Hi! I am a fairly new couponer. I started back in the fall and have done decent. I love the rush it gives me. But, I have a few issues. I only want to buy stuff that I need or will use and it’s only me and my fiancé at the moment. (no kids that live with us). I also work full time and have been getting overwhelmed trying to clip all my coupons and hit all the sales each week. I hate having to get up so early in the morning to rush out and beat everyone else before the papers are gone. The people in my town are nuts. They will buy up all the paperS way early its crazy! Also, Sometimes I feel like I’m spending money just to get the good sale. So, I was wondering if you have any ideas to help my situation. Thank you in advance, Andrea
Andrea,
We are all new at some point! When I was new to serious couponing, I chased after every deal. I bought things I didn’t need (and even had a hard time donating some of it). I have been where you are! Let me reassure you it doesn’t have to be that way.
Here is my current time-friendly couponing method:
- Only buy what you need for your family or can very easily donate.
- Don’t clip every coupon. Either file your whole inserts OR clip what you will definitely use and file the rest.
- Get a paper delivered, if possible. It is not always the cheapest method, but it saves time and gas money!
- Save on items you can to be able to spend on items that don’t go on sale often.
- Shop once a week (unless there is a special coupon event going on…). I was tempted to stop by the store an awful lot in the beginning. Shopping once will make you focus in on what you need, what the best deals are, and being prepared for your trip.
BONUS Tip: If you miss a deal, it will be ok. You might be sad for a short while, but another deal will come along.
I know my Coupon Teacher readers will be able to help with this one too!
What advice do you have for Andrea?
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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
Dear Andrea,
When I started about a year ago I was the same way needed to get all the deal clip countless amount of coupons where there were everywhere, over time I have got where I file the coupon whole by the date and when I see a deal posted then I clip for that trip and that trip only. I get one paper to the house and then I order the rest from a coupon whole service. I get 15 inserts every week for 9 $. I have a family of 7 with my inlaws so as long as Iam saving 50% each time I hit the store I happy and when I do get somthing for free even better. I hope this help and wish you all the luck.
Gina
Great advice! (I was thinking 15 inserts, oh my….until I saw the 7 people. That is a lot of mouths to feed!)
Buy the home delivery Sunday paper. Usually its cheaper than buying it at a gas station or grocery store. You can also buy individual & multiple coupons on eBay for specific, expensive products you or your family needs. We buy Sunsweet and Stash tea coupons on eBay! I also take breaks from coupon-ing. I will stock up my pantry for two months and then take a month off from coupon-ing (I shop at Sams, go to farmer’s markets, monitor the sales, and may use an occasional coupon but don’t “coupon shop”). Remember what you see on television, the wild savings on Extreme coupon-ing, get attention because they ARE extreme and the average person does not do that! So, try not to stress out if you miss 10 boxes of free noodles or tampons :) When I feel anxious about finances, domestic life, the kids, my marriage, grocery budget, etc, I try to feel grateful for what I do have and what I can do, rather than what I don’t have or can’t do (like save $1000 in one trip at the store)
Thank you for sharing. Taking breaks is so important!
My suggestions would be to find 1 -3 stores that are convenient for you to shop and focus on those stores and their deals.
I agree with getting a paper subscription delivered to your home. In our area, they often run a promotion where you can have it delivered on Sundays only for just $1 per week. This is over 1/2 the price when you buy it from the store if you factor in tax and gas.
And always remember that it is OK to take a break from couponing. I find that sometimes I get overwhelmed and just need to step back from it all and breath a little. It is very much worth the work to coupon but it IS extra work and sometimes we all need to rest from it.
Thanks for sharing Mandy! I would love to see you at my Savings Nation class (I think you are local…) Let me know if you are interested in attending.
My first words of advice is stay calm and don’t be so hard on yourself. A paper delivered at home saves time and time is money! I only clip coupons that I use, have an awesome coupon organizer binder that saves so much time and makes sense to me. Coupons printed through the wonderful coupon teacher also saves time. I put the money I save in a vacation account so there is a real tangible reward for my work. Don’t sweat the small stuff and have fun with it!
My site says thanks for printing with Coupon Teacher. :)
And thank you for sharing the vacation idea too!
Been there! Choose a few stores and work those. When I first started I ran myself crazy. I have limited my stores to CVS, Harris Teeter, and occassionally Target. I no longer have nor do I want a huge stockpile. I have a large family and this is working for us. It was not doing me any good to run from store to store, try to cut every coupon, and get every deal. I found that I didn’t even have time to utilize the savings. In order for couponing to really save you money you have to plan a menu around what you have and you have to actually cook.
That menu planning part is SO important! Thanks Summer!
When I first started couponing a year ago, I would clip every coupon and run around for all the deals several times a week, and wasn’t organized at all. Now I go one day a week and do all my couponing at once and I do have a organized coupon binder now. I also type or write out all the possibilities of couponing deals and list which coupons to use and it makes it easier bc then I go in with a list and get exactly whats on there and then hope I find a few unadvertised deals through using my coupon binder and I save so much more now that Im more organized. Good luck with your couponing and hope this helps.
Thanks for sharing Amanda! Being prepared always makes for a better trip!
