Finding Balance in Couponing…
As I have stated many times in the past, I often struggle with finding balance in my life. If I spend too much time on the computer, clipping coupons, or deal shopping, I feel like I am neglecting my kiddos and my hubby (and vice-versa). And it seems that I am not alone when it comes to finding balance. Check out this email that I recently received from reader Rachael…
[h2s_box]I would love to hear from you and your followers about how they balance couponing and life! I’ve been using coupons my whole life (thanks mom 🙂 ) but started seriously couponing just last year. It is great, but it takes so much time. I am hoping for some good advice, I want to coupon to help out my husband (I stay at home and we have 4 kids in school) but it has taken over too much time! Help![/h2s_box]
With that being said, how do all of you find that perfect balance (or is there even such a thing)?! Do you ever feel overwhelmed with couponing and deals? Do you ever want to go into a grocery store, leave your coupon binder behind and purchase everything at full-price just to take a break? If you have taken a break from couponing, how long of a break did you take and did you come back feeling refreshed? Feel free to answer any or all of these questions and share any additional tips that you may have.
I started on couponing May 2010 and was obsessed for a good year, then after about 18 months I was totally burnt out on it. I quit totally. Then about a year after the burnout I slowly got back into it. Now, I do one grocery store and one drugstore once per week and I only buy stuff I actually use! I have no stockpile bc I know the sales will always come back. I do not extreme coupon. The balance comes in realizing you can’t do it all, you can’t get every deal, and you don’t want every deal. Just get what you need and get out. Don’t cry over spilled coupons :o)
I was going to post something similiar but you said it so much better than I would have. You made me chuckle. Thank You. I practice a similar method as you do.
Works for me too! Once you see how often these same deals roll around, it just doesn’t make sense to stress yourself over getting to the store. If you don’t get it this time, get it next time!
You summed it up perfectly. I did the same thing and came to the same realization!
This is what happened to me almost exactly. I stockpile a little though but only things like TP and non-perishables. No more getting stuff just because its free or nearly free.
Mine is a very similar story. I started couponing about 3 years ago. For 1.5 I was really into it — I’d run to this store and that store for a great deal. Now I only shop at one grocery store (hy-vee) and one drugstore (walgreens). I never go to Walmart and hardly go to Target. Even if there’s a “great deal” it’s not worth the time and effort. And it hardly ever ended up saving me money because even if I bought something on sale I usually put something in my cart that wasn’t on sale.
I’ve added online shopping on Amazon and Staples over the last year — and LOVE it. I do this for TP, paper towel, kleenex and other nonperishables that we will use. When Colin posts a great deal on Kleenex I order it. It arrives at my door. It’s usually a large order – this time 36 boxes of Kleenex. But the great thing is I don’t have to shop for it or think about it for a long, long, time. And we never run out like we used to 3 years ago.
Even though I don’t coupon a lot any more, I do think the process over the last 3 years has taught me to be a much smarter shopper. I know I’m much better at planning my purchases and saving $ on them. I bought a full season of shoes and boots for our family this year during Famous Footwear’s B1G1 50% off sale, plus 20% off that — not only did I save money on the deal, I saved time because I got the shopping all done at once, and I saved headache, because when the first snow fell, guess whose kid had boots (for once) : )
Now that I’ve got the shopping thing in order, the thing I’m working on is meal planning. I find I’m not great at. Because even if you save a bunch of money couponing, you can waste all that money real fast eating out because you didn’t have something ready for dinner.
ooooo yes! I’ve definitely become a much smarter shopper. I know price points for EVERYTHING and so even if I don’t have a coupon, I know if I’m getting a decent price at least and can make better choices in the store on the fly. Sometimes the smarter choice is to just go without. We don’t NEED poptarts :o)
Love your last comment! You are so right–is all the time devoted to clipping coupons worth it if you don’t have time to put together a meal and make some strategic meal planning? That rings so true for me, but I never really thought of it that way!
Hit the nail right on the head! It really takes up a lot of time and can turn into something of an obsession. I once bought a bunch of pudding just because I had coupons and it was a great deal. I thought I would never get rid of all that dang pudding! Lol!
At first I thought that I was crazy and a little obsessed for getting stuff just because I could get it for free, until someone I love had a need for that item and didn’t have the money for it…. I was able to give it to her and it cost me nothing. So, now I pick up anything and everything I can find for free or super cheap…. someone will have an unexpected need or I can donate it. Never pass up a freebie… you never know who you may eventually bless by getting it 🙂
adding myself to the list of people that agree with you completely! i was the same, college student who worked in walgreens during my coupon craze so obv that didn’t help any, lol. after i took a good look at the 45 toothpastes that i couldn’t use before they expired, tons of huge, MM olay body washes etc, i decided that i really need to stop completely, quit cold turkey, and only get what i need. same with all the cheap/free after rewards canned goods and medicines.. i felt horrible chucking so much unused stuff out that i got in my greed since it was cheap or free. never again.
now my stockpile is mostly toilet paper, paper towels and diapers/wipes, and I’m ok with that.
