Do you ever get tired of couponing? I mean, I love, love, love getting
a great deal, but I get tired of comparing sale ads, rounding up
coupons, and going to the stores. I'm probably trying to do too much
at once. Just wondering if you ever take a break except for when you
had the baby. -Lorie
Yes! I've found there's usually at least a few times per year where I just don't have time or desire to mess with using coupons. Here are a few ideas which work for me to help prevent or reduce "coupon-shopping burn-out":
1) Share the load. If possible, don't do all the work
yourself. If you have children, let them help you clip and file
coupons. Older children can even learn to scour the ad for deals and
match up the coupons with the deals. I know many moms who pay their
children a small percentage of the savings their family reaps from their help or they
pay their young children a small amount for the number of coupons they
clip and file.
My mom had me do much of the menu planning, coupon clipping, and grocery shopping
for our family of nine when I was in my teens. Not only did I greatly
enjoy the experience and learn so much from it, it also allowed my mom
to have a break from having to try and do it all herself.
If you don't have children or teens who can help, consider finding
some friends who love coupon-shopping and get together with them on
occasion to clip and file coupons and share deals. Just having other
people to share it with is a huge inspiration. Plus, I've found that by
sharing deals with one another, everyone discovers a lot more bargains than they would on their own and it's a lot more fun, too!
2) Simplify your system. If you're trying to go to five stores three times a week, you're going to burn out in nothing flat. I recommend keeping it simple. I stick with going to one to two stores once a week. On occasion, when I have time and energy (and maybe a babysitter!), I'll do more than that, but that would be the exception rather than the norm.
Consider what your schedule is like and what you can reasonably commit to when it comes to couponing and then plan accordingly. If you only have two hours per week to devote to coupon-clipping and grocery shopping, then you're probably not going to be able to regularly shop at four stores or keep up with clipping and filing 10 newspaper inserts every week. (you could consider the no-clip method but I personally have tried it and found it to be a disaster for me. Read more why here. I know plenty of others whom it works beautifully for, though, so it might just be me!)
Remember that you don't have to hit every good deal. In fact, you don't even have to hit 50% of the good deals and you can still save a lot of money and keep your grocery budget low.
It's easy for me to read other blogs and see these great shopping trips other bloggers are pulling off and to feel like I'm not spending enough time coupon-shopping. But then I remember that I'm at a season of my life (homeschooling and having three little ones) where it's just not feasible for me to be spending hours a week planning shopping trips or going to multiple stores. I need to be home teaching and meeting the needs of my young children. They are only little once. The good deals will always be there.
Find what works best for your family and situation right now and stick with that. So long as you are eating well and staying within a grocery budget that works for your family, don't worry about potentially good deals you might be missing. Just be thankful for bargains you're able to find with the time and energy you have at your disposal.
3) Set your coupons aside for a season. Sometimes, simplifying your system isn't enough. Perhaps you're just completely burned out on coupon-shopping altogether. Or perhaps you're going through a difficult or stressful time in your life. Or maybe your life is just crazily busy at the moment and you don't have time to mess with coupons but you feel guilty if you don't use them.
Whatever the case, I'm here to tell you that it really and truly is okay to take a break. In fact, sometimes I think it's a good thing to take a few weeks off from coupon-shopping–especially if you've been at it for six months or more. Not only will it allow you to come back to it refreshed and excited about bargain-shopping again, but it will also give you a chance to creatively use up some of your extra food in your freezer, refrigerator, and pantry.
Even if you set your coupons aside for a few weeks, you can still save a bundle just by planning your grocery list based upon the store sales and what you already have on hand. Or, if you have an Aldi nearby, you could buy most of your groceries there.
For more ideas on how to save on your grocery bill without clipping coupons, see this article.
What do you do when you get tired of couponing and bargain shopping? I'd love to hear your ideas and input.
Great post! I also enjoy what everyone else has to say. I think 2 main things: how much stuff do you need to have, even if it was a great deal, it’s not great if it’s sitting around collecting dust or going bad; and, how much is your time worth? I follow lots of money saving blogs, and I’m always astounded when someone posts that they had to re-do a transaction or make a return because the coupon/register/cashier didn’t work the way they thought, etc and I just think, my time is worth more than the $1 I’d be saving to go through all that hassle! : )
Single, no kids and I got tired within the last month or so. I’ll be back at it soon… or not. I printed more than I used. Sad, I know.
While couponing is great we can always cook at home! Take advantage of the seasonal produce at the farmers market right now and plan your meals around that. I got far more with $10 this week at the market than I did with $20 at the grocery store. Just my 2 cents.
I am in a couponing slump right now. Low-energy due to pregnancy is making just grocery shopping and cooking meals seem overwhelming. I enjoy finding good deals, but you are right… we need to be realistic about what we can do during the “seasons” of our life. So for now, I’m focusing on shopping the sales and trying to avoid the take out.
We don’t have double coupons so it’s harder to get killer coupon deals here. Plus I have seven kids, so I shop at Costco a lot, and they don’t take coupons.
The thing that happens to me is I’ll spend time combing through the coupon inserts, clip out the ones I think seem like a good deal, and then take them to the store, search the store for the item, and when I finally find the silly thing, I’ve invested so much time and energy into that little coupon that I end up buying the product even though it’s really not that great a deal. Sigh.