Hi, first relax, we have enough to deal with being women, so don’t add on any extra stress. Second, repeat this, I can not & will not make every sale, it is FINE. Life will go on, there will be another sale, another double coupon event. Third, find a system that works for YOU. I get 2 Sunday papers delivered to my house, we have to different newspaper companies here in Virginia. I only get the papers on Wednesday to see what’s on sale and Sundays for the coupons. If there are great inserts in the Sunday paper, I will buy another one from Dollar Tree. I keep all my inserts on my kitchen table, i look through them on Sundays and take any coupons I may need that week. I get behind on clipping it can be overwhelming but don’t let it get you frustrated. Couponing should be fun, just thinking about all the $ you’re saving. I also download coupons to my store cards and print coupons while at work. I love shopping so I have to stay out of the stores sometimes. We are a family of three, with a small stockpile of everyday items. Make a list before you shop and stick to it, just because you have a coupon doesn’t mean to have to buy it, unless it is free or really cheap. I hope this helps. Take care
I love your first line….
And the part about it being fun! :)
Don’t stress, I refuse to stress over something i am enjoying. I only stock up on the items that arent going to expire anytime soon like: laundry detergent, deodorant, toothpaste, baby wipes(cuz i have an infant) i keep my ads and take them to walmart so they can price match and then use my coupons there. I save at least 50% and I’m ok with that. I use the websites to see what would be a really good sale to coupon match and go 1 or 2 times a week depending on how good the sale is. And when i get stuff free then i go until i cant get it free anymore and then i turn around and donate it to the crisis center down the street. I am a mother of 6 and i work full time. Life is hectic and im not going to lose sleep if my coupon expires or i miss a sale. trust me that coupon will come out again. I only clip what im going to use and the rest i file. I make a list of how many and what i want and im done my shopping in 3hrs or less. good luck and find something that works for you. If you go to a certain gas station tell them to give you the paper mans number and he will bring more papers! i have 20 papers sent to my gas station every sunday and i leave a check in an envelope for him. This works for me
Interesting set up on the papers! Good idea!
Many of the people who comment have said what I was going to say about getting a paper delivered but one other thing I woiuld suggest is that yahoo groups has many groups that trade coupons and all you have to pay is the postage to send them. You make friends that love to coupon and it is a great way to gice someone the coupons you don’t use and get coupons you will use. Also when you can invest in a small deep freeze sam’s usaully has good prices on them that way when there is a good sale you can stock up on Frozen items and live off your pantry and freezer until you feel you need to shop again. Stocking up is good so you can take a break from couponing when you need a break. Also Gina could you please post the name of the coupon clipping service you use? Thanks so much.
Trading coupons is great, if you can find a good group!
I drove myself crazy when I first started couponing but some tips that I have developed over the past year that work for MY FAMILY are…
I only allow myself to do my coupon shopping 1-2 days a week and try to get everything knocked out in one trip. This saves gas money and my sanity. Before I was running around to catch every mid-week deal as it popped up…. not worth it to me.
On Sundays, the only coupons I cut out are the ones that I know I will use with or without a sale. For example, I am a religous user of Neutrogena face wash (thank you adult acne)… so that coupon gets clipped and filed in an accordian file organized by expiration date. If a sale comes along, GREAT… if not, I know at the end of the month I will use that coupon anyways because it’s a product I am going to buy. Then I file my coupon inserts by month inside a file cabinet so that I can easily find them to clip the other coupons as I need them.
I also don’t let myself get upset over “deals gone bad” or missed deals. Yes, every now and then trying to use coupons backfires and I spend more money then intended… or leave the store frustrated because I didn’t get the sale item. I know it’s okay because of the HUGE amounts of money I SAVE on a weekly basis by doing any couponing.
I no longer attempt to use those fabulous Target coupons when they first come out. First of all, I live 25 minutes from Target. Secondly, my store’s shelves are empty when those “really good” coupons appear on their site. Now, I print the coupons and save them till the end of the month (or the end of their expiration date) then take a monthly or every-other-month Target trip…. They usually have what I’m looking for (everyone else used their coupons weeks ago) and I don’t leave disappointed that I drove 25 minutes for nothing.
Oh and Sunday paper delivery = definitely worthy paying out of pocket up front to NOT have to deal with the hassle of hunting down a Sunday paper. The people in my town are CRAZY too. :)
Great advice. I think anyone who doesn’t have adult acne is abnormal!
Thank you for sharing!
I recently started couponing to save what I could on the groceries that I normally buy. Then I began reading about how much more I could save if I waited for the deals. Well, this can be very addicting. I think it is challenging for me to see how much I can save. I take out the amount of money thatI have always spent on groceries and that is what I shop with. When the money is gone, I am done shopping. What I have noticed is that I have so much more now. I have small stockpile of deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes, paper towels, toilet paper etc. And I got if for really cheap and have only been doing it for a few months. I still spend the same amount each week, but I get three to four times more stuff with it. Eventually, I will slow down on the deals. The kids are getting older and I will not have the need for all the extra stuff. I am just having fun with it. If I have to put myself on a budget, I will know how to do it. I can’t have a paper delivered. It is not offered in my area. So I meet the paper man at the store at 8 am and buy the papers directly from him with cash. It is just easier for me since I buy papers for others while I am there. This is not a problem because I always get up early. I have fun with it. When it stops being fun, I will stop. I don’t mind the clipping and organizing. It can be time consuming if you let it. But there are lots of websites that will help you learn all about couponing and soon will start finding the deals on your own.
Sounds like you are on the right track!
thank you for all these comments…..I too have been trying to “really” coupon for the last year but don’t feel like I’m having much luck. In alot of ways we are spending more than ever. Now and then I do get some really good deals or items for free and of course I love all the freebies I get in the mail…..But when I see how some are really saving lots of money I don’t get what I’m doing wrong. Oh well….I’ll hang in there and keep on truckin! :)