Re: Don’t cry over spilled coupons! That is so true! Being a couponer is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, one can stretch their money so much farther, in ways that really enrich our lives. We can be so much more generous because we can spend our money more wisely. On the other hand, it is so easy to get compulsive about chasing the deals. Having to pay full price on anything is psychologically painful, especially if you know you could have gotten it cheaper with a coupon. Couponing also takes a lot of time. I don’t believe the people out there who try to make it sound like it just takes 20 minutes a week to keep organized and prepare their shopping lists. If it is possible, I still know that it is not possible for me. So, I don’t coupon as much as I used too, especially for groceries. I get a lot of bulk foods at Costco. I also shop great produce deals at Sprouts and local Mexican and Asian food stores. I still do some of the drug store deals, especially for cosmetics and toiletries, but not like I used to. I don’t have time to chase all the good deals, and I am happier that way. Life is busy and much richer. Meanwhile, I pick and choose some of the great online deals on Hip2save where I don’t even have to leave home ( and I don’t have to clip or organize coupons to do that!)
Well said! I think it’s the extreme couponing that is overwhelming. I too go once a week and only get what I will need and use.
I too became obsessed with couponing for the first year until my hubby had to put me in check. Yes I saved money but I spent a lot of time, and most important, I cost my health. Please consider what you are buying with coupons. Because most coupons are for processed foods made with GMOs, they are not really that healthy for you or your family. I spent thousands on tests and a GI specialist because I was bloated, had skin issues, and felt like garbage from the food I was eating.
I love that Colin posts coupons for healthy, organic food. I hope that more organic companies will begin offering coupons.
The only stockpile I keep these days is for paper, laundry, and beauty products. I save money by shopping online for clothing.
For me, it’s just not worth spending time on something that’s worth so much more: time with my family and our health.
Ditto, bravo
I use to do a lot of couponing until I realize I just eat too much prepackaged meals. Most coupons available are all processed. I stop cold turkey
And eat mostly asian food from scratch. The asian market
Never has any coupons and it isn’t all that expensive.. I may be a minority here.
You aren’t alone. I TOTALLY agree. I stopped couponing hard core because we were buying so much…junk basically. We changed over a year ago to a GMO-Free/Organic type of style so I no longer buy things like Kellogg’s cereal, General Mills items, Kraft etc (the brands you see coupons for all the time). There are coupons sometimes for the brands we buy (Organic Valley is one that I see coupons for that I love) but the savings aren’t near as much as they were when I was buying whatever I could get for free or cheap. I feel better about the foods we are buying though so I look at it as a win even though I’ll now pay $3 for a box a cereal where I used to pay no more than $.50.
We homeschool so i will keep an eye on my facebook as my kids are reading or if we researching something. I try to only buy things we need or use and we do not do extreme couponing. My hubby helps me out by going once or twice a week to pick a few things up if i need it but i only go shopping once a week or every two weeks. Even if it is free we don’t get it unless it is a normal thing we use or something that my family needs.I use it as a teaching moment for my kids about using a coupon to save money. I think you have to be able to unplug from coupons for a day or two and not obsess if you can’t then you may need to take a step back and reevaluate.
There is definitely a fine line between saving money and being obsessed. When I first started I tried to do every deal and because of that have closet full of toiletries. When my SO asked me multiple times where we would put the stuff that didn’t stop me. I think finally realizing that I was tired of chasing ever deal and realizing that sales come around pretty often so it’s okay if I miss one that helped me then I slowly started cutting back. Now I am working on using up the stockpile and have recently switched my love of couponing to entering instant win games and other things that I like to do. Balance is definitely the key for sure.
I started couponing a year ago and have continued to get more and more into it. I really enjoy it, however, I do not enjoy how time consuming it is. I have a husband, 4 year old, 9 month old and a home to take care of, so as you can imagine, something will end up falling through the cracks if I spend too much time couponing. Also, I am a Christian, and although I try to use my couponing ability to help others and give to others, I found that I was lacking in my dedication to Christ. So I had to back off and just dedicate one day a week to my clipping and organizing and throughout the week I only allow myself 1 to 2 hours a day to get online and deal hunt. I don’t believe that there is any true balance, however prioritizing helps quite a bit. If you don’t plan on going to the store for a few days, or if there just are not that many great deals, then back off of the couponing and dedicate more time in other areas. Or if you’re about to hit the store the next day for that next awesome deal, then it’s ok to let the house go… a little 😉
I’m with you, Jess. My deal hunting and dedication to it has cut a lot into my time in reading the Bible for personal study and also sitting down reading the Bible with the kids.
I tend to do my deal hunting/couponing in spurts. I’m not sold out completely to checking ads/clipping coupons every week like I used to be. If I see a great deal, I grab it. But I don’t go crazy anymore.