Wow, what a great post. Just what my heart needed. I’m fairly new to couponing. But I can really get excited about all the deals and want to go catch them all. But like you, I’m at a very busy season of life. Four children, 8 years and younger. (my youngest is 8 weeks…so not the easiest time to hit 15 stores!) Homeschooling, gardening, husband starting new busines…etc… Thanks for all your insight. I’m guessing our new babies were born around the same time. Mine was May 3rd (His name is Jesse…I just noticed on another older post that your husband’s name is Jesse, right?) Thanks again for opening this discussion, I loved your comment about how our children won’t be little for long, but the sales/deals will be there later.
Thanks so much for the post. I am feeling a little down about couponing. (You can find my frustrations at http://budgetaccountability.blogspot.com/) Thanks for letting me know that it’s okay to take a little break and regroup, or other options to add some variation to my routine.
I get burned out from time to time as well. It does take work ad sometimes it’s best to take a break and then get re-enthused.
I normally just buy all of our groceries at Wal-Mart by admatching since we don’t have a lot of stores to pick from. That keeps me from running all over to get the deals individually. Then I do CVS & Wags as well. I do errands only one night a week. It takes a couple of hours but then I’m done.
My 10 year old gets $1 to clip all my coupons each week with the paper cuter so it goes quicker for her. She sorts if it’s a food or non food item as she goes and then I put them away in the binder.
There are times I get tired of dealing with it all but then if I just go buy something without a coupon-that fixes that and I get back on the train pretty quick. I’ve been using coupons since I was 16 when my Mom gave me some for makeup. (I’m 37 now) The only times I REALLY stopped couponing is when I was pregnant here or there with 7 kids;)
Then it’s just survival mode…and toilet hang time! Take out eating increased then too-Man I miss those days! LOL
By all means take a break if you need to, when you need to is what I say.
Continuing the above comment—I am pretty burned out on Walgreen. It seems the deals aren’t that great anymore and it is such a hassle to try to combine RRs with coupons, trying to find cheap filler items, etc. I had $26 RR left which were expiring so I just used them up on the puffs tissues, tuna, yardleys soap (my absolute favorite). I don’t plan to go to walgreens again unless the deal is fantastic.
I’ve only been seriously couponing for about 4 months but I’ve been bargain-shopping (i.e. shopping the loss leaders and the sales) much longer. I seriously would never want to go back to paying as much as I was paying w/o coupons for things like cereal, feminine products, etc. That being said, I have enough of a stockpile on some things that unless the deal is GREAT, I don’t bother with it. I have a large family though (8 of us) and I HAVE to coupon/bargain shop if I want to keep our food budget reasonable. And, I’ve found that using coupons I can get brand items cheaper than if I went to Aldi or did generic.
That’s nice to know that even you get burned out on the coupon thing. I did really well for a while, but then life got extremely busy and I just didn’t have time for it. But I WANT to save money, so I’m always looking for the best deal. I appreciate all the work you do searching for deals and sharing them with us.
I have always been a coupon user and now that my children they are wonderful for helping cut out the coupons. My oldest even prints them from the computer. Neat, I think.
When I first got married my husband was embarrassed by me using coupons, so I quit using them when we grocey shopped together….well long story short and 15 years later, I still use coupons and so does he! My husband will even go grocery shopping and take coupons with him (without me). So that is a nice break!
I hate it when coupons expire, and I have several that do expire and so in the trash they go…BUT DO NOT THROW YOUR EXPIRED COUPONS AWAY!!!!!!!! They can still be used…seriously! Go here to read more http://tinyurl.com/nmpf6
Having just relocated my stockpile to a different part of my house, I am realizing just how much I have and just how little I need right now. Lately I am focussing on only frees/money makers at CVS and my local grocer that doubles dollars, and I take a monthly trip to costco. Right now it’s not worth it!!
This is a very interesting discussion. I think I went a bit overboard these past few months when the Kraft and Kelloggs coupons were around. Combined with sales, I ended up with “way too many” boxes of crackers, salad dressing, mayo, bbq sauce, sugary cereal, etc. All of these items were free or very low cost.
This may sound odd (and I don’t really quite know how to phrase it), but we almost felt “obligated” to this enormous amount of food. We all ate way more than was good for us (especially the wheat thins, cakesters, pecan sandies, ice cream etc.) and also ate it in preference to options we like better (like, homemade salad dressing, simple sugar cookies, muffins, fruit smoothies). About the 2nd time I served Velveeta shells and cheese versus my homemade mac and cheese, husband pretty much said we needed to talk about quality versus quantity. I guess others have better self control than our family with consuming these treats! {actually, the treats became more “staples” than treats}.
So,here’s what I did. I bagged up everything but TWO of each item and hauled it off to various agencies in town. Everything now fits in my cupboards/pantry and I feel less stressed.
I’ll continue to shop the bargains, but will set a limit as how much “free” foodstuff is allowed in the door!
Rhonda
I’m brand new to couponing, but it’s nice to know that if I ever feel like I need a break, it’s normal! 🙂 Thanks for all the great info!
I go in cycles. It seems to work because I tend to stockpile a lot when I’m in a major couponing cycle. Right now I’ve kind of relaxed a bit from the whole thing because life has gotten a bit crazier during the Summer. I am another one who doesn’t do the drugstore much during the Summer months as well. I usually just go for major deals (diapers, freebies I actually need, etc.)
