I am reposting this, because it seems to be one of the most commonly asked questions.
Question from one of my readers…
I have a question for every couponer out there. Do you ever get sick of couponing? I’m s a stay at home mother of 3 and I’ve been couponing for about a year now and I’m starting to hate it. I have two weeks of inserts not cut and I haven’t even looked through yet. Am I in a coupon funk? I use to love clipping and organizing and seeing all my savings but now I’m loathing going to the supermarket. Has anyone ever gone through this before?
Answer…
YES YES YES!!!! As much as I love couponing even I get sick of it sometimes, here a few tips:
It’s ok to miss a sale- If you are like me you get a little rush every time you get a Thrifty deal. But it is best to take it slow, pick your top “Thrifty Deals” for the week and just try to snag those sale items.
Only shop 1 or 2 stores- It is FUN to get the hot item of the week at each store, but if you run to every store that offers a good deal you may have an awesome stockpile…but you WILL hit coupon burn out way to fast!
Don’t get behind on your clipping- I have to admit that clipping and putting away my coupons is my LEAST favorite job. But it should only take 30-60 min each week to do this. To view my video on how I clip my coupons click here…the only thing I do different now is staple them together before I cut them. If you do get really behind it is OK to just leave those weeks uncut…and start fresh ( you can always go back just clip the ones you need, but that way it is not so overwhelming)
Take a break- Yes I said it is OK to take a break. (but still check in my blog…wink) Before I wrote my blog I would take a few weeks off from couponing when life just got too busy. Live off your stock pile for a bit, that is what is there for right! All it takes is one trip to the store and paying FULL price for a cart of things I know I can get for free to get me excited to coupon again…but the break is nice.
Count your savings- Keep track of how much you are really saving. That is why I do my weekly budget review, it helps me see the big picture of how much I really save. It makes me feel like my hard work is really paying off…and yes proud of what I have done. It gives me the energy to keep it up!
Save for something fun- Take the money you are saving from couponing and put it towards something fun. Like a surprise family trip. Start out saving for something small like going to the movies, or night out with your hubby… so you can reap the rewards of saving.
Get a coupon buddy- I know lots of people shop with a friend, it is fun to hang out with your girl friends and save at the same time. OR I know some people coupon with a “buddy” ….you shop one week and your buddy shops the next week and share the weeks savings. That way you never miss out on the sale, but you only have to shop every other week.
What are your feelings on this….and what tips do you have? Would love to hear from you all!
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i file by date.
i don’t clip ’til i need to use them.
it’s easier to flip through bigger pgs.
the coupon sites direct you to the insert you need (example : red plum from 10/10 or PG 10/3)
Megan…I did the same thing in september, I had a drawer full and was too exhausted to even care what I was missing out on. Last month at Albertsons I was about to do about 1500 in groceries for 140 bucks in a 2 day period and it definitely reenergized me in the coupon department
I also have a coupon buddy and she is way better at scoping the deals and keeps it fun!
Wow, I am so blessed as we are retired so I have time to spend on my couponing. I love it!! Have only been at it since January. At first I was really overwhelmed, tried to do it all and hit all the stores. I am not saving money as a percentage of our budget, but that is okay. I am buying for charity, special gifts to encourage people and a big stockpile to help later if the economy gets worse than it already is! I spend a LOT of time on it, but I enjoy your blogs and others so much! I feel like I know you and your family, it is wonderful.
God bless you!!
I’ve been disappointed to see doublers the last couple of times because i know what doublers means, spending the next 3 days in between a hectic busy life at Alby’s getting 3 items at a time and the lines are so long with people doing the same thing. Hope we get another round up, I love the convenience of going once, or twice if I find more good coupons. I used to live for doublers and in fact would get ready Saturday night just in case they came and then be disappointed if they didn’t. This just be my coupon funk. I also love when Alby’s has a slow week so I can take a break and not spend a dime!
Does anyone ever feel like they are jumping through hoops like a show dog? Sometimes I feel like a puppet on a string and the stores are controling the strings. So many of the deals out there require lots of work to figure out and then get. I love couponing and the savings I get for my family but it saddens me that we couponers have to go through so much effort. Why can’t the stores just have low prices. Wouldn’t it be wonderful it there were no promos, deals, catalinas, coupons, etc… to worry about. You could just walk into a store and buy what you needed and get a fair price for it. Sarah, what do you do to not feel like a pawn in the game of couponing? Thanks for your advice!