This post could not have come at a better time. I am so over whelmed right now my chest is heavy. I have four kids three in school and one at home. I can just not keep up with all the deals I feel I need to do in order to get by. Not to mention I am doing full time school online which takes much discipline in order to meet deadlines. I try telling my husband I can not handle it all but he just does not seem to get it. On top of all that I have a wisdom tooth that is pushing against the other tooth that needs a root canal. Of course when the tooth acts up the pain is almost un bearable. To top that off my gallbladder has been acting up since about 6 months since my last daughter was born almost two years ago. Then for some unknown reason my almost 12 year old daughter is acting up at home and at school.So please if any one knows the secret to keep it all together please let me know!!!!
First, if you haven’t already, take it to the Lord in prayer. Even if you’re not a Christian, HE cares for you and HE can move mountains. Then realize that you are not alone, we all get overwhelmed and have difficult times in our lives that we don’t know how we’ll get through. And perhaps accepting that you can’t keep it all together will help… I had to accept that and just try my best. To be completely honest, Jesus is my secret to keeping it all together. He holds me together when I’m about to fall apart
I lived a very similar life up until a year ago- I began using a home management binder. It’s a great tool for me and it’s begun incorporating my creativity, love for scrapbook items, and organization (even thought I’m so bad at it LoL). I first heard of it via Pinterest and then began watching YouTube videos of how other women use it differently. I slowly began using it to meal plan, organize my thoughts/to do lists, and pretty much scheduling my daily life into “wants, must do’s, and reminders”. The binder keeps everything in one central place to keep my sanity- I’m not totally dedicated but it’s like a best friend who I can reference back to or just get things out of my head and onto paper. Every section of my life has a tab- even couponing 😉 I hope maybe this will help- you are not alone in the struggle of trying to be a successful woman and all it entails 🙂
glad the binder works for you but it sounds like one more overwhelming thing for me to do;)
I had a plaque made and hung it near my front door, and it reads, “I’m too blessed to be stressed.” I cannot tell you the number of times I have had to stop, go and read this, and take a breath before continuing my day. I try to live each day a little better than before, and despite all the issues that couponing causes for me, I continue to try and learn new ways to tailor it to fit my life! I personally find that couponing is not my issue, but misinformed employees, store policies, and the rude comments from other shoppers are the issues that frustrate me most; I try to take it in stride. I coupon because it helped get my family out of debt, stockpile, and prosper. I coupon when I can, and when I am able. I As a side note, my grandmother once gave me another piece of advise I love as well, she would tell me to “have yourself a moment, wash your face, put your lipstick back on, and then back to the day at hand.” She was an awesome woman!
“I’m too blessed to be stressed”, I love it!!! Thanks for sharing, I will remember this when in feeling overwhelmed!
Girl, I am with you. Four kiddos- 12, 5, 1 yr, and a six week old. I breast feed and work full time, I have fibromyalgia which causes insomnia, and we are in the midst of a 12-yr-old-gone-mad as well! My daughters little “acting up” kick ended up being hormonal. It was so bad her “cycles” wouldn’t stop and we were sent for a blood transfusion last year! So, you poor thing, I would bet your kiddo is on hormone overload, too. Try and relax and reach out. I have a fantastic mom-in-law that helps me (my hubby didn’t understand the stress load either)… Have a glass of wine and schedule some alone time. I’m amazed at how an hour in a tub pays it forward! Sending hugs your way and praying for you, girl!
Barbara I feel for you re: your gallbladder. I had mine out almost 10 years ago. I’m no doc. & just wanted to throw this out there in case it might help you or another individual in pain dept. I now take flaxseed w/every meal. Changed my diet rarely eat out. Apples are your friend. Drink way more water. Praying for you 🙂
A way I saved myself money on groceries and not having to coupon is shopping at Aldi’s. Even though they don’t take coupons I find the price difference is so great on certain things that even with a coupon at the other grocery stores it’s still cheaper at Aldi. I shop at various grocery stores and they are within a few miles of each other.
I went to Aldi for the first time last month and now I am addicted!
Me too I used to be all about name brands then I fell in love with Aldi’s. The food is good quality and priced right!
I agree… if you want to save $ on food but don’t have time to clip coupons…shop Aldi’s!!
I agree!! Aldis is wonderful!!! You can’t beat the prices!
I go to the same grocery store every other week and usually go once a month to target. I look for deals on things we normally use. I also buy paper products online mostly at staples using the coupons and our rewards from returning printer cartridges. I have a small stockpile, but I use it mostly to keep us supplied so I do not go grocery shopping every week.
The biggest time saver I have is using an online reader to quickly comb through all the posts from the couponing sites/blogs that I follow. I review them once a night and immediately print out any coupons that I want and then I save the posts that match the coupons and sales so I can go back when I am ready to go shopping. There are many repeat postings and many that I am not interested in so being able to quickly find the few I want to read it a huge time saver.