Thank you for the post! That was just what I needed to hear right now! I am pregnant with baby #2, and I have been so sick this time around, not so much with morning sickness, but I have developed several food allergies during this pregnancy that result in migraines. Shopping, clipping coupons and reading labels and also staying in a budget have been enough to make my head spin!!! I KNOW it’s ok to take a break, thanks for your encouragement to keep me on that path for a while! I am just very glad I have an aldi’s close by!
when i feel burned out…it usually means i have plenty of stockpile and don’t need to shop for awhile.
like when i was in school…if i wasn’t in the mood to study for a test, it usually knew i already had the material down and had studied enough!
i suggest listening to those internal cues. i’ve learned to embrace the breaks i take! it helps me come back strong when i need to.
Put limits on the number of stores / trips per week or month. It can be tempting to hit a store every day for a week when the amazing rolling deals come along but soon you’ll have more than you need of the standard freebies. Shop at the stores you like skip the once that make deals too challenging to be worth the trouble. Limit the coupons you clip and save – yes I’ve kicked myself when I found out I missed out on a big moneymaker but there is just so much time and energy available. – Crystal thanks for this great post and forum for so much good advice.
I’ve noticed that if you are a heavy coupon-er, at least in my area…the best times to NOT coupon are Jan.-March. Occassionally in Jan. there is a pretty good sale at Dillons and then you should just try to get multiples of a MM coupon and use that to buy items you run out of regularly. Summer months there seem to be more of the great deals so I’m not taking a break then;)
I’m so glad you answered this because sometimes I just don’t feel up to couponing. It is so much work. Good idea about taking a week off – the sales will be there the following week – we’ll survive.
I have been couponing/rebating for over 25 years now. My stockpile lately is to its limit so I remind myself on every grocery shopping list by writing “NECESSITIES ONLY” at the top of my shopping list. By seeing this as I shop and check my list, this is a big reminder to not scout out extra “deals”. I have even given away coupons to fellow shoppers so that I wouldn’t be tempted to buy something on sale. I was happy to help others save a little, especially those with families and the elderly.
Thanks for the post. I’ve been using coupons all year, and my pantry and freezer are full. I had decided that in July I am going to reduce my budget by 50% and by only the dairy and produce items I need.
I have to say that I prefer the whole insert filing method. I use a free online coupon matching website called Grocery Smarts (I’m in Nevada–but I think it’s also available in Utah, Idaho, and parts of California and no I do not work for them!). So, after I finalize my list, I’m able to only clip the coupons I’m really going to use. My planning and clipping takes no more than 15 minutes a week and having everything ready to go allows me to get in and out of the grocery store in 20 minutes or less. I usually only pick the store with the best deals that week, but when time permits I chase deals all over town…because I think it’s FUN!
I love your blog! It keeps me inspired and motivated. I would love to see a post on why you choose to home school your kids. It’s something I haven’t considered, probably because of the great experience I had in public schools. I do believe teaching children is the responsibility of the parents-in home school or not. I’d love to hear your point of view.
I haven’t read through all the comments, but just want to say THANK YOU for this post! It came at a good time. I’m in the process of trying to overcome my paper clutter habits, and my patient husband keeps eyeing my coupon binder with disdain. I have a hard time getting rid of those inserts when I know there’s still a few in there which haven’t yet expired. Yet I KNOW I’m wasting valuable time every time I have to thumb through them to look for something that ends up either not being there or being expired. It’s similar to wasting time looking at ads online. My little accordion file is too little, and it seems the best possible solution is to not scrap it all together, but to move to a system like yours. I’ve been using the little accordion one just for shopping day with the ones I plan to use, which has been nice. But you are right: your kids are only little once, but the great deals will always be there. Thanks again,
Merrilee
Honestly? I suffer not from coupon clipping burnout but “idiot cashier” burnout. There is nothing like sitting in the check out for an hour while you patiently explain, yet again, to a Target cashier that yes you CAN use a manufacturer coupon and a target coupon on one item. I always seem to get those cashiers at EVERY store I visit in a week and there is a part of me that asks, “Is it worth all this trouble?” and then the next day I’ll see a great deal and say, “Yes it is.”
How I take a break is actually pretty simple. For one thing in Alaska we don’t GET the sheer amount of coupons you all in the lower 48 do, so doing the “insert filing/no clipping” thing doesn’t give me a back log if I quit doing that for a month.
Also, I’ll do the simple task of only doing ONE coupon per item (matching up sales with basic coupons) and quit the stacking once in a while, because the odds of you getting out of the store quicker that way are a lot greater. I’ve been doing that the last two weeks with my family because we are all sick (now on antibiotics oh joy) and I just haven’t had the energy to spare. And really, out of the three stores I visit regularly, one of them has had decent deals so that it keeps me feeling good with the “bargain high” without me having to run all over town.
That’s just my advice of course and it works for me. Hope you all who are suffering bargain burnout feel better soon.