I got a little overwhelmed about three months ago when I had my daughter and was still trying to chase a sale. I went to a couponing class done by the FAB gals and have been going strong ever since. On their site, they have an excel document that lists all of the weekly coupons. I don’t clip any of my inserts. I put them in clear sleeves with the list and clip at the store. I have a separate area for my internet and other loose coupons. This has helped me to not get into a funk. I spend less than 20 minutes a week on my binder. It is great with having four little ones to run after. Everyone who says they don’t have time for couponing needs to have their head examined.
Over the last couple of months, I have saved thousands of $$$.
Thank you for your wonderful site. I know you work hard finding us great deals and it is greatly appreciated.
I have been in a funk for about 3 weeks now. I am living off my stockpile, except some fresh fruit and veggies. I know my pile will be gone when I get started again – but I just was overwhelmed with so many other things in my life. I know when I start back I will be fine – my stockpile has been such a blessing the past few weeks. My coupon buddy thinks I am crazy – but I am guessing she will feel this way at some point
I need to print these tips for keeping out of a funk and keep it with my coupons.
I’ve been couponing for a year and finally feel like I might be getting a groove for my family. I keep revising as I go along–dropping stores, consolidating clipping, passing by deals. I’m sure I’ve saved us money but tracking my savings would encourage me when I start to get fmore. I’m going to start doing that now. Thanks Sarah!
The only time I get into a funk is when I put in the time and effort to go to the store to purchase a good deal only to find that they are all out. Usually this happens at Walgreens. Then I beat myself up, thinking that I should have spent the time with my kids and husband. Any advice on how to look at those frustrating times more positively? Thanks!
I recently went through a major funk when I started back into College. All the homework as well as keeping up the house and taking care of a 2 year old was enough that my coupon inserts were piled up in a drawer. I kept attempting to organize them but it became so overwhelming that I decided to start fresh. I threw away the entire pile of clipped but un organized coupons (Don’t freak out most were expired) and just started over. Now I am all caught up and back to saving my family money
Megan did you hear us all gasp….lol Good for you!!
First…….I LOVE your site!!! That being said I could of been the person asking this question. I have been in such a “FUNK” the last few months. I have a pile of inserts I haven’t touched, I used to be on the comp checking my fav blogs/sites several times a day for all the great deals that are being posted, on Twitter and Facebook, etc. and for the last couple of months I’ve hardly touched the comp. I to, like many who have comment here, started out at 500 miles per hour and crashed and burned. So, how much of a coincedence (I know the sp is wrong – I’m the worst) is it that the first thing I read tonight when I logged on is this post?? Makes me wonder. Thanks to everyone who commented you all really helped me out and again I LOVE your site and thank you for all the work you do for us to help us save money.
It’s always nice to hear that others go through the same things, isn’t it? In the trying to “get it all right” mode, I end up getting discouraged and then it just escalates and the stacks get bigger….certainly NOT productive. I’m just incredibly grateful that Sarah takes the time, as busy as she is, with 4 kiddos, to help so many. THANK YOU – your crown is getting lots of jewels in heaven!
Thanks for everyones comments…I love to hear from you all!
Couponing for me is like brushing my teeth…I always do it. I don’t need a break from it b/c I enjoy doing it. I like walking out of store and saving 90%!
I’ve been couponing only since January of this year. That first month I was mostly trying to figure it all out, learning about different store policies and such. It was quite overwhelming.
The second month, after I’d gotten the hang of it, I ran around like a crazy woman, chasing one deal after another. The good thing is that I did get a lot of great deals and I was able to build a nice stockpile of things we use regularly. The downside is that I got burned out pretty quickly. It was definately not a lifestyle that I could keep up with over the long term no matter how much money I was saving. You can’t put a price on my sanity!
In March I decided to lay off the shopping and just buy what we really needed — fresh fruits and veggies, dairy and such. I had plenty of meat in the freezer, and a good stock of canned foods, dry staples like pasta and rice, cleaning and hygiene items. I shopped just once at week at Albertsons for the essentials. If a good promotion was going on for items we could use, I’d take advantage of the sale IF they items were readily available at my neighborhood store. If not, I didn’t even bother going to another store to chase it down. I went to Walgreens a couple of times for shampoo (I think, or maybe it was deodorant) when they had a good promotion going on. But that was it. I got some good deals but didn’t drive myself crazy in the process.