So I am fairly new to couponing and I am not feeling over whelmed or anything but I am trying to figure out how to use the blogs I follow and coupons I print and get from the paper and mail to use on one shopping trip. I’m not really wanting to build a huge stock pile but I’m not against getting one for food storage. Any advice? I live in Las Vegas so my state doesn’t double coupons
Shop later on in the week after getting all your deals organized. Sometimes new deals pop up Mon-Fri, so I try to wait until FRI/SAT to avoid making multiple trips
I use digg.com/reader to organize my blogs. After doing this for a couple years I have learned which stores are easiest for me. I find convenience and value both equally important. I have also learned which blogs I like and have deleted some as I became more experienced with couponing. I basically ignore all the posts that do not pertain to where I like to shop or are not coupons for products I use. Honestly I ignore A LOT of posts. As I said I save the posts that come up during the week and then review them the night before I plan to go shopping. Then I pull my coupons together and place them in the front of my coupon organizer so they are ready to go.
Hope this helps!
I enjoy couponing but have never thought extreme was the way to be. I try to stock up on essentials when they go on sale, but some Sundays I don’t even get a paper because I am spending time with the family. I think keeping couponing to a couple hours week works best for me. I use it to work with my kids on math, and I take my daughter with me because she is big enough to help. I find balancing is actually easy when that is your goal not finding the next good sale.
I’m trying really hard this year to save as much as possible. I’m a single mom with 2 boys that are getting older and need more and more. I am not extreme but I do organize well. If its free, and I’m going to use it or give it away to someone who will use it, I won’t pass up the deal but I don’t knock people down if I can’t get to the store.
I’ve been couponing hard for years but last year when I got pregnant I was so sick I couldn’t even sit up let alone clip, sort and figure out sales. I took a much needed break and we lived off of what we had stockpiled over the years. My daughter was born in October and I’m back to it but not like before. Taking the break made me realize how much stuff we had lol. I didn’t buy a paper almost all year and we STILL haven’t ran out of paper products, laundry soap, dish soap and many health and beauty items. The only thing we really spent money on was fresh food and meat.
Now that baby is here I’ve returned but not as much, I limit myself to coupon stuff only while our 5 year old is at school and hubby is working. Once they’re home I stay off the computer for the most part and my scissors are in a time out.
When I realized I would probably not need to buy toiletries for a few years and had no where to put them I stopped. It is not necessary to have years worth of stuff stocked up at home I do feel it’s an obsession and I don’t want couponing or anything else to have such control over me and my life.
Your story sounds like I could have written it! I was really into couponing when I just had my 1 son. Then when I was pregnant w my daughter I was so sick I couldn’t sit up and the thought of coupons made me even more nauseous! Especially when I saw months later I had accidentally let $50+ bucks from Rite Aid expire!! I’m back to it but no where near as much as I was in the beginning! It’s more of a hobby when I have time rather than an obsession.
I have been using coupons for more than 30 years and use to buy 10 tubes of toothpaste because they would be free< but like others said if they go to waste then it still was no deal. The balance; get what you need thats on sale have a few yard sales a year to make money on things that are extra and enjoy the space in your closets and time you free up to spend with family and friends 🙂
I was on the coupon band wagon like crazy for about 2 years. I was looking in my food storage realizing I didn’t want to eat all the packaged things I was stockpiling. I jumped off the band wagon and now I only buy the produce that’s on sale each week and shop mostly on the outer perimeters of the store. I still use coupons for things like broth or canned things that I know my family will use and need. I coupon for toilet paper, toothpaste, makeup etc.. I do follow the deals on Hip2Save closely to stock up for birthdays and paper products etc.. I’m an addict though when there is an awesome deal. I get heart palpitations and have to run and get it if I know it’s something we will definitely use. It is hard finding that balance. I think it’s perfectly okay to take breaks once in a while. Although I hate to pay full price occasionally I do when I need something.
I cut down my couponing time in more than half by doing this: 1.) Put 3 laptops away and use only 1 or 2 pc to print coupons. 2.) Pick CVS over Wags and Target over Walmart. 3.) Buy only what we can use in 1 to 2 months, no more than 3 months.
You ladies Rock!! Thank you for taking the time to share your insights and advice! Its great to know I am not alone in my newbie coupon obsession, and that there is hope! 🙂 I really enjoy interacting with this online community – thank you Collin!
It’s simple. I let blogs like yours do all the work for me. I don’t go beyond your site for deals.
Ditto with the exception of http://www.iheartpublix.com. I stick to Publix and Kroger, organize myself with an app that I enter my deals in and print my coupons after the kids are asleep. I spend maybe an hour or so a week pulling it together and when I’m ready to hit the store I organize my coupons by aisle and pull them as I use them. I can see how it could be overwhelming so I try hard to follow my normal routine
Every now and then I dump all of my coupons in the recycle bin and give it a rest, if I get a good deal great if I don’t meh life goes on.
I’ve used coupons off and on for many, many years, but after we moved to IL back in June (hubby’s new job, new home, new start for all of us), I decided I wanted to really get into couponing and saving to be better stewards of the budget we have for groceries/sundries. I’m still trying to figure out my system, but after a lot of reading blogs and other help sites, I’m starting to really watch certain ads, and I’m constantly watching Hip2Save. I’ve recently figured out how to use the Coupon Database, so that I’m sure will save me a lot of time. I’m still figuring it out and love seeing how others are doing it. Even after hubby starts making more, I don’t know that I’ll ever stop couponing and watching deals. Just seems silly to pay more when you don’t have to. 😉
I go couponing in spurts. I will coupon for a month or two and get a good stock of supplies. Then I will quit for 3 to 4 months until I start paying full price for things. That’s when I know it’s time to pick up the paper and clip a few coupons!