I LOVE this post! I feel like this a few times a year. The good thing is I have a NICE stockpile, so I can take breaks. Also, I don’t know if this happends to anyone else, but If there is something that I have to pay full price for, I send my dh to buy it, so I don’t feel guilty! lol! Sad sad sad 🙂
I’ve started just filing my inserts and when I get the weekly store ad I check the coupon database of a coupon forum I belong to(not sue if I can mention it here) and then clip only the ones I need. No more cutting and filing of coupons which has saved me alot of time. I still have to file the printable ones but I don’t print too many of those out ahead of time anyway.
I am at that point right now. But of course i do still need to grocery shop. So, I have decided that for the month of July, I am only shopping at Super Wal-Mart, for exactly what I need to get me through that week. I have a good stockpile, so I am also lowering my weekly budget some and sticking the extra in savings. It is somewhat of an expirement to see how I do, but also because I am tired of going to several stores each week, even if they are all next to each other and on my way. I need a change.
I was tired of couponing for awhile, so I started mystery shopping in order to get my groceries for free! Now that I’ve gotten the hang of that, I feel like couponing again, so I am combining my couponing with my mystery shopping to get even better deals. It also makes me feel like I have a job, and the schedule is totally up to me! Just be careful to pick legitimate mystery shopping companies. 🙂
I think you made the main points, but they bear repeating–simplify menus and shopping, and give yourself permission to skip deals. I have enough of a stockpile that I don’t have to get every single toothpaste or shampoo deal going. And might I add–you don’t have to use every single coupon you get–I’ve even thrown away coupons for things I know that I will never buy, no matter how great the deal!
I’m in the same boat with you and many of the other commenters in regards to what I do (or don’t do) in order to avoid the coupon-frazzled-ness.
1) I skip a week of getting the paper every couple of months. I have noticed that when I don’t get the paper, I don’t feel such a “coupon craze” as in weeks that I do get the paper.
2) I have gotten to a point where I don’t have much space for extras anymore, so when I clip coupons for something that I don’t really need, I throw it into my “donate” pile and then at the middle/end of the month I ship all the donate/expired coupons to my SIL in Germany who can use them at the military base up to 6 months past their expiration.
3) I don’t have kids yet. Which I am sure is a BIG help to me not getting too burnt out.
4) I stopped going to Walgreen’s. They were always out of the deals that were advertised/I was shopping for. So I just said forget it and haven’t looked back since!
5) I noticed that once I got over the coupon-newness and getting “great” deals, then my shopping habits changed and that has been a big help too.
6) Just one more thing….when I do go out for the coupon-crazy sales I make sure that I go to the store location that I am most familiar with…otherwise I will double my shopping time just wandering the store trying to find things and I hate that!!
Thank you so much for this post! This is music to my ears, as I am currently experiencing the burnout that comes with coupon clipping. Its good to know that it really is ok to take a break. I just started in late October of last year, so I really had a lot of learn. I think I will just stick to the Aldi shopping tip for the rest of the summer so I am ready to go by the time school starts up again!
I have switched to the no-clip method after only having used the clip & sort method before. While I was afraid that this would make things too overwhelming (like Crystal said), it seems to be working for me right now.
One thing that I’ve found very important from the beginning is having a Coupon Tracker. I go through the inserts and enter every one – with the date & source, value, expiration date, and the category (from my coupon box). Since it’s in Excel, I can sort my list by expiration date & delete the ones that have expired, or I can search for a particular brand. I will never remember what coupons I have (much less where to go back and find them), but the Coupon Tracker has made the job so much easier! (And if I don’t have time to log a particular week’s insert right away, I don’t get behind. I just put a check box on the front, and don’t check it off until it’s been logged.)
Too funny, a few friends and I were JUST talking about this very topic last night! I referenced this post on my blog today. Thanks for the fabulous tips! Keep up the great work, Crystal!
Oh my goodness what a GREAT post… I am so THERE! I think it is just about finding balance and enjoying the process. Moderation is key (as with anything) …I have found (sometimes) that I am SO much happier getting a few of a good thing…instead of stocking up big time. The longer I have done this – the more I realize that you don’t have to jump on every offer…and that there is always a new deal right around the corner.
I have also decided that stressing makings couponing UN-fun…especially when my kids are in tow. So now we just go and enjoy, and if we have a great shopping trip (financially speaking) then not only did we have fun but we saved money as well. It have enjoyed shopping so much more since I made the decision to put the kids first and the deals second!
Wow = thanks for a really great topic, I enjoyed reading all the posts as well!
i really needed this, feeling quite guilty that i have been ‘cheating’. i’ve been a bit stressed the last month or so, so i have been ‘neglecting’ the coupons. after reading this i realized that i have not been cheating but prioritizing. i would rather a cheerful mom than a stressed mom who can save a couple bucks. i’ll be back there soon enough. thanks again. i needed it!
When I get tired of couponing it is because I usually have more cash flow then I used to and plum dont want to coupon. I think of all the year supply of shampoo and other things I have and think, why not pay the $20 for the designer shampoo. WRONG!!!! I know, but a part of me starts wanting nice things once I get more cash flow. I am still battling myself to make myself realize I could use that $20 for something else. I am still a cheap person, but with more $$$ in hand I tend to not be so frugal. I wish I knew how to have more discipline, but I WANT WANT WANT!!!!
