for my mind before I organize my lists. When you know the items your family loves and uses then you will know when you can skip out on the newspaper.
Check the Sunday Coupon Previews to see if it’s worth grabbing the paper. Sometimes just grabbing the paper and organizing those inserts isn’t worth the time for one or two coupons.
I get great deals just printing all my coupons from here.
ORGANIZE
Stay organized. I laugh as I write this because I have to remind myself of this all the time. I throw things here and there and when it comes time to make my list and get to the store I could easily give up because I can’t find the coupon I printed two days ago. Take the extra minute or two to put coupons in the right spot from the moment you have them in your hand.
This keeps things moving along nicely. You will be thankful for the organization when your kids are shopping with you. Just like you must know where every dollar is going. You need to know where every coupon is going. Make a list before you head to the store so your organization continues through the checkout lane.
INCLUDE YOUR SPOUSE
Share your excitement with your spouse and let them grab a deal. When I first started couponing I was on such a HIGH that I would be texting my husband in the parking lot of Tops- GUESS HOW MUCH I SAVED TODAY?! After a few months, he would be pretty close.
He was just as excited. I asked my husband once in a while to grab cereal deals. They are easy and he got excited to be able to have the satisfaction of seeing the grocery bill go down so much just for handing over some paper we printed at home! This is a great way to boost your reason to keep at it! Include your spouse!
TAKE TIME OFF
Take some time off. When you have a stockpile of 10 kinds of toothpaste don’t keep searching for the free toothpaste deals for the week. Let it be that you have a steady supply.
When that supply is down to one or two tubes then you can grab your free toothpaste again. Why? Because there will ALWAYS be a deal. You can save money and be a couponer without the extremes.
STAY THANKFUL
When you feel burnt out take a moment to be thankful. Thankful for the things you have in your life. The chance to save money and how fast life truly goes before you. Saving money and using coupons will and can change your life- but it’s just one small part of who you are and your purpose here.
I have an inspiring article about How to Experience Joy in Your Everyday Life. If feeling burnt out has you down in the dumps because of where you are in your financial walk.
Ali @ Home & Plate
I use coupons when I can on the items I know I purchase. Half the time I leave the coupon organizer in the car and only realize it’s there during checkout. So I always am heading back in after buying my groceries to get credited. Now I will have to make sure I keep it in my bag.
Tasia
Yes that is an essential shopping item- your coupons! Glad you take the time to go back in and get the credit for them though! We all have our moments when it comes to couponing! I have left my coupons at home in the car in the store- everywhere!
Christine Carter
These are really awesome tips, Tasia. I get burned out with all the shopping sales and cutting coupons and the constant effort it takes to save money. This advice will help me greatly. 🙂
Tasia
Don’t give up Christine! Just take a moment to step back and then get yourself all geared up again!
Kelly S
I put so much stress on myself to coupon I felt guilt if I bought something for retail. I had to take a break and it helped me so much. Thanks for this post! Pinned 😉
Tasia
I hear ya! Sometimes it is best to just take a break! Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the pin!
Debbie Fox
I try to use coupons as often as I can trying to keep costs down. Then matching coupons with sales going on , it’s work. Sometimes taking a break once in a while would be great.