I think finding the balance in it all is just going with the flow of life. some weeks I find that I have the extra time to get a couple papers and organize in my binder, then there are the weeks where life is busy and I don’t stress over it. I may get a paper or just look online and just clip the coupons I need when I make a quick trip to the store to get what I need for dinner. I think this is most important for us with children. it is so important that we show them the value of “living in the moment”. there are the times when I have to tell myself to let the dishes set or don’t clip coupons etc, and play a board game with my son.
I been couponing for 2 years, we only have 2 stores in town so i go once a week, after seing all the savings and how i can impact anothers people life, there is no way in my head to pay full price, but i learned not to buy things i don’t need, don’t get mad if i missed a deal, always have my binder with me, and i know the store cicles.
To be honest, I’ve stopped “couponing”. I mean, sure, I still print the occasional BOGO Nutella, or high value diaper coupon, but that’s about it. Shopping around from store to store, clipping & printing coupons to stack with this additional deal or that additional coupon, was way too much time and energy. I was printing, clipping, and anxiously awaiting hitting the CVS at 7:00am on a Sunday morning when I realized it wasn’t really worth it. I would rather pay normal store prices and have exactly what I want for meals, all from one store, than go through the hassle of couponing. I do love a great online deal, though, and take advantage of them often!
What helps me is not buying newspapers. I only printed off ones from online. It helps me to not feel so obsessive about it. Also, you wouldn’t believe how much I still stock up with just the online deals and Hip2Save deals.
I don’t buy a paper either and love it. No more hunting through coupons or feeling the need to run out and get an item because it’s free. I print what I need and I am done!
When I first started Q’ing, I felt overwhelmed. I would go to bed extremely late on Sundays b/c I was clipping and organizing all my Q’s. To not overwhelm myself, I…
– Don’t clip Q’s anymore; I file my inserts by date and search through a database if I’m looking for a particular Q. But I’ll immediately clip Q’s if I know it’s something I will buy.
– Follow a couple websites. I only follow 3 websites.
My husband and I move about every year or two and it depends on the stores that double. Since August 2011, I got pumped and went to all the stores that double and I mean up to .99 in PA and OH and even to all the drugstores sometimes 2-3 times a week to the same store! Now that I moved to MIichigan no stores double and I am not as amped as I once was so I only go out for great deals which seem to be at Target or CVS or Kroger. It almost seems like the deals are not as good as they used to be a couple years ago. Anyone else feel this way?
The deals definitely aren’t as good. I cut waaay back but still have lots of paper and personal care products from “the good old days.” Periodically, I’d sort out the weird stuff, things we didn’t like or had too much of and donate or sell cheaply at a yard sale, but I’m realizing that I haven’t seen free bodywash for a looong time, so I’ll be hanging on to my “excess” bodywash, laundry detergent, and razors. It’s nice not having to shop for these things, and I’m pretty much done with the drugstores. There are some OK deals, but they force you to buy to much to get a deal.
I was crazy for about couponing for about a year and then once my husband had to work on Sundays I slowly stopped couponing at the drug stores. I still go to Walgreens on occasion, but its maybe twice a month. Once I went back to work full-time it got really time consuming. Now I do one shopping trip each week and a trip to our local produce stand. I plan out my trip to Shoprite and then order my groceries online and make sure all my coupons line up. I pull up to the special entrance, hand over the coupons and pay- then they put everything in my car. It cost me $10 for the shopfromhome fee, but I always have $10-20 off online coupon codes! And the best part, I can pick up on my way home from work- I save so much time not dragging 4 kids around the store and I still save 45-75% each time I go. All the other deals I do are on-line so they can be delivered!
I’ve gotten told that I’m just lazy for “shopping from home” but I found I actually save more because I am not tempted to by extra things just because I have a coupon to make it a sweet deal.
I was pretty obsessed when I first started and experienced burnout. I take a week off here and there if life is crazy and just use what we have in the pantry or deep freeze. Once in awhile I will make a run to a few store if the deals are really worth it but most of the time I find myself hitting just one drugstore or grocery store. I have also shopped at Aldi to save money when I needed a break from clipping coupons. I also prefer to stock up on paper towels, toilet paper, and kleenex through the Amazon deals Colin posts. We never run out and it is delivered to the house! Can’t beat that. Couponing is supposed to help you life, not take it over. I only put in the amount of effort that makes sense for me at the time.
I only buy what I will use (I have certain brands I like for everything – including a preference for certain store brands) & only stock up on maybe 2-3 of an item at a time (4 if it’s smaller – we live in an apt). I don’t stock up on stuff simply because it’s free if I’ll never use it. I look on this site & 1 other for my match ups & I only go to 2 stores (CVS & Stop & Shop as they are convenient to get to). If I am going to Target (once in awhile), I’ll look for match ups there too.