When I get burned out, I turn to frugal menus with inexpensive ingredients. Another thing that helps is having a nicely stocked pantry. When we have a decent stockpile of the ingredients that we frequently use, I can often go several weeks without doing any major grocery shopping…with the exception of fresh fruits/vegetables and milk. A short break is usually all that I need to get over coupon fatigue.
Thank you for posting this! I have been seriously couponing for a year now and I am getting burnt out! I haven’t been to CVS in two weeks and the last time was only to burn up some ECBs before they expired. I enjoy scoring a great deal but I have gotten to the point where I don’t even go for the free items unless it’s something I really need or don’t have in the stockpile. I think my couponing honeymoon is over – I’m not getting the thrill I used to get from the deals (especially at CVS).
Yes, I’ve definitely felt the burn out before, but a took a break for about 6 weeks and its amazing how energetic i was about it when I came back to it!
I put so much work into couponing and saving money – it is SO easy to get burned out! Plus I have a money saving blog, too so let’s just add to the burnout! When I do get overloaded, I just stop shopping for at least a week. I’ll buy only what we absolutely need or I send my husband to pick up a few things. That break really helps.
I also often ask myself – do we really need this stuff? Often the answer is NO! As many of us know, even though we get alot of products for free, there is some serious work behind it. Sometimes I have to just decide that the work is not worth it.
Oh my goondess – this post is so timely for me! I’ve been coupon shopping for 4-5 months now, but I hit the ground running with it so hard, I was beginning to feel a little burned out. I’m definitely thinking of cutting myself back to one or two places instead of running myself ragged trying to get around to each and every store. Thanks so much for your post.
I needed this post, thanks. Sometimes I think I beat myself up for not getting all of the good deals. I’m finally getting to the point where I’m able to say, “If I can get there, great! If not, oh, well.”
I, too, appreciate all of your work and dedication to helping us coupon newbies. Thanks.
I have only been a “hard core” couponer for about 3 months and have been experiencing burn out. I try to set aside one day per week, usually Sunday, to clip my coupons. Any that I print during the week will sit on the printer until Sunday (unless I need it for a trip sooner). I had to tell myself that there are no deals worth losing my sanity over. Whenever I feel like it I will go through the ads and match up coupons. (I am not lucky enough to live in a city that has any grocery stores that anyone blogs about)
It is kind of hard to just go to the store and buy things you need without using coupons. I just feel like I’m paying twice as much as I should on the occasions when I have had to do that. But sometimes we all need a break. I have been taking a Walgreens break this week and only bought one thing at CVS this week. So this is nice to be free to skip a store if the deals aren’t that good or to take time to do something else (like going to a fruit & berry farm with my children). I look forward to hearing the other comments.
Thanks for your post and your hard work! We definitely have “seasons” in our lives. We live in a more rural area and when I see some blog posts of the deals found, my jaw just about hits the floor! Have to remind myself that we’re planted where we are and God provides and He does not desire us to compare ourselves with anyone else. I must be and become who He wants ME to be. Keep on keepin’ on! Thanks again!
Thank you Crystal…This post came to me at just the right time. I feel a little burned out…I have been doing this since January…so about 6 months…Doesn’t seem like a long time…I know. But, my freezer and pantry are full…I have felt so burned out I have even stopped doing a thorough inventory of what I have an meal planning. I think I will definitely get back to that right now and not feel so guilty and overwhelmed about the coupons! Thanks!
Thanks for this one. I really needed this reminder today. I’m a bit overwhelmed at the moment and needed to be reminded of this.
I definitely had to take a break at the beginning of my pregnancy, when all my energies were focused on caring for my 2 little ones and our home. But one method that I found that helped when I was ready to start up again was to not try to catch up with the clipping- instead, start by tossing all the expired coupons and then just clip & file the most recent week’s inserts. Do the same thing each week and eventually the older inserts will be down to just a few coupons that can easily be filed.
The worst thing you can do to yourself is to beat yourself up for being behind- allow yourself a break and don’t overwhelm yourself with trying to catch up. Just jump back in whenever you’re ready and don’t be stress about sitting out every now and then. It just makes it that much more fun when you’re ready to start up again!:-)
Thanks for this article. I had set aside my couponing during June because I was getting super overwhelmed and couldn’t find the time to do it all! I decided to simplify my system and start using your system (envelopes in a box) I was using the binder method with baseball card sheets. It took so much time and I got too busy. I just started again and it’s nice to have a simple,easy and fast way to do couponing. Thanks!
I recently took a week long blogging, couponing, shopping break and focused all of my energy on something else (vacation bible school). I didn’t even look at the sales flyers that week, at any other frugal blogs, or even check e-mail some nights. It felt great and was a much needed break. I limit my stops to two stores a week (normally Walgreens and Meijer) and stopped stressing long ago about missed deals.
I definitely agree with limiting the number of stores. We live relatively close to quite a few major chains, but I only go to one or two a week to get the best deals. You don’t help yourself saving another $5 if you spend an extra 45 minutes to do it. And though we have Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid nearby, I only do one store’s deals and ignore the rest.
If I were to take a real break from couponing, I would still save the inserts in date order so that if a great deal came up, I could snag it.
