Re-Post: Dealing with Coupon Burnout!

I wrote this awhile ago, but thought it would be a good idea to post it again for all of you who might not have seen it. 

I will be the very first to admit that Coupon Burnout happens to me all of the time!  It probably happens more than I would like since I am finding deals and posting them for all of us.  But, that is ok!

Coupon Burnout is an essential part of using coupons.  You aren’t doing anything wrong if it happens to you.  Actually, you are probably doing something right!

But, what do you do when you get to that point where clipping your coupons, using your coupons, or using that deals just seems like way too much effort??

Here are a few things that I have done that have helped me get through my Coupon Burnout Phases:

1- Take a break.  If you are feeling overwhelmed and just too tired to go through the coupon hassle.  Then, take a break for a few weeks.  Shop the best you can without coupons and just relax.  Using coupons is a lot of work.  And when you are trying to take care of the household chores and your family- you get exhausted!  So sometimes I will just not use coupons for a few weeks.  That usually does the trick for me.

2- Wait for a really, really good sale!  Sometimes you get in a coupon rut.  There doesn’t seem to be anything good that you just have to have.  So, it becomes tedious to use coupons.  My advice for that is just to wait for a really incredible sale.  And when that incredible sale comes- it will get you so excited that you saved so much money that it will help pull you out too!

3- Don’t buy every deal!  This is probably the biggest piece of advice I can give to anyone who is new to couponing.  When you first start, you feel like you have to go to every store and use every coupon.  It’s just not realistic- and you WILL burnout quickly.

• Use price matching to your advanatage.  Wal-Mart will price match.  I would recommend taking copies of the ads with you, even though they aren’t required. You can print out the Walmart Price Matching Policy here. That way, you can go to one store instead of 10!
• Only use coupons on things that your family needs or will need.  Don’t use a coupon just because you have it. The truth is that you only need to use a few coupons every week to pay for your newspaper subscription.  So it is ok to not use all of your coupons- Believe me, I end up recycling a TON of coupons that were never used at the end of the month.
• Purchase store brands-( if they are cheaper than the name brand and a coupon combined.)  The whole point of using coupons is to use them when you can get name brand items for way cheaper than the store brands.  And it happens on quite a regular basis.  But, don’t feel like you have to use your coupon- if you can get the store brand cheaper.
• Take it slow!  If you are new to couponing, don’t feel like you have to get every deal.  This one was really hard for me when I first started.  I wanted to get every free thing and everything else that was out there.  But I burned out WAY too fast!  The truth is that similar deals will come back again. So, if you can’t get a deal one week- it is ok.  Don’t beat yourself up about it.  It will come again- I promise!

4- Figure out how and when you are going to clip or file your coupons!  You can choose to Clip your Coupons or to File them away.  To see different Coupon Organization Methods, go here.  ( I have an updated version of the Binder Method here.)There have definitely been times when I have gotten behind on cutting my coupons.  5 weeks worth of coupons is a lot to cut!  So, figure out what works best for you and stick to it.  Is it better for you to cut coupons on Sunday when your family is taking a nap?  Or do you like to cut coupons during one of your favorite shows?  If you are able to set a fixed time, you are less likely to fall behind. And since things always come up- you will have weeks that you fall behind.  And that is ok too!  Just do your best and maybe enlist the help of your husband or kids one week!

Those are just a few tips that have helped me with coupon burnout.  Do you have more suggestions?  Leave a comment here or head over to the Coupon Forum to join the conversation!