I get burnt out on couponing every few months. last night I went to fred meyer and spent 521, target 156, rite aid 12, and fred meyer again today 39. It makes me want to get back to couponing real quick when I see totals like 521! You don’t have to have a coupon for everything, focus on a savings goal each week. Plan to save 20 or 30 dollars. Put the kids to bed at 8 pm. 8pm to 11 pm is your time, homework time. Husband needs to make his own lunch/breakfast, you can get dinner ready by having older ones play a board game with little ones. I have 4 also…and I babysit a couple others. some days are just a wash, let yourself have those
I want to write about my experience here. I started couponing in early 2010 after i left my job to give more time to kids and slowly got so involved that I started neglecting other important aspects in life. Not to mention my apartment started to look like a warehouse. The massive inflow of stuffs and lack of time to manage all those. I also noticed my kids are more inclined to electronic media as I am busy with planning my shopping trips in stead of planning learning activities for them.
After I realized, I talked to my husband and he challenged me not to buy a single stuff (other than essential grocery stuffs) for two months: November and December. Anyone who coupons can understand how important those two months are: all those thanksgiving and Christmas deals.
I accepted the challenge and stayed away from looking at the deals and rather devoted time in creative ideas.
To my surprise, we spent less on those months,
Kids are fully away from tv and laptop, house is clean and organized. We are having family outings every weekend. In January I started couponing again, and devised a system so that I can maintain a balance. Here is what I do.
1. I devote 45 minutes in printing and arranging coupons everyday. I check for new coupons and deals twice a day for 15 minutes each time. Once between 11 to 12 and the second time between 3 and 4. I would print any coupons that I am going to use during that time. Once the timer goes off I stop. 15 minutes in the night to arrange and cut the coupons.
2. I use the notepad on my iPhone to copy and paste about the deals specific for each store one page dedicated too each store. I shop at one grocery store and one drugstore.
3. I have a small folder with 10 slots which I marked with store names and a few other slots as categories: like personal care, household, grocery etc. where I put my coupons.
4 . I put my folder in a bag and whenever I go out I tale that bag along with my purse and if I happen to cross store my coupons and list are with me.
There are a few other little things but I am running out of time. These things save me both time and money. Now, when I see I use 45 minutes to look for and arrange the coupons it seems to be large, but if we see the savings then its totally worth it.
Maintaining the balance and not being obsessed is the key. I keep talking myself: Deals will always be there, only thing we are going to miss in future are these moments and memories we can make out of our time.
I am always thankful to Collin as Because of her site only I am able to maintain a balance between savings and life. Otherwise it would be one or the other.
Like everyone else I am trying not to chase every deal. Every week CVS used to email me a coupon for 20% or 25% off non-sale items. So every week I would trot in to my local CVS with those coupons along with my mfg coupons. I would save a ton but got a bunch of stuff that I now need to store! That in and of itself is stressful.
Fortunately CVS stopped sending me those weekly 20% or 25% off coupons and I no longer go in there like I used to. That has forced me to stop which is a good thing.
I am also on a tear to start using every thing in my food pantry & freezer (part of my new year’s resolution–ha ha!) Other than fresh fruits & veggies, meats & dairy, I don’t buy anything at the grocery store. So far so good and I’m starting to feel like a new woman 😉
I think the biggest problem with keeping track of deals/couponing is that for some it can wind up being another form of stress and addiction. What is the the point of buying 100 tubes of toothpaste unless you having a huge family? Let’s be honest, most people aren’t donating them to a homeless shelter either. Same goes with online deals as well. As someone who has battled addiction over the years I went into couponing the way a lot of you did, buying just for the sake of the deal. The high of getting something for free was exciting and it didn’t mattered whether I needed the item or not. Now I try to only coupon to help reduce to the expense of things we need. My advice is if couponing starts to be stressful, take a break. Turn off Hip2Save (no offense Collin 😉 ) and enjoy life! You probably didn’t need another tube of toothpaste anyway 🙂
I am single! I’m not stressed out. I’m coupon and deal obsessed! I’m on Collin’s blog every day. I don’t go for diaper and cereal deals because I don’t use them. I do jump on lotions, toothpaste, and TP deals because that is stuff I use every single day. I stock up because I guess in the back of my mind, I fear I will lose my job or fall on hard times and I will feel relieved knowing I have items stocked up.
I’m with you! Saving money is very important to me. I’m a single, childless Woman in my 30’s with a Career and a Mortgage. The money I save on toiletries, household essentials, groceries, gifts, dining out, pet supplies, clothing, etc. allows me to be able to afford a nice car, fitness classes, a yearly vacation, donations to my local shelter and other extras I otherwise couldn’t afford. The time I spend clipping coupons and hunting deals is totally worth it to me!..
I take a break for couple of weeks and dont shop at all except for fruits and vegetables. But always I keep an eye on the best of the best deals and take advantage of itwhere needed even though I am not couponing during that time.
Its a habit for me to open HIP2SAVE first thing in the morning and last thing in the night even though I am on break.