I forgot something else I use – Valpack. It routinely has coupons for local markets. I blogged about my experience here:
http://www.birkenmommy.com/search/label/money%20saving%20ideas
birken mommy
http://www.birkenmommy.com
I just thought I would comment on the whole insert filing. For me and my family of six I just don’t have too much time now that I had to take over all the secretarial work for our business a few months ago. For me loking up our local stores ads on the coupon sit,es then those sites telling me what coupons to use, is just too easy for me I guess. Then when I do go the store I have a notepad and jot down special unadvertised prices and clearance. Then if it’s worth it to me and I have my kids I will tell them we are going shopping and then we will take a trip to the park.
I have to say though I always look at the CVS deal on here as I like the layout. The coupon sites start to get pretty chatty and sometimes I get real confused on what the real deals are.
And believe me there are times when I just think to myself wow must be nice to not coupon and buy everything you want. But when you live a frugal life it’s a first for us and I then get back to our level and see that because of what I am doing for our family it’s why we have what we have from hard work on all ends.
Whenever I don’t feel like clipping coupons, I just go get the groceries at ALDI (usually about ever third week or so). I find their prices so low that I can put pretty much whatever I want in the cart and stay within budget. They don’t take coupons anyway, so I don’t feel guilty at the register. ALDI is certainly the place to go when you don’t feel up to tackling the big grocery stores!
I’ve done two things that cut down on a lot of the time-suck that couponing can sometimes be:
1) I set up an alternate email address on hotmail and went to the website of every food manufacturer whose products we regularly use. I signed up for every newsletter, etc. Now, I get lots of e-coupons and also clipable ones in the mail (Organic Valley sends out amazing coupons in their Rootstock newsletter and it’s full of interesting information). I check the email every week or so – at my convenience.
I set it up as an alternate email because, while everyone says they won’t sell your info, someone always does. At least the spam offering to tell me all about Viagra doesn’t come to my regular email.
2) I did a serious side-by-side shop (without any coupons) between my two favorite grocery stores – Whole Foods, which accepts all kinds of coupons (printed out and clipped) and Fairway which accepts only clipped. It turns out that Fairway was lower for most the same items (we eat probably 90% organic).
Now, even if I don’t have any coupons, I know that I’m still getting the best deal in my area.
Hope this helps.
birken mommy
http://www.birkenmommy.com
I have been couponing for about 1 year. As a SAHM I view couponing as a part time job that I get paid for. I get lots of free products with the time I spend, and I am able to share with my family and the food pantry out of my stockpile. Couponing/deal stuff happens during naptime at my house, outside of actual shopping trips. (1-2 stores/week for me)
Give yourself a break. Do fun things that keep your life balanced. Read good books from the library, play with your children, exercise more!!! Pray more. Go to bed earlier. Volunteer in your church. Spend some time with friends or in your garden. Don’t make couponing your entire life…no matter how much you like it. Set limits and don’t compare yourself with others.
Great post! And the funny thing is that I was just going to work on a post called “A Shopping Vacation” discussing becoming burnt out from shopping deals and couponing. I’m so behind in my coupons because I think I need a break. It has been 8 straight months of couponing and especially with finally all the deals for the blog- I’m a bit burnt out.
You are right that it is ok, and NEEDED, to take a break from couponing and deals. The truth is that most deals will come and go again 🙂 Thanks!
Fortunately, I have an Aldi right near by, so I am able to feel great about saving money and not always have the pressure to use coupons. That is a huge help.
Unfortunately, Aldi only has stores in the eastern half of the country, but if you haven’t tried it yet it’s definitely worth it.
I have some tips and tricks on my blog if you’ve never been there before… It’s a little bit different from what you might be used to!!
I have drastically cut back my couponing and bargain hunting for a season, although I am still scooping up lots of great deals. I have even lowered my grocery budget during this time. It has been weeks since I stepped foot in Walgreens, and I am most often going to one or two stores once a week also. I have 3 children, homeschooling, an ill grandmother, and a home business to juggle!
I took a semi break during the end of my pregnancy and it was nice. I just couldn’t deal with clipping and sorting so many coupons, planning trips, loading and unloading kids at multiple stores… If I ever get that far behind on cutting/sorting I plan to hire someone from Craigslist to catch me up. Even paying $30 I’d come out ahead with my savings.
Thanks for such a supportive post. I definitely toned down my couponing to save my peace. I actually skip newspaper inserts altogether now, and mainly use printable coupons. I even gave up Krogering because it is 20 extra minutes out of my way, a waste of time and gas.
When I was seriously couponing, I found myself buying lots of extras we didn’t need (and more processed food than I prefer). So now, even though I only coupon lightly, our budget is comparable and we are eating much healthier–even a lot of organics!–and it’s much less of a chore now. I think meal planning is my biggest money saver, much more so than coupons.
When I get tired I just take a break. It doesn’t last long because I don’t want to miss anything…
Thank you SO MUCH for this post. Since I’ve started serious coupon-shopping, I’ve felt the thrill of getting stuff for free, but also the burden of feeling like I have to snag EVERY good deal or I’m not being a good homemaker. I really need to give myself permission to take a break! It’s not just the time involved; we’ve had a lot of disruptions to our lives over the past several weeks, and I feel like I don’t have the extra brain power to process all the sales/couponing right now.