By the end of April, I’d developed a system that I believe I can live with over the long run. So far so good. i don’t coupon on as large of a scale as I did at first, and I don’t run from store to store. I check the ads on Sunday and go to Walgreens if there is a good sale on something we use. This week it was shampoo, for example. But I don’t buy a lot of volume of anything, but I have a small family (just 2 of us), so that’s all we need. And I go to Albertsons on Sunday also, for the fresh food or anything essential, and again, stock up on good sale items, but if it’s not there, I’m done. There will always be another sale.
I get 4 newspaper copies. I sort them so that all 4 copies of each page are together, and I clip any that I’d definately use or would try to use if the right sale came along, then I file them in a accordian-type file box that is about the size of a small shoe box. Before I file them,
I go through my file box and toss any coupons that are expired. Any that will be expiring that week I pull out and, after reviewing that weeks ads, I decide whether I’ll try use them, or I toss them. My file box is plenty large enough for all the coupons I may ever use. I can’t see myself ever maintaining coupon-binder type system.
Truly — this process does not take me long to do every Sunday morning. I am usually all done before my daughter even wakes up. I turn on the news on TV, make some coffee, and settle on the couch to clip and organize my coupons. I find it quite relaxing.
Thanks for this post!!!! When I started couponing I was so hyped up about it! Now I’m 5 months pregnant with a one year old and I’m in a funk!!! Luckily I had a pretty good stockpile, but I was getting something out the other day and thought to myself “things are getting low, I really need to get my self together”! LOL I’ve got a months worth of coupons to go through and there’s a double up to 1.98 sale right now at Harris Teeter, so I’m going to work on things in the morning. I can’t afford not to coupon!!!
There is another blogger out there who created a spreadsheet to keep track of your coupon savings and she has it available to download for free. It says you can post the link without her permission on other blogs so even though this is not my blog I won’t post a link to it, just google 2010 savings tracker and it should be the first non-sponsored link to come up. It is really awesome! I love trying to save more the next month, it gives me a goal and something to strive for, helping me stay out of a couponing funk!
I am feeling the SAME way!! I think it has a lot to do with Summer & kids being out of school. I think my goal for the next school year will be to “stock up for summer” so I can just shop for the weekly items that I need until they go back to school:) My binder also was burning me out…so I kinda do what was said in a previous comment now. I only clip coupons from inserts that I am going to use no matter what and file in my binder along with blinkies, printables, etc.
I’m totally in a funk too. My daughter (3) and I used to look forward to coupon trips more than any others but now that my son is out of school for the summer and I’m 8 months pregnant, I’m just burned out! I think with a few exceptions
I’ll have to wait until school starts again!
First, I want to say, “Thank you!, Thank you!, Thank you!” Your blog has been such a tremendous help to me since I discovered it a few weeks ago.
I definitely get into a coupon funk. It can feel overwhelming trying to keep up with everything. My solution is to NOT clip everything. I have an accordian file folder where I keep all my coupon inserts, online coupons and weekly sale sheets organized by store.
When I get a coupon insert, I immediately write the date on it using the tiny date printed along the spine. I only clip coupons for items that I buy regularly (with our without a sale). Since your wonderful site points us in the right direction for a specific coupon (eg. Red Plum, Smart Source, PG), I use your website as reference to find the coupon that I need for a specific sale week. It’s made couponing feel less all-consuming.
Thanks again!
I am so glad you posted this! When I first started I had so much momentum and it was so exciting to clip and save. Then we had family fly in and were really busy for about three weeks. I missed so many great deals and I was really upset. Then by the time I could get caught up, it was so overwhelming…your advice it great! Thank you again for all your hard work. I am looking forward to getting back into some great couponing.
OMG, I’m going thru that stage right now. I got 2 months worth of coupon inserts that are sitting in a corner of my house. I have not even looked at them. I get some coupons in the mail and I sorted them but have not put them in my binder.
I have so much going on right now that and there are so many good deals out there but I haven’t had the time to snag them.
I tell myself I’m going to go thru these inserts after the kids are in bed, I get so exhausted, I ended up going to bed instead!
Maybe one of these days, I will just dive right in and sort them all!!!
I think that keeping track of my savings is what saves me from being in a coupon funk. Even though I have a laundry basket full of coupon inserts, that my one year old pulled apart for me after I got behind on my coupon clipping, I still enjoy grocery shopping.
Thank you for the tips! I feel like I have been in a funk wiht my couponing as well.
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