Be careful fellow shoppers and couponers when you over indulge in couponing you will end up spending 1 dollar at a time and eventually it will be lots of dollars if you really dont need the item.
my two cents
Happy smart shopping
I can not and do not run from store to store to hit all the awesome deals. I am not a huge planner, but I know what works for me. If I won’t use it then I don’t clip it (this was a hard one for me to learn). For example, I won’t buy those gross hormel thingies in the canned goods aisle, even if I could score them for free (I think they’re gross and full of preservatives, I won’t even get them to donate because I feel they are that unhealthy) so I don’t even bother clipping the coupon for it. I only do the drugstore thing for about 3-5 months out of the year. During those three months I stock up on the staples that we all love the drugstores for (razor blades, laundry detergent, dish soap, heartburn meds) then when I have enough of a stock to last for a long while I spend all of my ECB’s on something I need that won’t generate ECB’s and simply don’t go back in until I’m running low on stuff again.
The most important thing is to remember that no one is Super-Woman and that you can only do so much. Find a system that works, be it the binder or the file or the date and stash and stick to it. If you don’t have time to clip this week then don’t, it won’t kill you to play with the kids instead of spending hours cutting out coupons.
Anyone shop at Big Lots? I gave up on coupons as I don’t have time. Big lots still provides me deals at coupon prices. I find super cheap organic kids snacks and healthy snacks for the family. Of course nothing beats fresh produce, but I find SO much at our two local Big Lots locations. And they’re as cheap (or cheaper) than if I had clipped coupons!
The items are typically 2 months out from their expiration date. Which, is awesome because it makes me use what I have. I used to let food sit in the back of my pantry uneaten for months, and then it would go stale. Not anymore. And no the food I buy at Big Lots is not stale and it doesn’t taste funny 😉 Because I have to be mindful of using up all the food before it’s expiration date, we use what we have and are no longer as wasteful with food. It is a HUGE improvement.
Their Buzz Rewards program is awesome, too. I can’t tell you how many times I have gotten a $15 off a $60 purchase or $5 off a $15 purchase. They even had close outs on boutique brand diaper bags once. I grabbed one for my friend who was having a baby and went online and saw the same diaper bag going for $50. I got hers for $15, and paired it with one of those $15 off a $60 purchase coupons. So, her gift was completely free, and I was able to get her even more gifts to stuff into her new diaper bag. Had I not landed that deal, I probably would have had to get her something much smaller, and less memorable!
I highly recommend giving Big Lots a try! I used to snub my nose at them, but after moving to a smaller town, it became one of my only options to shop at and now I am grateful for it!
Big Lots was my go to store for snacks, cereal and more several years ago but I found I could get the same products cheaper usually on sale and with coupons at other stores so I stopped going.
Since I went back to work fulltime, I was feeling the exact same overwhelming feeling. I still clip coupons while I’m watching tv but I don’t feel the need to race out to get every deal. I gave up on Rite Aide, visit Walgreens and CVS hardly at all-maybe every other month. I go to Target weekly on my lunch break because it is literally right next to my work and Meijer weekly because they are the stores I feel I get the best deals at. I still want and need to stockpile some items-drinks, granola bars, peanut butter,etc but I’m still trying to use up the 25 bottles of bbq sauce I thought I had to have since it was free!!
My mom always used coupons and now I’m following in her footsteps. I have to say couponing today can be VERY overwhelming. Using Target as an example, you have Target printable coupons, Target mobile coupons, Cartwheel offers, manufacturer coupons, Checkout51 deals to think about, and who knows what else I forgot! That’s just too much work for me. I try to stay current clipping and filing my coupons because I notice some of them expire really quickly. I clean out my expired coupons from my pack once a month, and I don’t get upset if I forgot to use a high value coupon. I only buy items my family uses and I don’t let a stockpile take over my house. If I am organized with my coupons, when I look through the flyers the deals are easy to see and matching up my coupons is a breeze. The deals all cycle around, so if I miss it one week I’ll get it next time. Of course, I check Hip2Save daily! Thank you, Collin, for posting all the deals, coupons, and freebies! I don’t think it’s healthy to let couponing take over your life, but with a little work, it is well worth it and will save you a bunch of money. Just be realistic about what level of couponer you are–we aren’t all extreme couponers, but every little bit does help.
I am fairly new to couponing… Less than six months. I was completely obsessed in the beginning. I enjoyed learning the “how to’s” now I think I have a pretty good understanding and realize I’m not as excited as I was in the beginning. I still enjoy the thrill of the hunt but I give away a lot of my coupons to friends that will go out and get the deals. Trying now to just focus on what we really use and not just buy cuz it’s cheap.
I have been steady couponing for 3 years. I started when things were very grim and have not stopped. I do have a nice stockpile and work from that. I don’t get most toothpaste razor or those types unless it’s free then one or two. We are a household of 8 with 6 very hungry teens. I think once you build a stock you learn to refine and focus on what you need. I never stress about not grabbing a deal. I do stress about paying full price. My hubby just lost his job and thanks to my stock we are fine to pay our bills and live on my salary. My husband equates it to gambling, except I always win! I spend about 2 hours. Each day prepping or shopping. I usually do it waiting for a doctor appt or picking up from an after school activity so it doesn’t hamper my family time.