What an excellent post!! Recently I was also experiencing “bargain-shopping burnout”……I gave myself permission to only get the very best deals, not the so-so ones, and it gave me a great opportunity to use my stockpile – especially of food! It was such a relief to not feel the pressure of getting every deal. I’ve picked it back up, but have been trying to keep it in check. We will be moving soon, so I will keep these things in mind and not feel guilty about “missing out”. I love what you said about “the deals will always be there” and our babies are only little once!
(also thank you for the post about cutting and filing coupons vs. leaving the inserts whole! I’ve been wondering if leaving them whole is easier since it can take so long to clip and sort them. I was afraid of it turning out like you said it did for you! 10 years of a coupon box/expandable file works for me – I think I’ll stick with it!)
~ Mara @ Super Savings
Our family now focuses on eating whole foods – fresh organic fruits and vegetables and pastured meats and eggs from our local farmer’s market and Whole Foods. With that change, my couponing has dropped dramatically. I now only keep an eye out for couponing deals for diapers, paper products and pet food. Much easier to keep up with the deals when you’re only focused on a few items. When there are no good deals or I simply just don’t have the time (or desire), I go to ALDI or whatever store has the cheapest regular price (per my price book) for those non-food items.
I have a friend who cannot fathom using coupons at this season of her life, so she offered to give me all the coupons she has accumalated. I am heading over there to week to visit and be blessed. :o) I suggest the same for your readers, if they come a place where they want to take a season off bless someone else with the coupons instead of having them go to waste.
Hey, thanks for the article. I’ve actually been feeling the same way this week. Although, I don’t think I will actually stop clipping. It’s just good to have a sounding board and know other people have gotten burnt out about it from time to time and it really is “okay” to put the coupons away for a week. Phew! 🙂
I have been trying to eat our of my stock pile once a week or so. This gives me a week off from a huge shopping trip and keeps me from getting burnt out too easily. I still stop in the closest store for a produce/milk/eggs run if needed. Sometimes there seems to be an “off” week with the coupons (not such good deals), so then I’ll use that as my break.
Very good post…I think it is healthy to step back and refocus until you are ready to dive back in ! When I start freaking out ’cause I missed one deal, that’s the time I say “enough already”
My major opt out for couponing came in December 2008 when our son got married and our children and grandchildren were staying with us for the wedding and Christmas too. I missed a lot of good deals but I was proud of myself for letting go and coming back in January fresh and ready to roll again.
This is when it’s nice to have a stockpile. You can just buy the basics (bread, milk, eggs and fresh produce) and use things out of your food storage. It also produces “carry-over” money to use on good sales when you feel like getting back into the swing of things because you are at the stores less. An extended break is nice sometimes. It helps you get energized and reinvested in the whole process of saving money.
If I need a break or haven’t had time to clip & organize, I usually go to Aldi. They don’t take coupons, but their prices are great if you’re selective about what you buy. I can get a week’s groceries there w/o coupons for the same price as Meijer/Kroger with coupons.
I absolutely LOVED this article, thank you for writing it.
I like your idea about having the kids help with meal planning, cooking, shopping, etc. We are a homeschooling family, and since my kids are still on the young side they can’t help to the extent you described. However, my kids are GREAT at clipping and we make up math equations as we go along. “How much money would mommy save if the juice cost X dollars and we have a coupon for X dollars?” It is so much fun for us, and since kids just love to be with you no matter what you’re doing, it serves as quality time too.
this too is where i am… I have been laying it all down and going to Sam’s!!
My life seemed so much simpler when I mainly shopped at Aldi’s & went to Kroger to fill in the gaps. But I love, love, love getting a great deal. That’s why couponing appeals to me. This past month I didn’t do much bargain shopping. I’m hoping to hit Harris Teeter again next month when they do triples again. I have a 3.5yo & a 8mo so I need to be concentrating on them. Also, I WANT to home school so I need to figure out how to get organized to do that. There are other hobbies I want to get back into, too. Thanks for all the suggestions & support.
I can’t believe you used one of my comments. I feel so honored. I was just very frustrated that day & was venting to you. Thanks for taking my comments seriously & giving suggestions for how to handle my frustration.
I really agree with Crystal’s idea of taking a break. As much as I love to bargain shop and load up the pantry on really good deals, sometimes I get sick of the clipping, filing and scouring for good deals.— And, I’m a long-time bargain shopper, my routine is down to 2.5 hrs per week, which includes shopping time.
So, once in awhile I slow way down — like right now. It’s summer and we like to spend a lot of time outdoors enjoying the beautiful weather. When the weather starts getting cooler (Sept), then I jump back in full swing.
At first it was really, really hard to slow down the bargain shopping, because I felt so guilty for not taking advantage of great deals. It was like I was being a bad steward of our money by not taking advantage of every deal. Well, it’s not always about the money. Sometimes it has to be about our own well being. So whatever you do, DON’T feel guilty!
Also, shopping at more than a couple of store is sure to burn you out 🙂
Take Care,
Trixie
http://farmhomelife.blogspot.com
Thank you for this post, Crystal. I am definitely slowing down a bit on my couponing, but feel good about it due to the large amount of food in the pantry!!
I’m still saving the inserts, labeling them, and then fishing out coupons when you or other bloggers match up a really good deal. But, I’m not spending the hours doing the matching, at least not right now.