I have been burnt out! Lol I haven’t couponed in the last month due to school and work 5 days a week plus working a double on Fridays and working on Saturdays. And church on Sunday! So when the heck am I suppose to coupon? Lol I don’t get home until super late. I need some advice here
I think that it was taking over my life for awhile. I still like to do it, but on my time. No more racing to the store at 3:30 in the morning, or right when the store opens. I’ve learned to use bountiful baskets, and Amazon as my go to. I still watch the flyers, but I don’t get upset if I miss a sale. Heck, I’m even thinking about cleaning out some of my stockpile….
I shop at Aldi and Amazon and get food, toiletries, and everything else we need much cheaper than when I once chased deals and clipped coupons. That was way too much work and most people don’t calculate the money spent on gas, newspapers, and organizing supplies when they get an item “free” so free isn’t really free especially since taxes also must be paid on those items. I recommend two stores shopping twice a month and having the rest delivered right to your door. I certainly do not miss running around chasing all those deals with coupons that took me hours to clip. Aldi and Amazon is all I need 🙂
I posted the same thing about Aldi’s, its the best. They recently had pineapples for $0.99 each!
Yesterday I shopped Publix 20 min after work. I bought 9 kellog cereals, 6 bags of birds eye veggies, 3 canned grands, 2 bags of yellow rice. I paid 13 oop and saved 48. I use the whole insert method, filed by date and clip as they come up on a list for the week. To organize my list and clip also takes no more that 30 min. I keep my trips small, go once or twice a week, and only buy “super sale” items. I’ve couponed for 3 years and have just about everything we need, so I have the luxury of always paying rock bottom prices. Even if you only save on 5 high ticket items (coffee, razors, laundry soap..), it’s worth it.
I used to be obsessed with coupons, and stockpiling. One day, I loaded up all the items I had too much of or would not use, and gave it all away. Then, I changed two things. I only buy what I think I can use, sell, or give away before the expiration date. I order from a coupon clipping or clip the coupons I need from websites. I no longer keep binders full of coupon, or buy newspapers to clip. Like many others, I only shop at one grocery, and one drug store, and I only go once a week.
I think I have slowed down a lot. Once a week regular produce shopping ,and once a month costco for meats and few staples. But I do go to cvs or walgreens once a week. I just do the ones I NEED. I stopped buying free stuff, just because. I stopped buying stuff I had enough of in a stockpile, I went crazy building for the last year. That cut down most of the chase, but still there are time, when I need things on a sale, and the coupons are expiring that day, or money makers which I get most tempted so I can get stuff that normally doesn’t go on coupon sale. I guess we each get there eventually. It’s the rush that needs to calm and the balance will be automatic.
I have scaled down a lot with printing coupons- frankly because we couldn’t afford the color ink! So we buy the paper and thanks to certain stores like Shop Rite ( northeast gal) I can find things pretty cheap. I have learned about so many things from this website and this group of people- it is amazing. But in the beginning I felt like I HAD to buy these cheap things like shampoo etc just because. We try to eat mostly organic- which isn’t easy on the wallet- coupons do help but I will say part of why I LOVE shopping at Trader Joe’s is because I don’t need the coupons! Lately I have even stopped going to WHole Foods, I have found the staff there to be so uneducated on their coupon policy I end up having to speak to a manager EVERY time I shop there. So to save myself some strife I buy only the things that they don’t do coupons for like bulk oats & lentils etc. The time and anxiety I feel in the stores sometimes makes it very crazy to even shop let alone with my 2 kids.. so I am trying to simplify and cut costs in other ways, too. I will always cut some sort of coupon or even use reusable bags to get that extra pocket change- but I am by no means extreme or do I really have much of a stockpile… except for my gift dresser 🙂
I have been couponing for a few years and burned out once last year so took a few months break. It really helped and then I got the itch to start again. It is really addictive and so much more so for addictive personalities. It feels hard to stop sometimes. Lately, I have not had much time so I only go to CVS and Rite Aid on Sundays to use/roll my ecb’s and +up’s. And then I go to one, sometimes two, grocery stores. Grocery shopping has for a long time caused me anxiety because of having a limited income to spend on food, and using food stamps. I actually feel an anxiety attack coming on half way thru the store worrying about the cost of what is in my cart. It is really hard to stop couponing though when I need it to make my food budget go further. If I buy too many full price items I run out of money for the month. It is also a struggle to stop buying so many processed foods because they are cheaper. I know they are not great for myself and my kids. So many things to work on, lol!
I save so much money couponing but going a million places you end up losing time and money (think gas!) plus with 2 kids you lose lots of sanity. I tell couponing newbies to master CVS and you will save so much money. I love using Colin’s weekly cvs post to get printable coupons I might need. I also started shopping Aldi which saves me a ton of money and I don’t have to bother with the coupons to save 🙂