Even if one slows down on couponing for awhile, I still think having done it heavily at one time is helpful. It wasn’t until I started couponing that I knew what a good “deal” was, and started to understand the difference between a “sale” and a “good sale.” For example, this week, I saw a pack of American cheese slices on “sale” for 3.99 and laughed. I’ve bought them for $1/pack over the last few weeks. Before couponing, I would have simply grabbed the “sale” item thinking I got a good deal. So now, even when I’m not couponing, I can at least know when a sale is good or not.
Your blog has taught me a lot. I appreciate the time and energy you put into your posts.
I’ve been considering this lately as I’ve been dreading the coupon-clipping and ad-looking. I’m thinking I am going to rely on a sole site for deals to grocery stores (probably Southern Savers) and do more a stockpile approach rather than particular meal-planning. I think focusing on couponing just the very lowest deals each week would be less overwhelming.
It is hard with all the information on the Internet to not feel like you should be out chasing deals all day long. I do “no-clip” couponing and just file my circulars each week, then sit down with TheGroceryGame.com and this blog on Sundays and make my grocery list for the week (with the 2 stores I have on GG) and then decide if it is worth throwing in a CVS or Walgreens run that week or not. Today we needed some stuff from the store and I just went without coupons. I knew most of what I wanted (milk, bread) wouldn’t have coupons, and I had a $5.00 credit on my account from a video I watched (thanks, MSM!) You know what, I got what I needed for the week and only spent $48. Could I have gotten it for $43 or $45 if I had spent an hour pulling together my coupons? Probably, but I bill out at much more than $5/hour! 🙂
Give yourself permission to not be perfect, and you’ll be much happier!
Would your parents mind if you shared their weekly food budget target from when you kids were all in the house? We are a family of 7, and I would find it helpful to hear what other large-ish families spend. Gosh, I’d even love to hear what kinds of meals your mom made. My husband and I both come from small families, so we’re very much ‘learning on the job’ when it comes to raising and schooling a large brood! I find your food budget/meal posts helpful, but with kids and their friends approaching teen years….food disappears way faster than it used to!
I’ve slowed down on my shopping trips this summer. With all 3 kids out of school it’s just harder to go places! I’m lucky to drive by 3 Wags and 1 CVS during the school year so I’m trying to just use what I have in stock this summer. I’m saving money too by using what I have.
I did major coupon shopping from May to December last year. By Christmas I was too busy, and definitely too burned out to continue! I still haven’t resumed couponing to the level I did before… not even close. I’m so much happier though, and don’t feel like a slave to it anymore.
Recently I’ve been transitioning my family’s diet totally away from any processed foods, and that makes it so much easier to cut the couponing! Now I read a few deal sites daily, and mostly purchase things to use as gifts, and non-food items when I can get a great deal. I have much more time to spend with my 18 month old son, and doing other things I enjoy.
If you need a break then take one, and don’t feel guilty. Enjoy it!
Sometimes I let one area “slide” for a while and focus my limited available time/energy on another area. For instance, if I have a good stockpile of personal hygiene items, I’ll quit clipping those coupons for a while and focus on food shopping instead. I have to give myself permission to pass up “good” deals that would be taking up my time and only jump on the really great ones (free or close to it.)
I am new to this site, but not new to coupons. All of the work and research you all do is a huge help!! My newest idea is to recruit my sister, have her over once every other week and have a clipping/planning dinner. We can make a plan and split the running, she can pick up her stuff and mine from CVS, and I can hit Target and shop both of our lists, then meet up the next night to swap our goods! That way we can each get deals from 2 stores, but only have to go to 1. I haven’t tried this yet, but it’s what I am hoping to do.
I have written a lot about this, both on Wise Bread and my own blog. I really feel that if your money-saving methods aren’t fun or at least bearable for you, you’re not going to stick with it. If you’ve lost the thrill of the chase with couponing, it’s definitely time to rely on other methods for awhile.
Simply relying on less expensive ingredients for meals is a way to stay within the same budget you might have had while couponing. This is especially easy to do in summer when produce is cheap. If you really need a break, sign up for a Community Supported Agriculture box for the summer and build most of your meals around the vegetables you get in that.
I finally told myself that it is OK to skip a few deals when the other factors in my life are overwhelming. I have a 9 month old now. When I was at about 32 weeks pregnant with her last year I had to stay off my feet as much as possible. So I took a break from CVSing. I went in and used up all my ECBs on things we needed (detergent I think if I remember correctly) and did not go back until about 2 weeks ago unless it was to get a free glucose meter which produced free ECBs. I would then turn around a buy a pack of diapers.
I also stopped going to different grocery stores each week for my produce, dairy, and meats. I cannot keep the food from the first store cold enough while I am in the second store during the summer so I just go to one for my big shopping trip. I will hit everything (Kroger, Publix, Target, CVS, and WAG) during the week for the deals when I pass by them.
Wow, thank you for the great post! This is exactly where I am right now…coupon burn-out. I have been beating myself up about it, but not anymore. Jennifer
I completely feel you on this, it can become a hassle at times. When I get burned out on couponing I will just go to walmart,since they price match I just take my adds with me and just have them match the sales price if it is better.This way I only have to go to one store that week.
I usually limit my shopping to CVS and one grocery store. Also, I usually take the summer off from CVS shopping to use up my stockpile. This helps keep my sanity in my already hectic life!